10 Secrets to Creating a Funky Beat Juggle

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!

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