#dj learning

I’ve never been one to gloat BUT… If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been asked “Rob, what is the secret to Beat Juggling…” or “Yo, I’d love to get together with you and practice my beat juggles…” I’d be writing this article from inside my vast Westchester, NY estate. Specifically, inside the library quarters. On a dumb long table. Hand carved out of Macassar Ebony wood. Straight up yo! But I rarely have a nickel on the occasions I’m approached about the mystery of “Beat Juggling”. Therefore, I’m forced to write you this article from my Jackson Heights apartment. In my living, on my black leather bachelor couch. I’ll make it to Westchester one day though, ha! Aight man, back to Juggling.

Battle season is right around the corner. Thus, I know many of y’all are locked in your bedrooms, training for what comes down to 6 minutes of your best stuff. Six minutes man, that’s all you got and you gotta make the most of it. So with that, the following article will impart my 10 basic principles for creating a funky “Beat Juggle”.

1) Tap into your funky side I can teach you how to walk because motor skills are acquired through physical repetition. I can teach you how to talk because speech is ultimately generated from specific areas in the brain. But Funk CANNOT be taught for FUNK is intuitive. Instinct is not learned. That comes natural. For example, every battle DJ can LEARN or be TAUGHT how to physically “back spin” LL Cool J saying “rock the bells”. But the pacing and rhythmic way that DJ chooses to “back spin” those 3 words is a sensation unique to that individual, i.e., INSTINCTIVE. Once you’ve found the funk inside your spirit, project it onto the music you’re training with.

2) Train from your soul When you jump on your turntables to practice, train from your soul, not your mind. Over the years people have sent me countless practice videos of them “Beat Juggling”, wanting feedback on how they can improve on this special skill set. Within seconds I can tell when a DJ is cuttin’ from memory or from his/her soul. I’ll be honest, the majority of y’all rock from memory. You’ve broken down a technique that was birthed out of pure emotional expression into a step 1, 2, 3… oriented equation. “First I’ll offset this kick, then spin the record back 2 rotations to the snare, move the crossfader over and oh yeah, I gotta move the up and down fader once to double up the snare I hear on the other turntable.” Like, I could literally read your mind while you’re in the middle of performing that Juggle. When you practice, practice out of the love you have for the music you’re manipulating. Train out of the need to feed your soul. I mean this LITERALLY. I’m not trying to be abstract. The last thing on your mind when you’re creating is sounding perfect. GrandWizzard Theodore created the scratch from a mistake. A mistake he was unaware he made while he was practicing because he was so emotionally consumed by the music he was working with. Luckily he was recording himself.

3. Press Record Always, always, always, document your practice sessions. When I competed I taped myself practicing. And more often than not, when I’d review the 90 minute TDK cassette tape, I would always hear myself doing cool sounding stuff I was unaware of in real time. On some occasions I’d develop a pattern during a practice session only to forget it the next day. Thankfully, I’d always have that tape to reference. I’m talkin’ pre-digital age. Now, there’s no excuse for you not to archive your training. Be it sonically or through video. You’d be surprised at how helpful logging your “Beat Juggling” progress would be.

4. Practice with a friend At the end of the day, you’re practicing with the intention of showcasing what you’ve come up with for other people. This is where practicing with a friend can be vital to your progress. Truth is, there are times where we start feeling ourselves (or maybe you’re just high on some weed, LOL) and you think, “yo, this routine is gonna bang when I do it in front of people.” Only to have it go over people’s heads or just fall short of the impact you expected. One great remedy for this is practicing with a friend. It doesn’t necessarily have to be another DJ. Just someone whom you trust will give you honest feedback about the direction you’re taking a specific routine in. If only you understand your juggle, what’s the point in doing it? I was fortunate to have the kind of friends (what up Gudtyme… Jose Perez?) that would come to my house after school and just watch me cut. It’s like they were my own personal audience. Their feedback played a major role in the DJ I am today!

