Root Move 1: Back Spinning
The next series of tutorials in this section of BROLIC ARMY DJ SCHOOL is dedicated to my concept of “Root Movements” within the technique of “Beat Juggling” and their history. All “Beat Juggles” have a foundation in 10 basic root movements that range in the timing with which you slide a mixer’s crossfader from left to right, or vice versa, to when you sonically choose to execute a record launch or fill. If you’re a novice at “Beat Juggling” it is very important to FIRST understand this theory of “backspinning” and what inspired it as it will help you eventually conquer more advance hand choreography. Thus, eventually adding your own creativity.
Love learning about the history to these moves.. this is all new to me, and it’s great to learn about how, why and created these techniques ???
Respect!
Glad you’re enjoying our tutorials Luke!
Great Lesson! love it in every way and form! teaching is a artform too, an you master it as well as the turntable
Thank you Castro!
That 8th note filling is really frying my brain ?
It’s hard work. Keep practicing. Hopefully by now you’re better at landing them.
Thank you for this lesson!
Absolutely love how you explain things from the historic perspective! You’ve inspired me to setup my decks as Philly / battle style. It makes sense: normalizing the distance between the platter between the two decks, minimizing travel distance for the left hand between the fader and the platter and also reducing the chance of hitting the tone arm, potentially destroying the record, needle or the tonearm itself.
Now to get used to hand placement with the tonearm & management of the pitch fader. ?
How are you making out with the set up now?
Great tutorials, really well explained and put together. Thanks Rob. Slowly getting there with the fills, but sure the consistency and accuracy will come with practice.
Respect!
I switched my decks to Philly style and getting used to the reposition of the fader was way easier than I anticipated.
Also, having spent a few hours repeating just the 1/8th note section of this course, I have to say … whenever I’m in silence, I keep hearing “rock … be-bells”? in my head ?. Course is dope!
Ha! Respect!
Great lesson, def fixed an every day error I was doing, Rob Swift your an awesome teacher !!!
Mission Accomplished!
Im having a hard time with hand motion in 8th note fills. I am accustomed to having my crossfader hamster style so watching this and then doing it is a little different. I did realize through this lesson that I also need to work on scooting the record back vs using my finger on the label and spinning it back. It just seems so much quicker to spin it from the label. Ill get it. More practice. Great lesson, Rob.
You’ll get there Miss Spinster. Maybe start of a tempo slow enough for you to build the necessary muscle memory. Then gradually speed up from there.
First lesson! Just signed up, already knew I liked the teaching style and learned a bunch from watching Rob Swift Youtube channel. Looking forward to going through the lessons. Great content!
Respect David!
Also grand master flash was/is a sick mathematician. Figuring out how many rotations were in a bar, half a bar, etc … and playing with those numbers to arrange sound. Very much like Bach.
Insane. The wonders of instinct and intuition.
You are truly one of the greatest expositor!!! I truly appreciate these classes and all the things you as well all of your contemporaries (X-men, Xecutioners) contributed to the Hip-hop culture.
Thank you for showing love Edwidge. It means the world brother. Mission Accomplished!
I’ve nailed the 8th note fills on my dominant side however trying it on the other side is a different story , but practice practice practice and I’m site I will get it , I love the way that you break it down
It comes down to reptition. You’ll get there Ross!
im fully stoked, took on board your comments ,repeated it over and over and over today for well over an hour on my less dominant side and its pretty much thereand doesnt feel as alien as before(quite a few not clean moments until i get in the pocket) on the whole im really happy, i also tried switching from less dominant side to more dominant side and back again and i am able to pull it off fairly clean most of the time
My biggest issue is trying to train myself to not hear to hit the crossfader at the right time as to not hear any part of my spinning back when I come back to the first record. Im not sure if its because my crossfader is too sensitive (its a innofader for scratching) or if its just something my brain isnt connecting to yet in the moment.
I’ve been practicing the 8th note fill for two days in a row, when I come back home from working at a restaurant. I am very close to get it correctly: I have the movements down on time but I miss the “bells” on the left deck by a notch. Tonight I nailed it twice out of instinct but still I need tons of practice to develop the precision required.
Nice JDaemons!
Hats off to Rob Swift for absolutely mastering these 8th note fills! Watching an overhead, HD video (that we can pause, rewind and replay) of him performing these with such precision, is truly eye opening to how much skill this requires. (And this is the most basic move for him!!) The speed of his hands to bring the record back for the fill is insane! Now imagine he didn’t have the luxury of these training videos when he was learning! Respect! And mad respect to DJ Cash Money! Imagine trying to master something you can’t even be sure is physically possible on turntables! Respect the founders of this art, and Rob Swift for keeping it alive!
The explanation of the 8th note fill was very helpful when you stated, “Rock- Bells- Bells.” That breakdown allowed me (and I am sure others) to visualize the hand coordination and speed that I need to master. Thanks so much…gotta keep practicing.
That’s a clever way of absorbing 8th note fills! I always say, mouthing what you’re trying to get your hands to do can be a helpful way of understanding how to move.
The explanation of the 8th note fill was very helpful when you stated, “Rock- Bells- Bells.” That breakdown allowed me (and I am sure others) to visualize the hand coordination and speed that I need to master. Thanks so much…gotta keep practicing.
I finally got the 8th and 16th note fills! Just working on getting out of the pocket from there before I move on, but very informational on what to do.
Awesome Robert!
“float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!”
17 minuts in you talk about other tutorials were you teach about dropping on the 1 or 4 + 8th and 16th notes..
I been looking for those tutorials but i cant seems to find them
I was thinking about skipping this video cause I remember watching it 2 years ago or so, but thank God I decided to watch it again and I just unlocked a new skill ????… I had a residency at a night club and one of the DJs that I worked with would sometimes drop songs even when they didn’t begin on the one, somehow he was able to count the beat in the bar without really knowing how to explain but it worked for him as every time he’d drop those tracks it would have a surprise effect …
it’s so dope that just changing my way of counting beats from 1 2 3 4 to: and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 just changed the way i approach beat juggling
It’s always good to review the material throughout our curriculum because your brain digests it differently when you go back to it.
Great mtg you in Charlotte this wknd bro! I’m working on the 8th note fill but I’m stuck on ”rock the bells bells” instead of “rock bells bells”. My hands aren’t cooperating yet
Watched all of cash moneys 88 DMC routine after watching this, loved it, then watched your 1992 DMC set. Incredible how far you had taken it in that short time., Phenomenal.
I look forward to seeing where you take it next, Jonty!
Dope! I can’t wait to keep putting this into practice. Appreciate how clearly you break this down!
Right on, Sophy! I’m hear for you when you’re ready to get down to work.