Brolic Army DJ School by DJ Rob Swift

  “The Brolic Army DJ School helps students cultivate the skills it takes to forge their own unique trail to success.”  

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DJing And Capitalism: A Brief History

Fifty years ago, Disco King Mario, Pete DJ Jones, Grandmaster Flowers, Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Jazzy Jay, Grand Mixer D.ST and a handful of other DJs birthed and helped cultivate a DJ movement powerful enough to become the nucleus of a culture called HIP-HOP.

When you chew on that for a second or two, nothing could be more tragic than to stop and consider the economic inequality which exists within the billion dollar industry that DJing has become.

DJing, I’m referencing “quick mixing,” “needle dropping,” “scratching,” “beat juggling,” etc., are techniques that were stumbled upon and created out of struggle. That is to say, a certain set of socio-political conditions in 1970s New York City provoked what us DJs do and our fans see, on social media day in and day out in 2023.

Today, according to an analysis by ZipRecruiter, a person who manages or books DJs can make an annual salary upwards of $70,000 minimum. When you compare that to the $48,000 average annual salary of the DJs doing the heavy lifting, I can’t help to conclude the math ain’t mathing right!

It’s time DJs take a hard and critical look at the impact of capitalism and economic exploitation on their art and the culture that birthed it. DJs need to stop accepting pocket change for 6 hour DJ shifts while the industry that pays them fills their pockets! Consider this article another reminder from me that DJing is now a billion dollar industry and therefore no DJ should face poor pay, job instability or ongoing under appreciation. When the DJ work force’s wage rates are lower than the people who sit behind cubicles and desks with their feet up, someone has to speak up.

Let it be known, I understand well the connection between art and capitalism. Moreover, my willingness to beat the exploitation drum that’s taking place as a result of that relationship can make me controversial in some mainstream circles. That said, in this glorified, corporate, commodified Hip Hop world we currently live in, I think it important to impart knowledge beyond how a “Flare” scratch is executed at Brolic Army DJ School. It’s important to learn about the destitution that birthed what so many are exploiting for currency, the social and the green kind, today! Unfortunately, most Hip Hop, specifically DJing, platforms don’t speak out and instead keep their mouth’s shut as a means to keep the truth buried over the past 50 years in order to protect their bottom line.

But “the truth shall set you free” and there’s an implication within that saying that confronts us DJs at the very core of who we are as people. If my DJ brethren are too scared to demand more than $200 for a 6 hour shift at a nightclub, if we as DJs aren’t properly credited for our studio work, etc., we are slaves. We are bound. We aren’t creatively free!

Click here to watch my full Interview on DJ Mathematic’s THE MATH FILES.

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Five Tips For Commanding The Attention Of Your Audience As A DJ

Although your audience isn’t inside the DJ booth with you selecting the music you play and the order in which you play it, they’re still a part of your set. So the deeper the synchronization between you and them, the better the experience of DJing.

Here are my five tips for commanding the attention of your audience as a DJ.

1. QUESTION TACTIC

The first words you speak into the microphone set the tone for the exchange of energy between you and the people in front of you. Asking a question is a great way to warm up any crowd but asking THE RIGHT question is an art so depending on the situation and the environment, ask something everyone is collectively passionate about.

2. ACTIVE VS PASSIVE VOICE

As a listener, I know I’m more inclined to focus my attention on a speaker who sounds excited to talk. So be active as a speaker, you want the intonation in your speech to project power. If you’re passive or soft spoken, it will hamper your ability to get and keep people’s attention.

3. BE SHORT AND PUNCHY

Avoid being too wordy whenever possible. Stuffing unnecessary words while talking to a crowd when music is playing is cluttered speaking. Instead, come up with attention grabbing phrases.

4. SCRIPT YOUR WORDS

Speaking off the cuff during a personal conversation is something we do every day. But talking to large audiences doesn’t happen as frequently, and so if you try to wing it, chances are the impulse to say something cool might outrun the speed at which your brain can come up with something slick enough to say. Scripting my words has helped me a lot. During the week leading up to my College GameDay set I mentally rehearse what I want to say and when I want to say it! This way I’m not up there saying, “Um.” “Uh.”, etc.

3. BODY LANGUAGE

DJing is the perfect career for shy people because you can channel your attention while you rock at your laptop or down at the gear you’re playing music on and never feel the need to interact with your audience. Your body language is crucial when you’re DJing though. So, if you expect an audience to give you their energy, you must be willing to give them yours. Make eye contact with as many people as you can while you’re jamming. Sounding great is important, but looking like you’re having fun makes the way you sound even better.

Always remember, when you’re DJing for a big crowd, preparing for what you’re going to say on the mic could be just as important as organizing the music you plan on playing off your laptop. All these people are standing together, not focused on themselves or each other but focused on you, and when they’re receptive to your voice you can actually feel the energy of the people in the room vibrate back to you. It is an awesome power.

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Advanced DJing Classes for Adults in NYC

Advanced DJing Course at Brolic Army DJ School by DJ Rob Swift

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.

Have a question? send us an email to and one of our team members, or Rob Swift himself will help you out!

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Follow Your Own Rhythm

There are three aspects of scratching. These are harmony, melody and rhythm.

Harmony is a blending of the different pitches you reach within a solo. Harmony is important because it prevents your scratches from becoming monotonous. Melody is the sequence with which you scratch. As a scratcher you must be able to scratch what you think on the spot.

Rhythm is what unites harmony and melody together over a beat. No matter how well you think you know the mechanics of a scratch you learned or “created”, inability to perform said scratch alongside music makes the scratch you think you know useless. If you can’t give form to your ideas as they come, then your cuts are echoing the melody of your influences.

Scratching is supposed to be an extension of your own personal cadence. Not someone else’s, and discovering it takes work! One doesn’t become a distinguished scratcher by turning themselves into a clone of the scratchers they admire. Yes, at first you learn through imitation. You go through a process of acquiring the techniques involved with scratching by copying in the initial stages of becoming proficient. But there has to come a point where you let your God given creativity take over and improvise on what you already know. If you’re not there, then you’re a replica of someone else’s style and you’ve stopped short of the last stage of scratching, inventiveness.

