DJ Tips- How to Catch a Break
Catching a break in a song
is an advanced djing skill that requires lots of practice. Basically
catching a break means manually splicing music in real-time
with your turntable or output device. Before you can catch a break
you should understand the basics
of beat mixing and cue scratching on a turntable.
In order to be a real street dj it is mandatory for you to have
complete control of the music rolling on the turntable.
That means that you should be able to stop, start and cue a song
anywhere on a record on perfect beat.
For simplicity sake, there are two things that you have to keep
in mind when attempting to catch a break of a song;
- Will the shock value manifest
from the splice? - Can I do this on beat?
With the new technology in dj equipment in regards to beat mixing
like Final Scratch and the Numark
CDX table top cd /turntable players , keeping the needle to
the record is becoming less of a challenge. So I will not speak
much on weighs on needles and tone arm settings. But if you are
having a hard time keeping the needle on the record when you scratch
or triple thread a record then
you need to put more weight on the head(penny) of the tone arm
and/or develop more finesse when touching the turntable.
When attempting to catch a break you need to know where the snare
and the bass of a record intersects with the needle. Example below.
As you can see a well made record will speak volumes of information
to a knowledgeble street dj. The rule is that if you catch a snare
then you should be about 45 degrees from a bass. That is of course
that drum track is normal. If you happen to run across an
abnormal record format then you will have to mark the places of
interest on the record label with tape or a marker.
A good street dj never scratches or triple threads
too much. Try to do advanced cutting techniques only to
enhance the music, not to just show your skill. You can showcase
your talent best by your music selection and song blending
at the right moment to keep the groove of the mix.
