Start anywhere you want, go anywhere you want, and play anywhere you want.
That said, buy this book and read the whole thing, but particularly Chapters 23 and 24:
https://www.amazon.com/How-DJ-Right-Science-Playing/dp/0802139957
In a nutshell, you should build your set to tell a story. But there are many ways to tell a story and many stories to tell.
Your set can be a constant progression of energy, building to a climatic peak. Or it can be a series of peaks and valleys. Or a slow journey through a genre or a mood. Or a long, punishing, relentless workout. Or a series of ebbs and flows.
You can pick music based on mood, genre, instrumental qualities, energy, or even the meaning and stories they tell.
Really, it’s up to you. But no key progression formula will ever tell you what you need or how to express it.
Under $100, you could get them a Numark DJ2GO2 controller. It comes with Serato Lite, they'll just need a computer with an i5+ Intel processor and at least 8G RAM.
It's not an "essential" item, it can be used for DJing but it has limitations. Eventually they would need to upgrade but its great for practicing, and can be used as an emergency backup or portable option for low-key events.
Aside from that get them this book, which will have loads of useful information about DJing. Or, a gift card so they can buy high quality music downloads/vinyl.
"how to dj right" was written in the mid '00s and is therefore dated in some regards but I still found the book super helpful. YouTube and beatmatch are great supplements but this really helped me prioritize what to focus on to get the basics down https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802139957/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_ZZ2T9F6Q3TT8YF4QPSMX
read the book <em>how to dj right</em>. some of the advice is a bit outdated but as a whole it's a good introduction to the art of DJing — how to use CDJs (or vinyl if you're so inclined), how to think about phrases, how to put together a set that flows well. and, when you eventually get a chance to play at a gig, how to read an audience and move butts.
Perfect! If you pick up this book (https://www.amazon.ca/How-DJ-Right-Science-Playing/dp/0802139957) you'll have loads of theory on DJing can learn/build on. I personally find having a book on my shelf to flip though easier than sifting though hundreds of opinions online. Have fun mixing!
hey, thanks! i'm glad you picked it up. you will have an immense understanding not only for djing but broadcasting and the evolution of music.
when you finish that one pick up How to DJ Right: The Art and Science of playing records. Some of this info may seem dated at this point, I'm strictly vinyl or vinyl control serato without visual cues.
http://www.amazon.com/How-DJ-Right-Science-Playing/dp/0802139957
THis is not a DJ.
This is just another person jumping on the bandwagon without learning the basics of DJing. This is another person wanting to look cool. This is another person thinking "I can do it because others do it".
He should start with this http://www.amazon.com/How-DJ-Right-Science-Playing/dp/0802139957
Wow, no one's posted a link to [/r/Beatmatch](/r/Beatmatch) yet. Go there for some handy hints. If you record and post a 20 or so minute (keep it short) mix we can give it a listen and offer pointers. I would also super-Japanese-crazy-style-100% recommend this book. As per your "roadblock" post, I think you'll find that there is a lot more too it that you probably just don't know about. It's a bit dated on the hardware side, but beat matching, phrase matching, theory, track selection, energy levels, reading a crowd, production, etc... haven't really changed at all. Excellent book.
Unfortunately I don't have any good links at hand (other than what's on Google).
This book: http://www.amazon.com/How-DJ-Right-Science-Playing/dp/0802139957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280760761&sr=8-1 has some good chapters on how to harmonically mix records, as well as a good explanation of song structure. While not specifically related to your question, it's only 10 bucks, and helped get me started with DJing.
The best bet for learning your new equipment is going on YouTube and seeing how other DJs are using it.
The book that really taught me a lot about DJing as a whole was "How To DJ Right." It's really well written and doesn't take itself too seriously. (And neither should you! :p )
It's still there. I don't know if it's a browser issue or not so I'll just copy & paste it.
I was Djing at home for about a year or so before I dared to DJ in front of a crowd. I had a good teacher who was a UK house/dnb DJ who let me borrow his crates, so I learned with some of the easiest (and some the hardest) stuff to spin. I think that really helped when I started spinning hip hop/chillout. A friend and I would bring about 5-6 crates of vinyl to the club so I was lucky to have a lot of records to mess around with.