DISCOVER YOUR RHYTHM

No two people speak the same and so the way you voice your melody as a scratcher should be different from the next DJ. Sky’s the limit with your imagination and that very fact should inspire you to have fun while you train and try out different rhythms or invent your own! Whether you’re a guitar player, drummer, bassist, pianist, etc., the creative ones around us have these four common traits:

Perseverance: Success isn’t a straight line and in this social media, “I want results now,” aesthetic we all live under, it’s easy to talk yourself into giving up when you’re not seeing progress. The irony there is failure is what helped me create my “Nobody Beats the Biz” routine.

Openness: To innovate you must be willing to investigate. Questions like, what if?, are what trigger new ideas. So, once you’ve learned a new scratch from a Brolic Army DJ School tutorial, open your mind to the possibilities of how to build on that scratch. Being inquisitive is a key part of nurturing your creativity.

Temperament: It’s important to practice knowing that by the time you’re finished, something good would have come from the energy you’ve channeled onto your gear. Power up your equipment trusting you will tap into your creativity. But if you’re working out under the facade of tapping into your imagination, when in reality you’re chasing what you hear the scratch masters do on social media, then the only thing you’re pursuing is self sabotage. Practice to progress, not impress.

Draw from your experiences: Scratchers who can improvise are successful at it because they can draw from their creative experiences on the spot. Putting thought into form spontaneously comes naturally because there’s a connectedness between their heart and mind. When you’re drilling out your cuts, are you grooving to the sound you’re coaxing out of the turntables and is your body receptive to the way that sound being forged from hands feels or are you in a state of numbness and your limbs go through the motions?

EXPLORE YOUR INDIVIDUALITY

If it’s your desire to stand out as a scratcher, your sense of individuality can be realized through freedom. Be willing to break away from tradition. Creativity has no boundaries and if you scratch within the confines established by the DJs who came before you, you’re essentially stuck, waiting for someone else to introduce something new to you.

Stagnancy is the antithesis of creativity so stay flexible when it comes to the music you scratch to! Your ears must be nourished by different genres of music and sound if you want to stay stimulated. Move away from the familiar scratch loopers you practice to and introduce yourself to fresher rhythms. It’s through exposing yourself to genres of music you didn’t think of that your imagination gets accelerated.

Lastly, allow yourself to be led. There will be times when your intuition will provoke you to try things that at first may seem strange. This is not your gut leading you astray. On the contrary, a creative hunch to walk down uncharted territory is where you discover new ideas. So always follow where this intuition of yours is leading you. Work with every moment of inspiration, not against it. You will never personally experience expansion as a scratcher if you hang on to what other DJs have done in the past. Give yourself the creative space to outgrow someone else’s technique by putting your own personal style on it!

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Advanced Beat Juggling DJ Course For Men’s

COURSE DESCRIPTION

After learning the 10 root moves of Beat Juggling, this course addresses how to combine the 10 Root Movements. Our goal is to help you reach the next level of Beat Juggling, find your unique style, come up with new patterns and create more interesting routines and DJ sets.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

4 lectures and 4 hours of content!

Information packed practical training learning how to become creative with beat juggling techniques.

Best suitable for advanced level users and who are looking to become more expressive and creative in their beat juggling.

Have a question? send us an email to and one of our team members, or Rob Swift himself will help you out!

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Best DJ School for Mens in NYC

Welcome to the Brolic Army DJ School by Rob Swift. A DJ platform where expert instructors and informative lesson plans provide a customizable path of learning for beginner, intermediate and advanced DJs!

“The Brolic Army DJ School helps students cultivate the skills it takes to forge their own unique trail to success.”

“Learning to mix, scratch and beat juggle takes a combination of effective teaching and hard work. There is no shortcut to becoming a well-rounded DJ, but having the techniques and styles of practice broken down for you sets you on your journey to long-term success. This is why I created the Brolic Army DJ School. Whether you have no experience DJing and are excited to learn, or if you’re struggling to improve your current DJ game, my courses will take you on an exploration of all I’ve learned throughout the past 30 plus years of creating, mastering, performing and teaching the art of DJing.“

Brolic Army DJ School Courses:

All courses are included in each membership level.

9 Courses:

Basic DJing (4 Videos)

Basic Scratching (4 videos)

Fundamentals of Beat Juggling (10 videos)

Advanced Beat Juggling (3 videos)

Training Camp with DJ Rob Swift (16 videos)

Workshop Archives (24 Videos)

Advanced DJing (2 Videos)

Masterclass (23 Videos)

Advanced Scratching (3 Videos)

Each video is a fully comprehensive guide and contains easy to understand instruction so that members get a total learning experience. Tutorials in scratching and juggling include full history and context taught by one of the OG’s of the game.

More courses are on the way!

Whats Included in the Brolic Army DJ School Membership?

FREE DOWNLOAD pack of original scratch beats

Full access to ALL EXCLUSIVE HD DJ Tutorials, Scratch Workouts and Masterclasses

Access to our MEMBERS ONLY EVENTS such as the Brolic Army Civil War Annual Online DJ Battle + Seasonal online showcases

SITE-WIDE DISCOUNT on all merchandise and branded products

Access to the online community: Forums + opportunity to get featured on the @brolicarmy IG page.

BROLIC ARMY ALUMNI

The Brolic Army has a host of accomplished alumni. Many began with little to zero knowledge of DJing, or had only experienced DJing on controllers. Rob Swift’s Brolic Army DJ School and Community has transformed the abilities of thousands of DJs. Alumni range from from popular Club DJs, to Nationally and Internationally known Battle Champions. The Brolic Army has seen its’ students along their journey to creative expression and mastering the art of DJing.

Join the Brolic Army Dj School and community Now!

BROLIC ARMY DJ SCHOOL COURSES

Course 1- Basic DJing with Rob Swift

Hip Hop icon and pioneer DJ Rob Swift teaches fundamental DJ techniques. You will learn everything hand mechanics to listening and basic mixing techniques. This course will help you manually control the tools of the trade. You will also hone in on your listening and learn basic mixing styles.

Lecture A: Hand mechanics

Examining how to manually control the tools of the trade (turntables, mixer, needles, headphones etc.)

Lecture B: Listening

Analysing the importance of understanding bars, bar structure and quarter, eigth and sixteenth notes.

Lecture C: Mixing and Dropping on Beat

Demonstrates how to transition from one turntable to the other seamlessly by performing straight drops and “baby scratches”

Lecture D: Building a DJ Set

Arrangement: comprehensive details example on how to build a set. Together we explore how to apply fundamental DJ techniques in arranging a fluid DJ set.