5. Work on your speed When you watch a DJ like Steve D perform a “Beat Juggle” aka “The Funk” as he coins it, Steve moves so leisurely, doesn’t he? He’s boppin’ his head, you’re boppin along with him and you fail to realize just how deceptively fast he’s moving. “Beat Juggling” takes incredible speed. Take pride in practicing your quickness. Manually, piecing together Kicks, Snares, High Hats and words within a 2 bar section of a song takes swiftness. So before you sit down to work on that new Juggle, spend 5–10 minutes just back spinning. Once you’ve warmed up, start on that new Juggle of yours.

6. Every song is different If you gave me a variety of songs to work with for a battle, I’ll spend ample time listening to each song from beginning to end. Picking up all of the nuances particular from that individual composition. For this reason, out of all the routines in my repertoire, YOU’LL NEVER HEAR ME REPEAT THE SAME PATTERNS SONG TO SONG. That’s because each track asks something different from you. Having a grasp of this theory will make for a 6 minute routine that keeps evolving with each second.

7. Funk begets Funk I know where in an age where a lot of battle DJs are “Beat Juggling” Electronic and Techno music. And hey, if that’s the stuff you listen to, if that’s the stuff that moves you, if that’s the stuff you wanna “Beat Juggle”… be my guest. But Funk begets Funk and “Beat Juggling” is ALL about sounding Funky. So I strongly suggest you work with actual Funky music when you’re formulating a new pattern or routine. Many of us complain that “Beat Juggling” as we know it today is stale, synthetic and flat lines after a few quick seconds. One reason for this is a lot of battle DJs are working with beats that are produced on a computer grid. Sequenced copy and paste style. There’s no feeling in that! Factor in the unrecognizable songs competitors are using and your audience won’t be able to acknowledge what you’re doing to the music. If you wanna conceive your own Funky beat, work on familiar songs with a live Funky drummer or Funky samples. Done properly, Funky Beats equal Funky Beat — –> Juggles.

8. Study His Story Last month I had a spirited debate with a DJ from the current generation of Turntablist. I was arguing for the importance of competing with actual vinyl. He advocated for the advent of using Laptops. I was of the opinion that vinyl allows you to create a routine filled with peaks and valleys. He championed the idea that allowing Laptops in battles made it so he didn’t have to worry about switching records. Thus making it possible for him to squeeze more into a 6 minute routine. My response to that was “QUALITY VERSUS QUANTITY MAN!” To you reading this, I say, study the story of Aladdin, Steve D, Dr. Butcher, Mista Sinista. Study history, study HIS STORY and HIS STORY and HIS STORY… for in “history lies all the secrets of [the craft]”. Research how the most innovative Jugglers before you elevated the art. Hopefully then you’ll develop an appreciation of just how sacred it is to take one beat from a song and physically transform it into something totally different. That’s what I call being creative. Pre-producing your drum sounds on a laptop is just cuttin’ corners.

9. Memorization versus improvisation If I gave you 2 copies of Chic’s “Good Times” would you know what to do? If you’re a battle DJ you should know but I’d bet a majority won’t. I attribute that to a focus on memorization. As a result, you’re neglecting the ability to improvise. When you sit down to create a “Beat Juggle” do not limit yourself to set patterns of practicing. If you’re inclined to do that, the most efficient way to BREAK this habit is to throw on a BREAK-beat like “Good Times” and let it all flow. Develop what I call “Turntable Instincts”. Learn how to navigate through a section of song solely relying on your intuitive abilities. You won’t develop these in one session mind you. It takes time so be patient.

10. Have fun! DJing, Mixing, Battling, Scratching, “BEAT JUGGLING”… is just an adult way of having fun. When you’ve got a kick, snare and hi hat at your fingertips, be present. Enjoy the feeling of altering music. Seriously take it in. Your state of mind while practicing directly impacts your creativity. So revert back to your days as a kid playing with your favorite toy when you’re on the turntables. Don’t take yourself too seriously. When you make a mistake, laugh it off. When you do something cool, laugh it off. At the end of the day, making music on a conventional instrument or a turntable is about the enjoyment you personally feel and bring to your audience!