So my first bit of advice would be to build your vinyl collection. Get LOTS of records. The more you have to work with, the more you can experiment with. Keep in mind that if you stick to one genre you're going to end up with more records you can mix together. Rock and jazz are exceptionally hard to blend for more than a few beats, but genres like house and hip hop are going to be much easier since the drums are programmed and easier to get into sync. However, if you have the opportunity to get a pile of records from your grandma's attic or your best friend's uncles basement, do it. Just listen to vinyl. Practice stops and starts, count bpms, find two identical records and practice syncing them up so you can "phase" them, juggle them, etc. Try everything. Listen to vinyl constantly.
(That being said, if what you're doing sounds bad, don't keep doing it. Don't practice trainwrecks. With long practice sessions you can get burnt out and begin trainwrecking and crashing mixes constantly. You want to get good at fixing a mismatch, but if you find yourself slacking, just stop trying to mix and focus instead on listening. Count bpms, bars and progressions instead. Throw on that King Crimson or Miles Davis album you haven't heard yet. Look for inspiration and education, instead of forcing yourself to do something when you're tired. Limit your sessions to an hour of solid mixing, or until you're spun out. Then, just listen.)
Get a BPM counter app on your phone. Categorize your music by bpms, get so good at hearing bpms that you can guess a song's bpm after listening to a few seconds. You need that learned intuition to be able to bring similar songs to mind while you're DJing.
And (I cannot stress this enough) get Bill Brewster's book "How to DJ Right". I got this book long after I had established myself as a DJ and I wish I had it sooner, but it still had tons of great info that I was still able to utilize. It's got the best info for beginners and moderately trained DJs. It's the best investment you can make.
Best of luck to you! Practice practice practice, take notes and ask questions. But educate yourself as much as you can. DJing is first an art form and a pleasure, before it's a profession. And for some it's an obsession.
Either or both of these books:
How to DJ Right (The Art and Science of Playing Records)
Both are written by Bill Brewster and are full of interesting history, insights, and interviews with top DJs.
Using the EQs will make the songs layer better against each other.
Typically a house tune will start with a beat, but the bass will take a 16 or 32 bar measure to kick in. So you can try bringing in the second tune, then trim the low off the first track when the low of the second track kicks in.
As far as how long you let tunes overlap, it depends on the tune, and the genre. Dance/pop and hip hop require shorter transitions, while house music and other EDM genres allow for some variability... but in general hip hop is 8-16 bars, and house/EDM is 16-32 bars depending on the song.
There's a great book called How To DJ Right that covers virtually every aspect of DJing, including a basic understanding of music theory. I recommend it for anyone who is starting out DJing. I read it about
(I love how in UK the same book is called How To DJ Properly!)
OK...back to it.
How did I start playing and eventually being a resident?
- I've had lots of weeklies and monthlies over the years. This most recent one I picked up at a place when a buddy of mine moved. I've played off and on in this club for years, so they were familiar with me and I just jumped into his spot.
I played my first gig about six months after I got my first turntables. There was an open decks night that was first come first served and my wife at the time told me to jump in and do it. I was definitely not ready, but I planned everything out and went down to the club and they put me on at 10 or so. Good crowd. Packed dancefloor. I had never seen a Pioneer DJM 600 and I had headphones from Walmart. Someone explained the mixer to me, I plugged in my headphones, mixed basically successfully, trainwrecked my next two mixes, my earcup fell off, I handed it over to the next guy on the lineup, and went in the bathroom and puked and it was in that moment I decided never to DJ again. Then about 6 months later, I recorded my first mix and started my first weekly.
My advice is to make sure you're well-versed in basic musical theory - particularly the nature of beats, bars, measures, codas, phrases, keys, and the circle of 5ths. It sounds like a lot, but broken down, none of it is really that complicated.
A great book that covers all of that is How to DJ Right. Some of it is dated, but all of the musical theory still applies.
Keep DJing. Record EVERY practice. Play it back to yourself and compare it to mixes you like by other people and see if you can recreate those mixes. Figure out what makes you like them. How do they build and release tension? How do basslines meet up? Do they let the song drop to just kick drums or does it seem like the basslines never stop? Are there lots of long breakdowns? There's a lot you can pick apart and a lot of ways to practice.
