How to do a bassline swap
Ride both grooves, then trade basslines in one move.
- Essential
- medium
- About 12 bars
When to use it
- Use it when both songs sit at a similar energy.
- A natural fit for house/techno, drum & bass and Afrobeats/Latin.
- Best when the two tempos are within about 3% of each other, because both songs play together for a long stretch.
- Both songs' melodies overlap, so it sounds best when their keys are compatible on the Camelot wheel.
Step by step
- 1Sync B and start it on a phrase, B's bass knob all the way down.
- 2Bring B's fader up so both grooves ride together.
- 3On the next phrase, swap the bass knobs in one quick move.
- 4Fade A out over the last 4 bars.
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 Punjabi and bhangra songs
- How to mix Afrobeats and amapiano
- How to mix reggaeton and Latin music
- How to mix house music
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.
- Short blend on the downbeatA quick overlap so the keys never get time to clash.
- Tempo ramp, then blendGlide the tempo over, then do a short blend.
- Half-time switchDrop B so its beat sits at half (or double) A's speed.
- Percussion layeringLock B's drums under A before the full track arrives.