Genre and BPM: understanding how to organise various styles of music.

Best suited to beginners or those wanting to improve their turntable instincts.

Course 2- Basic Scratching

In this course we review the 9 cornerstone scratch techniques, the baby, scribble, tear, forward release, forward stab, forward drag, reverse drag, transformer and chirp scratches.

As well as learning each technique, this course is designed to help you learn how to phrase scratches so that you can take your knowledge to the next level, creating scratch routines, improving social media content and more.

Lecture A: Faderless Scratches

Baby, Scribble and Tear and Scratch Workout

Lecture B: Forward Scratches

Forward Stab and Release and Scratch Workout

Lecture C: Intermediate Scratches

Chirp, transform, reverse drag and Scratch Workout

Lecture D: Phrasing scratches

Combining the nine cornerstone scratches.

Each lecture has an accompanying Scratch Workout aka ‘Training Camp’ designed and hosted by DJ Rob Swift to help you practice your scratches and improve your confidence and fluidity.

Course 3- Rob Swift’s Fundamentals of Beat Juggling

Rob Swift 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 from DJ Rob Swift. As a pioneer of beat juggling and creator of the ‘Swing Pattern’ there is no one better to teach these techniques.

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

2. Breakdown Pattern

3. Snare Pattern

4. Offset Backspin

5. Rock the Bells Pattern

6. Swing Pattern

7. Chase/Strobe Pattern

8. 8th Note Linear Single Fills

9. 8th Note Linear Double Fills

10. 8th Note Linear Triplet Fills

Course 4- 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 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.

1. Chase pattern with 8th note fills

2. Snare Pattern (Level 4)

3. Total Eclipse’s Rolling Fills

Course 5- Training Camp with DJ Rob Swift

Training Camp with DJ Rob Swift is a practice based course. This course contains four Scratch Q&A practice videos to help those who already understand the fundamentals of the scratch techniques improve and elevate their scratching.

1. Faderless Scratches

2. Forward Scratches

3. Intermediate Scratches

4. Combining the 9 Cornerstone Scratch Techniques

5. Fader Grip

6. The Mix Master Ice Scratch

7. A Guide to Composing a Battle Routine

8. Applying the Mix Master Ice Scratch

9. Orbit Flare Scratch

10. Articulating the Crab Scratch

11. Articulating the Boomerang Scratch

12. Combining multiple scratching patters in a solo

13. Scratch Phrasing

14. Listen and Modify

15. Negative Space Perception

16. Christmas Scratch

Course 6- Workshop Archives

This courses “Workshop Archives” is a hub for past academic, or teaching events and lectures that Rob has hosted and will host in the future. These talks are done in collaboration with other organizations broaching topics that Rob teaches in his courses on the Brolic Army DJ School.

BACKSPINZ DJ WORKSHOP PART 1: Tips for Building a DJ set

MIT Lecture: The 5 Tenents of DJing

BACK SPINZ DJ Workshop Part 2: Personalizing Beat Juggling Patterns

BACK SPINZ DJ Workshop Part 3: Comparing DJ Scratch’s and Steve Dee’s Linear Fills

BACK SPINZ DJ Workshop Part 4: History of Beat Juggling

BACK SPINZ DJ Workshop Part 5: Hand Explosiveness

BACK SPINZ DJ Workshop Part 6: Keep Calm and Composed

BACK SPINZ DJ Workshop Part 7: Why are DJ fundamentals important?

The Mechanization of DJ Art Part 1: Introduction

BACK SPINZ DJ Workshop Part 8: Tips on mastering the “Crab” scratch

The Mechanization of DJ Art Part 2: Learning to DJ the organic way

The Mechanization of DJ Art Part 3: Importance of community amongst DJs

SCRATCH (Directed by Doug Pray) Dr. Butcher & Steve Dee Interview Outtakes

Cali, Colombia’s Binantional Center Lecture

X-Ersize: X-Men Documentary

SHURE In-Store

How To DJ with Honda, Roc Raida and Mista Sinista

The Value of Mentorship in DJing

Perfecting “Chase” patterns with 8th note fills

Table Talk with Rob Swift part 1

Table Talk with Rob Swift part 2

Table Talk with Rob Swift part 3

Table Talk with Rob Swift part 4

Table Talk with Rob Swift part 5

Course 7- Advanced DJing

DJ Rob Swift teaches advanced DJ techniques in this course on Advanced DJing. This course focuses on elevating DJ sets and routines and features tutorials on advanced mixing techniques, and ways of incorporating the three main facets of DJing (mixing, scratching and beat juggling) into your work.

More lessons to come…

EQ Mixing and Looping

Music Editing and Programming

Course 8- Masterclass

This course is a hub for tutorials by our guest teachers. We strive to give a holistic approach to DJing at Brolic Army and how better to do that than bringing the pioneers straight to you.

From Battle routines, to beat juggles and scratches. The ‘Masterclasses’ course is an exciting added feature to help diversify your learning experience.

“It’s important to absorb multiple perspectives on the material taught on DJing. From techniques, to history, to making a career of DJing or just expanding your skill and mindset. The more you listen to and absorb, the more well-rounded you will be as a DJ, carrying the torch into your work, and the next generation.”

Total Eclipse: DMX Routine

DJ Johnny Juice teaches Curating and Composing Scratches

John Swan: “Hit Me Wit’ Da Horns” Scratch Routine

DJ 8-Ball teaches “Tone Play”

Mista Sinista: “S.W.A.T.” Routine

Grandmaster Supreme teaches Body Tricks

DJ P teaches how to DJ on Vinyl

DJ P teaches how to mix Acapellas

DJ P discusses trusting your creative instincts

DJ P discusses curating an energetic set

Grandmaster Supreme on how to build a battle routine

John Swan breaks down Scratch Drumming

Branden Creado on improving your hand control

Mista Sinista: “Method Man” Routine

Mista B: “Mophono” Routine

DJ P teaches the basics of multi-track recording

Mike C teaches fundamental Trick Mixing

Critical examination of composing a Beat Juggle routine with Mike C

Mike C’s guide to recording studio scratches

Framing a Scratch routine with Branden Creado

Mixing in Key with DJ Wigginz

Total Eclipse’s “Ante Up” Routine

Stems DJing – A Beginner’s Guide With DJ Wigginz

Course 9- Advanced Scratching

DJ Rob Swift leads this Brolic Army DJ School course on Advanced Scratching techniques. Expect to learn scratches such as DJ Disk’s “Orbit Flare”, The Invisibl Skratch Piklz’ “Crab Scratch” and other techniques. Each Brolic Army course is updated regularly with new tutorials on a regular basis!

