How to do an acapella bridge
Float a vocal across the gap between two beats.
- Crowd-pleaser
- medium
- About 8 bars
When to use it
- Use it when both songs sit at a similar energy and when you're bringing the energy down.
- A natural fit for hip-hop/R&B, pop/open-format and house/techno.
- Works when the tempos are up to about 8% apart, because the overlap is short.
- Both songs' melodies overlap, so it sounds best when their keys are compatible on the Camelot wheel.
- Great for closing a set or emotional moments.
Step by step
- 1Cue B's vocal-only intro or acapella.
- 2Filter A down so only its melody hangs in the air.
- 3Bring B's vocal in over it.
- 4Drop B's beat on the next phrase and close A.
See it on a controller, and hear it with your own songs
Cueball picks the right technique for every pair of songs in your set and animates the knobs and faders in time with the music.
Build a set for freeGenres this works for
- How to mix Bollywood songs
- How to mix hip-hop and rap
- How to mix house music
- How to mix pop and throwback songs
New to DJing? Start with how to DJ for beginners and the 6 basic transitions.
Similar techniques
- Long blend + bass swapRide both tracks together, then hand over the bass.
- Filter handoffWash A out with the filter while B comes in.
- Hard cut on the phraseSnap from A to B exactly on a new phrase.
- Short blend on the downbeatA quick overlap so the keys never get time to clash.
- Quick cutStop A, start B. Bold and clean.
- Echo outLet A ring out on an echo, then drop B.