If you’re looking to erase the mysticism behind techniques like Beat Juggling and creating a battle set, subscribe to Brolic Army DJ School. The first DJ school to curate an extensive curriculum on Beat Juggling and we remain committed to teaching aspiring DJs the skills they need to excel in the field.

DJ Rob Swift teaches this Advanced DJing course at the Brolic Army. Rob Swift covers techniques such as EQ mixing and incorporating loops into mixes. This course focuses on elevating DJ sets and routines and features tutorials on more complex and elevated mixing techniques, as well as ways of incorporating the three main facets of DJing (mixing, scratching and beat juggling) into your work. Other Upper Level classes include Advanced Scratching and Advanced Beat Juggling. Refer to the courses page for these!

Advanced DJing Course Breakdown:

EQ Mixing and Looping: How to camouflage transitions from one song to the next using a mixer’s equalizer.

More lectures coming soon!

Best suited to intermediate or advanced DJs that want to elevate their sets and routines.

Advanced DJing is for students who have strong foundations in the techniques of DJing. DJing is best-learned step by step, building your skills one block at a time, taking the time to learn about each technique with intensity. Check out our other courses such as Basic DJing, Basic Scratching and Training Camp or the 10 Root Moves of Beat Juggling if you’re looking to develop your foundations before setting off on the advanced work.

Want to show off your progress? Send us your videos for your chance to be featured in our weekly Progress Patrol!

This learning pathway will help Advanced DJs navigate our courses and find the best learning pathway to suit their needs.

We consider advanced DJs to be those with solid foundational skills in mixing, set building, fundamental scratching.

Where to start?

We recommend browsing over the Basic Scratching course to ensure that you do cover the scratching bases in terms of skills, technique and undoing any bad habits that self-taught DJs may have encountered.

We assume that an advanced DJ is set on mixing by ear, dropping on beat, set arrangement and hand alignment and mechanics.

What course should I begin with?

10 Root Moves of Beat Juggling

This is our most popular course for intermediate and advanced DJs. This course takes you through all 10 of the root moves in details. This is the most comprehensive beat juggling guide out there.

Rob explains how to manipulate drum beats, words, etc. on both left and right turntables simultaneously through the application of the 10 Root Movements of “Beat Juggling”. This course is our most popular course. As a pioneer of beat juggling and creator of the ‘Swing Pattern’ there is no one better to teach these techniques.

Here is a details breakdown of the course content.

Backspinning and Backspinning with eighth and quarter note fills

the Breakdown Pattern

the Snare Pattern

the Offset Backspin

the Rock the Bells Pattern

the Swing Pattern

the Chase/Strobe Pattern

8th Note Linear Single Fills

8th Note Linear Double Fills

8th Note Linear Triple Fills

See the course here.

Advanced Beat Juggling

This advanced beat juggling course will help you take your skills to the next level. Now you have learned the root moves, you will learn to create your own patterns, how to combine all of the root moves to become a unique and more creative beat juggler. The emphasis in this course is creativity and self-expression. Beat Juggling is not just being able to do somebody else’s pattern, but creating your own unique patterns and combinations too.

See the course here.

Training Camp with DJ Rob Swift

This mini-course is designed for DJs who understand the 9 cornerstone scratches, have the correct alignment, technique, etc. but want to perfect their skills. We have four training camp sessions:

Faderless Scratches (baby, tear, scribble)

Forward Scratches (forward stab, drag, and release)

Intermediate Scratches (chirp, transformer, reverse drag)

Total Training (all 9 cornerstone scratches combined and phrasing)

This course will help you improve your skills and hone in on your scratch technique.