In line with DJ Rob Swift’s typical teaching style, he focuses his tutorials on both the history and the execution of these techniques. Rob Swift aims to empower the next wave of DJs in becoming active participants of the culture, passing down the knowledge for generations to come. Advanced Scratching is no exception.

““This was very clear, concise, and easy to understand. This in turn makes me more excited to practice now that I know what to focus on. Thank you Sensei Swift ?”

DJ Disk’s Orbit Flare Scratch

DJ Q-Bert’s Crab Scratch

DJ Flare’s Boomerang Scratch

I’m ready to start my Brolic Army Journey!

And for a cat like Swift—who has worked with everyone from Linkin Park to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Mike Patton to Herbie Hancock—truly forward-thinking, revolutionary music just seems to come naturally.

Where it all began…

After years of honing his skills on the wheels of steel under the tutelage of his older brother, father and mentor, Rob Swift was tapped, in 1991, by a Harlem-based DJ crew called the X-Men to join their ranks. Within a year he won the coveted DMC East Coast title and became known, worldwide, as a masterful DJ and a force to be reckoned with.

Their 1997 debut album X-Pressions (Ashpodel) served notice, with dirt-funky tracks like “Word Play” making it clear that Swift the recording artist was on the rise. Five years later, the group’s first major-label debut Built From Scratch (Loud/Columbia) generated the huge hit “It’s Goin’ Down” featuring Linkin Park.

Breaking out as a Solo Artist

After 13 years with the X-Ecutioners, Rob was inspired to establish himself as a soloist and break through with a series of genre-busting albums of his own. The first being 1998’s The Ablist. Sound Event (2002), his second solo effort, set the tone for his ascendant multi-faceted production style, mapping dark jeep beats (“Hip-Hop on Wax,” with Large Professor), Latin Jazz (“Salsa Scratch,” with Bob James) and ambient-electronic funk (the psychedelic “Interview with Colored Man,” with Supernatural) accompanied by the deft touch of a seasoned studio hand.

“Whether it’s as a solo artist or collaborating with other like minded artists, I just want to push the boundaries of what I do”, Rob says. “I’m just trying to figure out different avenues to introduce people to the true art of DJing. However I reach people, the main thing is that we all get to enjoy that musical connection.”

DJ Rob Swift

Rob Swift Today…

Today, Rob Swift has continued his relentless pursuit of fresh directions, expanding his palette into the stratosphere of the academic world. Today Rob spends his time teaching DJ art world wide. He’s lectured at Case Western Reserve University and Cuyahoga Community College (Cleveland, Ohio), Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana). Participated in on site and virtual workshops for entities such as Backspinz (Charlotte, North Carolina), American Embassy Tajikistan and Colombia. Ran summer camp classes in the art of DJing for inner city youth at Progressive Arts Alliance (Cleveland, Ohio). What’s more, most recently Rob taught accredited courses in the art of DJing at The New School University (NYC).

The Brolic Army DJ School

“Teaching the art of DJing has been nothing short of a blessing from God. To say I’m grateful would be terribly understating the gratitude I feel in my heart towards the opportunity to pass on an art form that has helped me facilitate the opportunity to experience myself as a mentor now. DJing has never been a commodity for me. I’ve never been in it for the money. I do this for the sense of purpose this artform has brought me. It’s helped me create a way to feel useful to people and for that I am enormously thankful.” Needless to say, Rob Swift is always in perpetual motion, continuing to push the boundaries of teaching DJ are with his new online platform, Brolic Army DJ School and connecting with students from all walks of life on a global scale!

Have a question? send us an email and one of our team members, or Rob Swift himself will help you out!

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Three Types Of DJ Transitions That Don’t Include Mixing

If you think mixing is “THE” optimal way to navigate through your music while you’re DJing for people, you’re thinking about this wrong.

Transitions can be just as effective as mixing by relying on simple drops on the “one”, drum roll throw-ins and rhythmic scratches that help connect musical sections together like the chorus from song A to the introduction of song B.

DROPPING ON THE ONE

This is the most basic way to introduce a song to your audience during a set. Avoid using this rudimentary style of swapping as a crutch though. Otherwise, it will make the way you switch between tracks sound redundant, fast!

DRUM ROLL THROW-INS

If you don’t possess a sound sense of rhythm or timing, this can be difficult. That said, DJing revolves around music theory. Much in the same way playing the drum or guitar does. Any DJ that doesn’t have a grasp of Music Theory is essentially DJing all of their sets at a disadvantage!

RHYTHMIC SCRATCHING

Next to timing, what matters most as you progress through the songs you’re playing is that the changes are attention grabbing. Scratching is the most efficient and impressive way to get a crowd to focus on your playing style.

Moving between songs while you DJ is an art! It’s that sense of continuity that a DJ can achieve which makes their sets feel like a story is being told through music!

If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment or you’d like more information, please contact us.

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Masterclasses Course For DJing

Masterclasses at Brolic Army DJ School by Guest Teachers are here!

This course is a hub for DJ tutorials by our guest teachers. From Battle routines, to scratch composition this course will offer you a cornucopia of perspectives to draw inspiration from.

Hand-picked guest teachers representing the most creative and talented DJs around teach our Masterclasses. ‘Masterclasses’ at Brolic Army DJ School are an exciting added feature to help diversify your learning experience.

We strive to give a holistic approach to DJing at Brolic Army DJ School and how better to do that than bringing the pioneers straight to you. From other members of the X-ecutioners to DJs who have worked with the likes of Public Enemy and other Hip Hop icons, these masterclasses lift the veil on the mystery of the DJ world.

