Drum & Bass is amazing to mix as a DJ, there’s so many styles to weave in and out of your DJ mixes. One minute playing a liquid track with soulful piano chords and then next evolving into a deep dark subby sounding D&B roller.
One of the key techniques used in Drum and Bass DJing is phrase mixing, where two or more tracks are seamlessly blended together based on the musical phrases within each track.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the basics of phrase mixing drum and bass, so you can take your DJ skills to the next level.
Related article: How to Mix Drum & Bass
Firstly, what is a Phrase?
A phrase in my mind when thinking about DJing is a sub-section within the structure of a song. I count in bars of eight beats (usually its bars of 4 beats), these chunks of eight beats make up phrases, which combine together as a section of a song. The building blocks of a songs section. Also, just to note, phrases are universal to all music, not just Drum & Bass.
Usually each phrase plays its own unique part within a section of a song. More importantly, it’s helpful to listen out for when the sound of a song changes, usually identified by changes in melody, harmony, or rhythm.
The main goal of understanding phrasing in your tracks is to help you identify where to start and end your mixes. This is where where using the cue button on your DJ equipment to cue up a track comes into play, letting you blend into the next track.
CUE Points help with Phrase Matching
CUE points can also be manually set in your DJ software for each of your tracks to help you start cueing up a track to phrase match effectively. Knowing about phrases is helpful when setting cue points. Read some great DJ tips on cue points here.
Related Article: Beats, Bars and Phrases
Selecting Compatible Tracks for Phrase Mixing
Thankfully in Drum & Bass a lot of tracks are fairly similar in structure allowing for new DJs to pick up an understanding of how to phrase match tracks.
Some styles of Drum and Bass do have longer sections, such as Jump Up, but over time as you get to know your music collection better you’ll know when and where which parts of the phrases start and end.
Related Article: When to Mix in Songs
EQ mix transition tips when phrase matching
EQ is a really great tool to sweep and smooth out mix transitions between tracks. LPF & HPF are also similar in functionality too which help you achieve a similar blend of EQ between tracks when in the mix.
For example, you might use a high-pass filter to gradually remove the bass from one track while gradually bringing in the bass from the other track, creating a smooth transition between the two.
Remember, you can also use effects like reverb, delay, and echo to add texture and interest to your mixes.
Here a couple of examples of how to use the LPF & EQ to blend in D&B tracks together.
Tips for refining your phrase matching skills
- Practice listening to songs from all different genres and listen out for changes in song.
- Record your DJ mixes and then listen back to them. You’ll be able to hear where certain mixes sound good and mixes that need improvement next time.
- DJ with other DJs B2B and gain a greater understanding of how they are mixing from a phrase matching and EQ point of view.
Final Thoughts
Understanding musical phrasing, choosing compatible tracks, using EQ and effects to smooth out transitions, and practicing your skills, you can take your DJing to the next level.
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