Learn to play a lot of different styles. The differences in how to play them are minor and generally have more to do with the trajectory of the set than any particular technique. If you love techno, specialize in techno and enjoy doing it because you love it. If you want to appeal to a broader group of people, learn how to play house, breaks, and hip hop. But if you're always authentic to the thing you love most, eventually, it will pay off.
“How to DJ Right: The Art and Science of Playing Records” by Bill Brewster:
https://www.amazon.com/How-DJ-Right-Science-Playing/dp/0802139957
Buy a book and read it. That's what most courses are anyway.
I recommend this one as it is easy to read and comprehensive:
Good luck. And check out my latest mix for some fresh tunes. Thanks.
buy this book. super informative and helpful in understanding basics.
buy this book. super informative and helpful in understanding basics.
It doesn’t have to be super expensive. Burning CDs can be a bit of a pain, but if you’re okay with that you can get a very affordable setup.
EDIT: I also highly recommend this book. A very talented DJ friend of mine gave it to me as a gift and it’s been an awesome reference. Talks a lot about FX, beat matching, and even things like keeping your energy levels in check.
Some advice from this bedroom DJ who just does it for fun...
This book is cheap used on Amazon and despite being dated in many ways, it has a ton of great advice.
https://www.amazon.com/How-DJ-Right-Science-Playing/dp/0802139957
Also, ellaskins on YouTube. In the beginner videos he speaks very plain and it's easy to understand.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr3_EE6O_eA71X2quaKvziw
More than anything, hop on your deck for a few tracks every day and just sort of screw around, trying different things.
As always, feel free to ask things here, check the search first, but everyone here is fairly nice for the most part.
first congrats. second I'd say see if you can find somebody who's been there to mentor you a little.
I am not that person, so everything that follows is based on guesses rather than experience. and I come from the old school, where we didn't talk about shows, we talked about parties. so, take it all with a grain of salt.
I definitely think it's a good time to make as many moves as you can. all music scenes are driven by new releases - even the classical music scene, where most of the composers have been dead for hundreds of years. even there, it's all about the new violinist or the new composer. TLDR: new releases are important. so if you've got new releases and you know somebody with a name is going to be drawing attention to them, the smart thing is to make sure you get as much mileage from that as you can.
caution: if you're really into producing and not so much into performing, well, it is an entirely different skill. a lot of people these days think DJing is just "throw my latest songs on a USB stick and play them." it's so much more than that, and DJs created the world your music works in, so every opportunity you have came from the work they did to build this scene. take the time to show the art form the respect it deserves, and learn how to do it well. this applies even if you're performing live with a huge ton of hardware synthesizers - the flow of the music, how to read a crowd, it's very important.
here are some places to start with that:
http://www.amazon.com/How-DJ-Right-Science-Playing/dp/0802139957/
https://www.youtube.com/user/eangolden
if you follow producers on Twitter or search for articles about them on Google, you can find out who their agent or their manager is. often it just says "booking: " or whatever. so find some people who are in a similar position to you: high-profile performance, just starting out. and see if they list who their agent or manager is. then contact that agent or manager and see what they say. be prepared to politely decline bad offers all the fucking time. be prepared to receive rejection yourself. don't take any of it personally, and don't handle any of it in such a way that the other person takes it personally either. it's just how the business works.
definitely educate yourself about the industry before signing any contracts with managers or agents. but definitely look for one or both. start with books like "this business of music":
http://www.amazon.com/This-Business-Music-William-Krasilovsky/dp/0823077233/
in terms of getting shows, it's not actually that difficult. you may not need an agent or a manager. you've had your music performed at EDC NY. that's a big deal. so you mention this. and you make up a little promo pack. there's a mix you put on SoundCloud. there's a picture of you or some concept art or whatever. there's a bio where you say that you're a new producer and your collaborator discovered you and you have new releases coming out on Label X, Label Y, and Label Z. maybe this is a web site, maybe it's a bunch of links that you put in an email.
either way, you get this promo pack in front of people who organize shows.
this is a pretty good book which I think you should probably read:
http://www.amazon.com/Indie-Band-Survival-Guide--Yourself/dp/1250010756/
lots of good stuff on marketing, touring, keeping everything going. hope it helps.
let me know if any of this is useful to you, because apart from anything else, I want to know if my advice is any good. :-)
How did you get started?
Hiphop fan in the late 80s, got into rave in the 90s, got into DJing in 2000 cause all my friends were either ravers or djs.