Masterclasses Course Breakdown:

001: Total Eclipse’s DMX Routine

002: Johnny Juice on How to Arrange your Scratches

003: John Swan’s “Hit Me Wit’ Da Horns” Scratch Routine

004: DJ 8-Ball teaches “Tone Play”

005: Mista Sinista’s “S.W.A.T.” Routine

006: Grandmaster Supreme teaches Body Tricks

007 – DJ P teaches how to DJ on Vinyl

008 – DJ P teaches how to mix Acapellas

009 – DJ P discusses trusting your creative instincts

010 – DJ P discusses curating an energetic playlist

011 – DJ Supreme on how to build a battle routine

012 – John Swan breaks down Scratch Drumming

013 – Branden Creado on improving your hand control

014 – Mista Sinista’s “Method Man” Routine

015 – Mista B’s “Mophono” Routine

016 – DJ P teaches the basics of multi-track recording

017 – Mike C teaches fundamental Trick Mixing

018 – Critical examination of composing a Beat Juggle routine with Mike C

019 – Mike C’s guide to recording studio scratches

020 – Framing a Scratch routine with Branden Creado

021 – Mixing in Key with DJ Wigginz

022 – Total Eclipse’s “Ante Up” Routine

We regularly update Masterclasses at Brolic Army DJ School. More lessons coming very soon!

Having strong DJ foundations, or ‘turntable instincts’ will make these lessons much easier to digest, absorb and learn from. If you’re looking to set those foundations, check out Basic DJing, Basic Scratching and 10 Root Moves of Beat Juggling. Taking these courses will make learning these guest routines much easier!

For requests for guest teachers or suggestions for who you would like to see on this course, email us.

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Djing Then VS Djing Now

It’s obvious that DJs present music to the fans who love listening to it differently today than they did in the past eras of DJing.

Regardless of the environment, you most likely listen to your favorite jams by logging on to your social media accounts, and I can understand how that’s the preferable method. It’s fast and easy! But in doing so, you’re choosing to filter what’s intended as auditory information through your eyes first. This doesn’t mean you’re consuming the art of DJing the “wrong way”. It’s 2023 afterall and we experience life through our phones in these modern times. But people’s social media habits have influenced the main components that make a truly talented DJ. Zoom out of the social media matrix for a bit, and take a look at how much has really changed in how DJs have shared music over the years.

Go back in time a few decades, to the 70s, 80s and 90s. The DJs from these eras who are now iconic figures like Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, Jazzy Jay, Jazzy Jeff, Cash Money, the X-ecutioners, Invisibl Skratch Piklz, Beat Junkies, DJ Numark, DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, etc., became famous because they shared special qualities that are not requisites for DJing in present times.

Albeit who has the loudest speakers is no longer a qualification considering we don’t live in the 1970s, when a generation of unmonitored Black and Latino teens would set up in neighborhood parks and plug their sound systems up to public light posts. That said, music knowledge and skill have stood the test of time with regards to how DJs judge each other.

The DJs from the past dug deep, figuratively and literally, to assemble a music collection that was unique to their tastes. This made hearing a DJ play out meaningful. Depending on the DJ, you were being introduced to a rare playlist of music that was exclusive to that particular person’s background, ethnicity and life experience. Assembling your crates with music another DJ was known for playing was considered an insult back in the day. Today, on impulse, DJs will ask in the comment section of another DJ’s post, “what was the third song you played?” and DJs do this with impunity so it’s not much of an indignity anymore. It’s more of the new regular, which makes it obvious that some TikTok DJs nowadays do it for the aesthetic of it, not because they value the sanctity of sharing their record collection with people. As a result, you’re left scrolling through videos of “DJs” posturing in front of ring lights looking the part but are inherently sounding unoriginal.

What’s even worse, is a lot of the DJ content you encounter is actually staged. The performances are prerecorded and then simulated to achieve the illusion that the DJ in front of their iPhone camera is as good as he or she seems. Synchronizing your hand movements along with mixing and scratching techniques you in reality captured while sitting at a work desk before hand masks a lack of talent, and it’s a form of dishonesty that robs your audience of what they think they’re witnessing, creativity.

To finish this, I’ll say that not all DJs today are bad at representing the art form and overall culture. There are many, like DJ Koco a.k.a. Shimokita maintained the actual depth and talent which historically defines an authentic DJ’s style.

I also get this is an opinionated essay, but I think it’s something for people who are DJs and support the greater culture of DJing, to discuss considering how trendy it is now.

If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment or you’d like more information, please contact us.

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Advanced Scratching Course for Men’s

DJ Rob Swift leads this Brolic Army DJ School course on Advanced Scratching techniques. Expect to learn scratches such as DJ Disk’s “Orbit Flare”, The Invisibl Skratch Piklz’ “Crab Scratch” and other techniques. Each Brolic Army course is updated regularly with new tutorials on a regular basis!

In line with DJ Rob Swift’s typical teaching style, he focuses his tutorials on both the history and the execution of these techniques. Rob Swift aims to empower the next wave of DJs in becoming active participants of the culture, passing down the knowledge for generations to come. Advanced Scratching is no exception.

“This was very clear, concise, and easy to understand. This in turn makes me more excited to practice now that I know what to focus on. Thank you Sensei Swift!” – Nedimthedream

Advanced Scratching is for students who have strong foundations in the techniques of DJing and scratching techniques. Check out our other courses such as Basic DJing, Basic Scratching and Training Camp if you’re looking to develop your foundations before setting off on the advanced work.

Advanced Scratching Course Breakdown:

Lesson 1: The Orbit Flare

Lesson 2: The Crab Scratch

Lesson 3: The Boomerang Scratch

More lessons to come!

Have a question? send us an email and one of our team members, or Rob Swift himself will help you out!

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Who Was The Earliest Known Turntablist

Music, specifically DJing, has been a part of my life since I was born. Thanks to my father and older brother, my childhood was filled with sounds of all kinds of music, including Celia Cruz and James Brown. Throughout the course of time I went from being a listener to a doer. I followed in my dad and brother’s footsteps and became a DJ. But since establishing the BROLIC ARMY DJ community a decade ago, I turned my love for music and DJing into a more scholarly pursuit because once I started actively teaching DJ art, I knew it was important to disseminate DJing’s history and not just its techniques to my students.

I prefaced this article with the above because I just want YOU to know that I KNOW what I’m talking about. With that said, during BLACK HISTORY MONTH I will pause to salute and reflect on the contributions the originators of DJing as we know it, made to the rich fabric that makes up our culture. What’s more, I’m going to do my best over the course of the next 4 weeks to honor Hip Hop, specifically DJing’s, unsung heroes. It’s time for us to switch things up, so to speak, and change the narrative from the generic names – Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash and GrandWizzard Theodore – to discussing DJs like Grand Mixer DST, who through their extraordinary skills changed the course of DJ history.