Founded in March of 2016, I created the #brolicarmy as a means of providing aspiring DJs with the proper information to grow as DJs. Over the course of the last 5 years, I’ve successfully turned YouTube, facebook and Instagram into my virtual classrooms. Giving students of DJing from all over the world valuable information on not just DJing’s techniques but the rich history involved with an art form that still remains an enigma to most people.

After interacting with many of you on social media regarding my teachings, the most common question asked of me has been, “Rob, since I don’t live close enough to train with you in person, is there one place where I can go to access all of your concepts on DJing?”, and so it is with immense pride I present the #brolicarmydjschool.

Your experience with learning all that DJing has to offer will no longer bring with it any mysticism. From basic to technical, every aspect of the art form will be explained to you in a very specific, step by step way. My 6 courses in Basic DJing, Basic Scratching, Fundamentals of Beat Juggling, Advanced Beat Juggling, Training Camp and Workshop Archives will teach the necessary skill sets you need to become a well rounded DJ. What’s more, it is the BROLIC ARMY DJ SCHOOL mission statement to provide all of the above with clear guidance and accountability. To accomplish this I’ll be personally tracking the progress of those who enlist in the #brolicarmy via my #progresspatrol video series.

I prefer DJing indoors to outdoors 100% of the time. Especially as the weather gets colder.

College GameDay Week 9 at the campus of Michigan State was a perfect reminder of why I feel this way.

DJing in bad weather is tough on your gear and your hands. But when ESPN is depending on you to keep an audience of hundreds of people energized for 90 minutes you must adapt to Mother Nature.

Here are my TOP 3 TIPS FOR DJing IN COLD WEATHER:

1) Get to the gig early and let your instruments acclimate to the temperature.

Radical shifts in temperature (both up and down) can damage your equipment. So I recommend bringing the turntables, mixer, etc., in their cases, leaving them on stage IN their cases for a while, and then taking them out just before your set begins.

2) Wear a hoodie.

A long sleeve shirt or sweater alone won’t cut it. Hoodies are perfect cause they have that center pocket you can easily slide your hands in to warm them up!

3) Hide your laptop if possible.

I lucked out today cause Game Day set me up with a custom table that has shelves. As much as I prefer having my laptop to the left of my turntables so I can have easy access to the songs I’m switching to throughout my set, that comfort takes a back seat to me protecting my laptop from water. So I was forced to place it inside my table’s shelf. You’ll notice me crouching down every now and then in this video because of this.

Despite the bad weather, Michigan State was another successful set

DJ Rob Swift explains in Fundamentals of Beat Juggling how to manipulate drum beats, words, etc. on both left and right turntables simultaneously through the application of the 10 Root Movements of “Beat Juggling”. This course is one of our most popular courses at the Brolic Army DJ School. As a pioneer of beat juggling and creator of the ‘Swing Pattern,’ there is no one better to teach these techniques.

10 Root Moves Breakdown:

Backspinning + Backspinning with 1/8th and 1/4 note fills

Breakdown Pattern

Snare Pattern

Offset Backspin

Rock the Bells Pattern

Swing Pattern

Chase/Strobe Pattern

Single 8th Note Linear Fills

Double 8th Note Linear Fills

Triple 8th Note Linear Fills

This course features over 10 hours of information-packed training on basic to advanced beat juggling patterns and techniques.

All patterns are applicable to all genres of music.

Tutorials are complete with cultural and historical information making this the most comprehensive course in beat juggling available.

10 Root Moves of Beat Juggling with DJ Rob Swift is for students who have strong foundations in the techniques of DJing. Learning the art of DJing is best done one step at a time, taking the time to learn about each technique with intensity. Check out our other courses such as Basic DJing, Basic Scratching and Training Camp, or the 10 Root Moves of Beat Juggling if you’re looking to develop your foundations before setting off on the advanced work.

Want to show off your progress? Send us your videos for your chance to be featured in our weekly Progress Patrol!