How did you get money for your gear?
Got a job/begged/borrowed
What gear did you start with?
A Technics SL-1600 and a Technics SL-1700. Neither were meant for DJing and were hand-me-downs from my dad. They were terrible for DJing actually.
A Stanton SK-5 - shit mixer - didn't even have EQs
What gear do you have now?
2 Tech 1200 M3Ds
Rane 62
Pioneer DJM-707
VCI-380
Various midi controllers (Dicers, LPD8, Trigger Finger)
Small sound system (2 QSC K12s, 2 Yorkville NX720S)
How many different setups do you think you have been through?
So many. After struggling with the non-dj turntables, I bought one of the tech 12s and a numark table and then promptly returned the numark for another tech within a week.
Been through 3 mixers in between that stanton and my current Rane 62 (Roland DJ-1000, Pioneer DJM-707, Rane 57)
Owned a VCI-300 before upgrading to the 380.
How did you get your first gig?
Friend was a DJ, asked me to play with him.
How do you get your gigs now?
I hustle. A lot. It's my only source of income. Club, bar, and opening and headlining gigs are via reputation and networking. Most of my mobile and corporate gigs are either through networking or word-of-mouth.
I also have several different agencies and companies getting me different types of gigs. I have at least 3 companies locally - 2 for local corporate and mobile gigs and one for in-store gigs. Just landed a proper touring booking agent for doing headlining gigs so I'm hoping I can ditch the mobile and corporate gigs sooner than later. Stoked cause I hate booking tours myself.
What marketing methods would you say are most effective for a dj trying to get big?
How big? Local? Build a following that will come see you play - doesn't matter how good you are or what you play really - if you can guarantee a certain number of people to your gigs whenever you play, you will get gigs.
Beyond local? Produce, or try to make something that goes viral (or better still both). Neither are easy or guaranteed to work tho.
How much did you make when you started?
Very little - most gigs I did for free or drinks (usually opening slots for local electronic nights). I remember getting paid $150 early on for a gig and that felt like a lot.
How much are you making now and how did you negotiate that kind of payoff?
Anywhere from $100 - $1000+
I charge what I'm worth depending on the gig, what I get to play, who I get to play for, and how much work I have to put into it. I used to be very firm in my fees, but after a while I started only getting booked for certain kinds of gigs (mostly ones I didn't like doing) so now I charge less the more fun I get to have. If someone lowballs me or isn't offering what I think I'm worth, I decline.
Do you use Facebook to promote and if so how do you use it to promote?
Yes - engage the fans, give out my own tunes and mixes.
Have resources to show us how?
Just be social and engage people beyond just self-promotion.
Do you use youtube or soundcloud to promote and if so how do you do it?
Youtube - not enough. Soundcloud - lots.
I put up stuff and promote it and if people like it, they share it.
Where all do you promote your work online?
Everywhere. Facebook, message boards, soundcloud, twitter - need to get onto instagram and vine...
What is the best way you have found to sell your music and beats?
I haven't found a good way yet. I have 14 releases on various labels - some releases have done well, some haven't but I've barely seen a dime.
There's very little money in the music itself these days unless you get a big licensing deal (and most of my releases are exempt as most of them are on under-the-rader bootleg labels and contain unlicensed samples). The tunes are more for marketing to build your following and fans.
I'd rather give most of my stuff away for free nowadays.
What style of music do you play?
just about everything. I play music I like which is a lot of different styles, and I play music I don't like if I get paid enough. What I'm known for is breaks and funky music, but I'll play anything except maybe country and trance. Been really into mixing rock lately...
What are the best blogs or websites are the best to learn DJ stuff?
techtools, dj worx, serato forum, r/beatmatch
Best thing to do is just experiment though.
none of this was around when I first started so I just taught myself which I still think is the best way to learn, although learning some basic music theory will help a lot (was classically trained in violin for 13 years).
What books are the best you have found for learning to DJ for beginners? What about pro level?
for both: How to DJ Right
How would you go about getting started in DJ if you had to start over? (in terms of money, gear, style, and other basic stuff you can think of)
same way. collect vinyl, get turntables, learn to dj the old fashioned way.
Gearwise, I would have saved more and bought quality gear first instead of trying to be cheap and get shitty gear first cause I would have saved money in the long run. My techs are still working great after almost 13 years.