The term “Turntablist” is overused and misunderstood. Over the years it has become a blanket term used to describe DJs who Scratch, cueing a record playing on a turntable back and forth, but “Turntablism” revolves around so much more than that. A Turntablist in the true sense of the word covers a very complex range of musical abilities that go beyond coaxing the Ziggaziggazigga sound out of a piece of vinyl. To be truly considered a Turntablist, you’re not just replicating sound but THINKING IN SOUND. You must have the ability to produce music out of the turntables that you perceive internally and imagine first. You’re creating your own ideas like a composer would.

No DJ before Grand Mixer DST had the ear and artistic sensitivity to speak the language of music on turntables the way he did! As far as I’m concerned Grand Mixer DST, a former Breaker and drummer, is DJing’s first Turntablist, PERIOD!

Not only were his scratches faultless and precise in contrast to his contemporaries, DST has several “firsts” to his credit.

Grand Mixer DST was the first DJ to incorporate Wah Pedals with his scratches. He was the first to approach scratching with harmony and syncopation. None of us would be scratching the iconic “Fresh” if DST hadn’t introduced the sound on Herbie Hancock’s “Rock It”. What’s more, DST’s innovations like the “forward drag” (yes, DST incorporated “forward drag” scratches years before DJ Cash Money) are still imitated by “skratchers” today, they just don’t know it! And to top it off, Grand Mixer DST is the first DJ to win a Grammy Award.

To learn more about DST, open your smart phone’s browser and research his body of work. Songs like “Crazy Cuts” and “Megamix II: Why is it fresh?” or even live performances like the iconic Live at The Bronx River Centre in 1982 will help you realize all Turntablists stand on the shoulders of one man, Grand Mixer DST.

If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment or you’d like more information, please contact us.

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Skill-Set Vs Set-Up: What Matters Most To A DJ?

What matters most to a DJ in training, their innate skill-set or the set-up they own?

Some say it’s down to the DJ. Without the passion and vision of someone who knows their God given potential, there’s only so much a start of the art DVS system can do for you.

Others bend towards the “quality of equipment” side of the debate. Granted, they’ll admit that a skilled DJ will give you a top notch performance on Turntables or Controllers. But these are the same people that will argue that a professional grade laptop can be the difference between falling behind the DJ scene or catching up to it.

So which is it to be: the workman or his tools?

My opinion is just that, an opinion. Roc Raida’s career trajectory serves as a much better barometer so we’ll go with that. Roc Raida made the decision to become a DJ during a point in his life where his mom couldn’t afford to buy him turntables. What’s more, Raida was 12 and too young to work. So, he couldn’t purchase them himself. If I may be direct, Raida grew up like any other impoverished kid in Harlem, NY. But what he lacked in money he made up for in will. Raida’s tenacity to learn how to DJ was strong enough that he would practice at the home’s of friends he knew owned turntables. If you have the determination and persistence to figure out a way to get on turntables, even when you don’t own them, your DJ mindset is ahead of those who sleep next to their gear.

Some DJs invest in expensive gadgets to fuel their love for being creative. Technology definitely has facilitated new ways of testing out ideas. Other DJs buy this or that because they mentally bought into the narrative that high grade equipment will make them more skilled. But that’s not so.

Yes, a tricked out Laptop or Controller, for example, can make mechanics of DJing easier. But believing the more money you spend the more time you can save perfecting your technique as a DJ would be a mistake! If this weren’t true, how do you explain a kid like Raida starting out with no equipment in 1984 to buying a pair of B1s (belt drive turntables) in 1990 to winning the world DMC Championship in 1995?

If you can afford it, by all means, get it! But if you can’t, don’t let that stop you. Your gear can only take you so far. In the end, being resourceful, adapting to the machinery you do have and honing your skills is going to prove much more valuable than any piece of DJ gear. Learning by having might get you a bunch of IG followers and allow for some glossy photo ops from your bedroom, but learning by doing will be your greatest asset as a DJ. Mastering the art of dropping, mixing, scratching and juggling are the aspects of DJing that will help you craft your own style over anything else.

If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment or you’d like more information, please contact us.

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Hip Hop: Culture Or Commodity

It’s 2023. We’ve entered the 50th year of hip-hop culture.

Or have we? Is it more appropriate to say, “We’ve entered the 50th year of hip-hop commodity?”

Like many of you, since childhood, I’ve embraced the narrative that DJing, MCing, breaking and graffiti were born out of the tenets of peace, love, unity and having fun.

But, today, as a grown man who’s well-read, who has cultivated the power of discernment, and who thinks his own thoughts, I question if that old narrative was merely a marketing strategy; one which was sold to me, and that I “bought,” as a young, impressionable kid, growing up in Queens, NY.

I raise this question, because much of the culture today, while designed to look authentic, seems to merely be an aspect of one, or another, marketing strategy.

Let me explain what I mean, via my own story:

I was born on May 14, 1972. I’m one year older than the culture. Of course, I wasn’t there, watching Kool Herc at the first “Back To School Jam,” on Sedgwick Ave in the Bronx, on August 11, 1973.

But thanks to my older brother, John, by the age of 5, my hip-hop education had begun. Granted, what I was learning about through my bro’s tutelage actually had no name in 1977. It was just this thing some of us called “Getting Down,” or “Going Off,” or “Jamming.”

But, in fact, it was an art renaissance, taking place in the Bronx, and spilling over into the surrounding boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.

By 1979, at age 7, I was all in.

“Robert: You hear that sound? Ziggaziggazigga? That’s GrandWizzard Theodore scratching the record. Papi doesn’t get back from work for another couple of hours. Let’s turn on his turntables so I can teach you how to scratch before he gets home.”

Or “Robert, I’m taking you with me to Saint Joan of Arc Church. The head priest is gonna let us break inside their recreation room.”

I was learning about this creative phenomenon, exclusive to New York, taking place inside my city, my community, my neighborhood, and with my friends.

Thanks to programs like HOT TRACKS — which played music videos from artists like RUN DMC and Malcolm McClaren feat. The World’s Famous Supreme Team — by 1982, the rest of America got exposed. People outside of NYC began seeing the faces and hearing the voices of my ghetto heroes.

“Ghetto,” because Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, GrandWizzard Theodore, Grand Mixer DST, Tony Tone, Charlie Chase, etc., didn’t look like the Six Million Dollar Man or the Lone Ranger. They looked like my brother. They looked like my brother’s friends. They looked like my friends. They looked like my family — people who lived in a one-bedroom, tenement building apartment, infested with mice and roaches. They looked like me!

By 1983, documentaries like Style Wars aired on PBS. The news media began to chronicle what inner-city Black and Latino kids were doing — DJing, rapping, breaking, graffiti — on any given NYC block. The film industry was even intrigued: Movies like Wild Style and Beat Street were made available for people to experience inside air-conditioned, downtown theaters. This was far away from the warzone, benign-neglect aesthetic of hip-hop’s epicenter, The Bronx, NY.

They even had a name for it, by now. They were calling the union of these four forces, “hip-hop.” This thing that low-income, underprivileged youth had created as an alternative to crime and violence — gangs ran NYC during the 1970s — finally had an official name. However, that meant it could also, now, be packaged in a proverbial box, gift-wrapped, complete with bow, and sold for mass consumption.  

Enter, 1984: The Year Hip-Hop Culture Became Hip-Hop Commodity.

Graffiti was washed away from its home, the NYC subway system, and transposed to art galleries. There, wealthy collectors would buy canvases to hang inside their multi-million-dollar luxury apartments. Breaking got so played out, you’d be laughed out of a house party if you attempted a windmill.

Even DJs, the very people credited for creating hip-hop, were coerced into subordinate positions to their counterparts, as hip-hop’s principal, gold and platinum ornament became The Rapper. Soon, DJs were replaced in live performance by “backing tracks.” But it wasn’t the audiences that asked for this change. It was the larger, business infrastructure, dominating hip-hop, which brought it about.

Thus, if you’re Gen Z, you may not be aware that during the 1990s, my Gen X generation of DJs waged a rebellion, and reclaimed its ownership of hip-hop. Therefore, that time is now considered hip-hop’s “Golden Era.”

Players like the X-ecutioners, Invisibl Skratch Piklz, and the Beat Junkies regained control of the distribution and monetization of hip-hop, at least within DJing. We started our own record labels, promotion companies, and played an integral role in booking one-off shows and tours; events that put the focus back on other neglected elements like breaking and graffiti as well. In the simplest terms: Between 1990 and 2000, DJ culture revitalized hip-hop.

It’s the 2000s now. The generation of DJs who stepped into the forefront after mine, have, once again relinquished power to outsiders. But the difference in 2023, when compared to 1983, is, today, business and marketing experts will go as far as disguising themselves as DJs, in order to capitalize on the stock of hip-hop culture.

Here’s how it works: They’ll join a DJ school, and take a few lessons on dropping, mixing and scratching. The next thing you know, they’re influencers, telling aspiring DJs — who genuinely want to learn the art form — what kind of gear to buy, and what apps to run while DJing. If an economically challenged kid from the Bronx can’t afford that $3,000 laptop, or can’t drop $2,000 on the latest mixer, well, they inform them, they’ll just be “left in the dust.”

The indecency of it all is this: People who listen to these influencers have no awareness they are, effectively, being colonized. They do not know the very worldview being pushed upon them — that they will be banished if they can’t keep up economically — serves the function of making their ultimate elimination look benign. They do not know these are outsiders, who’ve successfully infiltrated hip-hop, specifically DJ culture, bearing gifts; ones who are, at every second, exploiting it, and them, for monetary gain.

So, here we are. It’s the opening month of the year marking hip-hop’s 50th anniversary; another year overgrown with “DJs” turned influencers. These are the ones who don’t respect hip-hop’s legacy of economic inclusion, this being a philosophy embedded in the culture by the pioneers on whose shoulders we stand.

At this point, what am I saying should be done?

I’m suggesting the following two (2) action steps.

If you’re going to become a DJ, or teach DJing:

• Examine our culture first. Interact with it. Learn its history, document it, and teach it correctly, to others. Name its great artists and tell what they did to advance the art form. Don’t merely and unethically profiteer off hip-hop’s resources for “LIKES”, “FOLLOWS,” and Benjamins.

• Refrain from using fear-mongering tactics to attract students, or to cash in on DJing, and the greater culture of hip-hop.

In closing:

This essay grew out of a social media conflict I’ve been having over specific forms of marketing, aimed at students of the culture. As should be clear, I strongly object to these practices.

This is not a statement against any person, or group of persons. Further, this is not a statement against the people who follow my work, or, especially, the ones who don’t.

If you are a true supporter of hip-hop culture — not the rah-rah around it, but the science and history of it — I thank you. I particularly thank you if that interest has led you to give an ear to what I have ever said or done.

I stand on all the above. If, because of what I’ve said, I lose colleagues, followers, students, sponsorships or should I be slandered, vilified, shunned or become abject, while it would be unfortunate, I do not care. I am aligned with a much Higher Power, and higher values, than those with which the current DJ world aligns itself.

I stand firm in the truth of my words, even if they are disconcerting, because I understand the following: There is an economic and creative war, happening in plain sight, for the control of how people think and interact, not only with DJ art and technology, but with themselves, and with their own minds.

For that reason, I’ll never go along with fake shit, to get along with fake shit. Instead, I dig in my heels for what I see as right and just.

Regardless of the circumstances, I will always stay, and reside, in truth and in respect. That is the legacy of the pioneers, and, as far as my part is concerned, understand: I’m just trying to help this art form get to the next generation, intact.

Happy 50th, hip-hop.

If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment or you’d like more information, please contact us.

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5 Reasons Why You Should Start Or Join A DJ Crew

DJing with others has so many benefits. Whether you’re in a crew of battle, resident or streaming DJs, the brotherhood that comes with getting creative with other like minded people can have lasting impacts on your life!

DJing with others has so many benefits. Whether you’re in a crew of battle, resident or streaming DJs, the brotherhood that comes with getting creative with other like minded people can have lasting impacts on your life!

Share & Build Together

We live in a time in the DJ scene where DJs tend to feel isolated because the principal way we communicate amongst each other is through our smartphones. But when you’re physically surrounded by other DJs, practicing is more fun because you get to SHARE & BUILD TOGETHER. Inspiration to be creative is heightened when you get to develop your ideas with the help from your peers.

Community

Collaborations with DJs who are at a similar age and skill level, leads to the evolution of COMMUNITY. Becoming a part of any music ensemble will almost always indirectly lead to you discovering unexpected friends. With that, comes a camaraderie that grows into a support system you can rely on as a creative. Especially when you experience mental blocks or other hardships.