I should have also chosen a different name for my personal passion djing than my money/top 40/mobile djing.
Where is the best places to find gear?
Anywhere - ebay, craigslist, online stores like musiciansfriend.com agiprodj.com turntablelab.com - lots more
How do deal with the bar owners and patrons that show up to listen to your tunes?
uh, what?
How do you price your skill level?
I ask for what I think I'm worth.
Lots of people swear by this book, How to DJ Right: The Art and Science of Playing Records. Probably worth checking out.
Also, go get the book "How to DJ right". It's a major help, and causes you to think of things you normally wouldn't have. I really recommend it to anyone interested in DJing.
I think this book should be required reading for anyone learning to DJ.
This is a definitive guide for the noob. You'll need to cover what they've covered.
You could also pick up this book (seriously, it's 10 dollars).
Source: IAA DJ, Lighting and Sound Technician for 13 Years, Work at a DJ Gear Shop to This Day
This is true of many DJs, however, the example DJs such as Deadmau5 or Steve Aoki are far from actually being 'DJs'. What they are is producers, and their live "DJ" performance is usually a pre-recorded mix of songs. There are several notable exceptions to this rule, as I have personally seen Avicii, Armin van Buuren, and several other high-level DJs actually mix, themselves, on stage, like a boss.
Sometimes this is a single file, which they just play on one channel and pretend to 'mix' during their set. Sometimes this is an Ableton Live set, which allows them a little more control over tone, level, etc as /u/Icanwalkthroughwalls pointed out above.
If you want to become a (real) DJ, I highly recommend reading the books "How to DJ Right"(http://www.amazon.com/How-DJ-Right-Science-Playing/dp/0802139957), followed by "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" (http://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-DJ-Saved-Life/dp/0802136885). HTDJR will teach you the technical and financial side of being a DJ, while LNADJSML teaches you about the history of DJing from the first time someone scratched a record to (almost) the present.
As far as equipment, there are many opinions, but the most classic equipment setup is a pair of Technics SL-1200 turntables. They come in several flavors, and despite having been completely discontinued for production for several years, they are still the most popular and 'standard' turntable for DJing in the world.
Recently, with the advent of digital music, CD and digital file players are becoming crazy popular. One popular phenomenon is the 'CDJ' or a DJ-friendly CD player. The industry-standard version is produced by Pioneer, and like the 1200 turntable, the Pioneer CDJ-2000 series is currently the standard. Even though it is called a 'CDJ' it plays MUCH more than CDs. You can put a USB drive full of audio files into it and play entirely without a computer or disc, or if you're feeling techy you can USB them directly into the computer and they will control various software via HID or MIDI.
Regarding software, there are unsurprisingly TONS of options. The most reliable and popular options at this point are Serato, which is a New Zealand-based software company that has been teaming up with Rane hardware for some time, and Traktor, which I believe is 'ze Germans' over at Native Instruments. Both allow vinyl control of MP3s. Both allow MIDI controllers for additional controls. Both offer some form of sound card designed to read/output time-encoded audio and music. Both have their strong and weak points, as with most software.
Traktor has a slightly better response when you are scratching, and is more customizable, but Serato is more stable and has a very 'Mac' mentality of 'Fewer settings, and it just works'. Serato also offers the ability to DJ with Video attached to the audio, which at this point is not available from Traktor or N-I.
There are other honorable-mention programs that are gaining traction or have a strange cult following(usually precipitated by much lower prices): Virtual DJ is a decent program, though from my experience it isn't particularly stable and the fragmented versions make it hard to figure out exactly what features you can and can't use. Algoriddim's DJay software is rapidly gaining ground in the iOS market, as some of the more consumer-oriented hardware companies (ahem, Numark, Vestax, ahem) are starting to make iPhone- and iPad-compatible hardware(Spin2, iDJ Pro, etc). The program is decent, and seems to offer many of the same features as more established software, but it's hard to perform without staring at the iPad when you can't build muscle memory for knobs and settings on the touch screen.
Feel free to PM me if you have any specific equipment- or performance-related questions.
TL;DR - "DJs" like the ones you mentioned aren't actually DJs at all(though some are, and I'm not saying they're not awesome producers), and are often cheating and only pretending to mix on stage. If you want to see how a real DJ performs, you will probably find a better example at a local bar on a weekend night.