Mastermind Principle

When the ideas just aren’t flowing, you can always practice with one of your DJ partners. Shortkut’s idea for the “Strobe” pattern came to him during a practice session with Rhettmatic. Short could not figure out how to invert my “Swing” pattern and could only flip the pattern linearly. He was so frustrated, he wasn’t aware that his approach, although different, sounded dope! It wasn’t till Rhettmatic stopped him and said, “Short, are you listening to what you’re doing though? It sounds really cool. Keep it,” that Short realized he was on to something different from what I was doing. When you develop that degree of synchronization with a practice partner, training takes on a much deeper meaning than sharpening your skills. You’re helping each other work through mistakes that help both DJs grow!

Healthy Competition

When you’re in a DJ crew, the motivation you feel to practice more increases exponentially. Even if you don’t have the luxury of physically surrounding yourself with other DJs, I strongly encourage Brolic Army DJ School students to participate in our quarterly challenges. After all, your ultimate goal as a DJ is to be able to play music confidently in front of a crowd, and if you’re a DJ in training, the most efficient way to breed confidence is by putting yourself in situations where you’re interacting with other DJs in a competitive sense. This will push you to train when you lack the self motivation to!

Memories

Beyond acquiring new skill sets, DJing with others offers an opportunity to make memories. You also learn life skills that bring benefits that have no expiration date. I speak from experience. So, whether you end up forming your own DJ crew or joining one, make the effort to get together with other DJs. It’s a gratifying experience. On many levels!

For these 5 reasons (and many others) DJing with others who are on a similar wavelength is important. The potential good that could come from interacting with other DJs is infinite.

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Creativity Under The Gun

One Step At A Time

Creativity under the gun shoots down any chance of properly mastering the techniques we’re trying to teach you at Brolic Army DJ School.

Pace yourself with our material. If you accelerate the process of learning how to scratch or beat juggle without thinking through every step, the overall quality of what you do with what you’ve learned can end up undermining your motive to learn in the first place. Don’t be in such a haste to go from A to Z that you miss out on interacting with the letters that exist in between.

The social media trap will have you question whether you’re falling behind all of the other DJs who are posting their routines to Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok. But there’s no time table you must follow to get better. When you feel otherwise, that’s your mind fabricating a time table that is based on a matrix world. There’s a gazillion DJs on social media, everyone can’t improve in the same way or same order. What’s early? What’s late? Compared to who? If you signed up to be a student at Brolic Army DJ School, it means you’re still at the learning stages of DJing, respect that!

Forget social media and all of the DJs who inhabit it when you practice. Train to stay integrated within yourself and share your creativity when you genuinely feel ready to do so. I concocted the Biz routine before social media existed. I took my sweet time composing it. What’s more, in not having an Insta profile back then, I was free from the pressure of posting my masterpiece once it was completed. Instead, I patiently waited close to a year before I brought it to light at the 92 DMC. That time allowed me to equal the Biz routine so much that I can’t get its execution wrong even if I tried.

Fail Forward

Which brings me to the idea of failure as it relates to creativity. Performing my Biz routine is like breathing or talking for me. The movements involved with the routine’s execution are second nature because I spent so much time interacting with the mistakes that came from mastering it. And so you can fail and still feel creatively connected. The two are not mutually exclusive. Failing is actually a necessary element in creativity. Any kind of creative work relies on some degree of failure. You can’t have one without the other. Just make sure you’re giving failure the proper space and time to teach you. Opposed to hurrying so you can show-off what you’ve learned to your followers. Otherwise you’re rushing to get nowhere.

Patience

Bottom line, when we’re learning a new skill, it’s important to allow for the connection of ideas you’re being introduced to, to take hold on their own timeline. So don’t underestimate the power of taking your time and being thorough before you move on from tutorial to tutorial.

Patience is such an underrated aspect of learning and being creative. Don’t be disheartened when something doesn’t click as fast for you as it did for one of your Brolic Army classmates. You’ll grasp what you’re learning from watching our tutorials on your schedule and your schedule can never be wrong because it’s YOURS, no one else’s!

If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment or you’d like more information, please contact us.

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Basic Scratching Course With DJ Rob Swift

Whats included in Basic Scratching?

Basic Scratching with DJ Rob Swift teaches the 9 cornerstone scratch techniques. Faderless scratches: baby, scribble, tear. Forward scratches: forward release, forward stab and forward drag. Intermediate scratches: reverse drag, transformer and chirp scratches. The fourth tutorial teaches how to combine all of the scratch techniques covered and how to phrase them. This will help you take your knowledge to the next level, creating scratch routines, improving social media content and more.

Each lecture has a accompanying Training Camp designed and hosted by DJ Rob Swift to help you practice your scratches and improve your confidence and fluidity.

Basic Scratching with DJ Rob Swift Breakdown

Faderless Scratches (Baby, Scribble and Tear)

Forward Scratches (Stab, Forward release, Forward Drag)

Intermediate Scratches (the Chirp, Transformer and Reverse Drag)

Combining the nine cornerstone scratches

Basic Scratching also includes Scratch Training Camps which match each lecture. These help you practice and are more focused on sharpening the techniques rather than learning the methods. These will help you hone in on your technique.

Review

Basic Scratching will teach you the cornerstone scratch techniques through information packed training to take you to the next level of your skills. This course is best suited for beginners and intermediate DJs who want to perfect the nine cornerstone scratching techniques.

Rob Swift’s hollistic approach to basic scratching will have you expressing your personal style through the cornerstone techniques. Focus is on finding your personal style and empowering DJs to be able scratch in a funky and exciting way.

Not sure if this course is for you?

Basic Scratching is for students who have some foundations in the techniques of DJing. The best way to learn the art of DJing is by 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, for more foundational work such as hand alignment which will really help with the Basic Scratching course. If you’re looking for more advanced scratching work, check out Training Camp or Advanced Scratching. For Beat Juggling, check out the 10 Root Moves of Beat Juggling.

Have a question? send us an email and one of our team members, or Rob Swift himself will help you out!

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Advanced DJing Classes for Adults in NYC

Advanced DJing Course at Brolic Army DJ School by DJ Rob Swift

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.

Have a question? send us an email to and one of our team members, or Rob Swift himself will help you out!