Digital DJ Tips reader Kahlheins writes: “I just started to be a digital DJ and got a solid set-up (Native Instruments Kontrol X1, Xone 22, Akai LPD8, Audio 2 DJ, laptop). I’ve still got some problems mixing songs, and I don’t know if my techniques are good enough for DJing in a club.
“Here’s what I do: I pick songs, use the sync button to bring them into sync, mix the end bits of the songs and fade slowly into the next song. In-between, I play with some effects (gater, beatmasher etc) and I sometimes switch from one song to the other just in the middle of a song at a breakdown, but very rarely. That’s pretty much all I do.
“Would a club expect me to create real mashup mixes? Like mixing two popular songs and playing them at once to create a ‘new song’? I got many problems with that and mostly my mixes sound crappy. Is that a neccesary skill in the beginning? And how do I learn it?”
Digital DJ Tips says:
Thanks for asking. You’re far from alone – we get lots of questions like this. Many people are stuck and don’t say anything, so thanks for writing.
The truth is, you’re worrying about all the wrong things.
I’ve linked to a mashup article at the end, but the truth is, you’re worrying about all the wrong things.
Think about it this way (stay with me here). What do you need to pass a driving test? Do you need to be able to drive like a professional racing driver? Fly through chicanes 1/100th of a second faster than the next driver, take bends at 100mph without any more drama than a bit of rubber on the tarmac? Undercut other pro drivers, missing a collision by inches while still grabbing pole position?
Nope, of course not. You need to know a few pretty basic things: Where all the car’s controls are (and to be able to find them in any type of car), how to control the vehicle safely, what all the signs on the road mean, and a few essential “tricks” (three-point turning, reversing). And just a bit of practice. Then you’re on the road! You’ve passed!
Once you've got the basics down, it's all about the music - and practice. Pic: The World Unplugged.
Does that make you a good driver? Of course not. You’re a rookie. It takes years to be a good driver. But it means you’re allowed on the road. It means you can play the game. What happens next is what turns you from a beginner into an expert. What do you do with the basic skills you know? Will anyone want to come along for the ride with you? What will you do differently? Where will you go?
DJing is pretty similar. You don’t need fancy mixes, and flicking from one track to another, or to be able to make live mashups, in order to be a competent DJ. To play the game. To get involved. These are things for the professionals, the experts. These are the things for later.
No, to get out of your bedroom and DJing in public (and to answer your question – forget about clubs for now, get some miles under your belt first), you need a solid grounding in the DJing basics. How to use equipment in the kind of venues you’ll come across. How to keep your levels right. How to get good quality music files, and how to locate them when you want them. How to programme music over a night. How to behave professionally and display minimum technical competence in any DJ booth. And a decent knowledge of your heritage, too.
Music matters most
Another thing. You didn’t once mention music in your question. Music is the whole point. Once you have those basic skills, it’s the music you play that matters. That’s what stands you out from the next DJ. That’s what gets you your following. That’s what makes you good enough to play in clubs. Finding the music that says “you” is what will sustain you and get you past “go”.
It may indeed lead to you learning to make your own mashups and remixes. As your music addiction takes hold and shapes your whole life, you’ll certainly learn a mix or two along the way.
You’ll definitely find yourself spending the vast majority of the hours that you have for DJ practice simply looking for new music.
As your music addiction takes hold and shapes your whole life, you’ll certainly learn a mix or two along the way.
Because the bottom line is, you can mix very simply, and still call yourself a damned fine DJ (and attract the following you deserve). Many DJs do just that.
Most DJs certainly don’t use more than a few basic mixes for their whole careers. But those who get popular sure know how to pick the right tunes, and put them in the right order.
Club owners will be looking for experience, so get the absolute basics nailed, and DJ anywhere, everywhere, all the time. Enjoy the ride and trust that the rest will follow.
• Are you in the same position? Do you want to get these basic skills? You should check out our How To Digital DJ Fast course, which covers them all right from the beginning all the way to your first real public DJ set.
Can you empathise with Kahlheins? What advice would you give to help him to progress with his DJing? What are the most important skills for a beginner to concentrate on? I’d love to you share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
Now go to:
An Alternative Route To DJing Success
How To Earn Your DJ Stripes, Part 1: Know The Enemy
4 Easy Steps To Making Your First Ever Mashup
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Tags: basic digital dj tips, beginner digital dj tips, learn to dj
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Definitely take Phil’s course, and look up the guide on how to succeed in DJing we posted here.
I’ll tell you, no one is ever ready for their first gig or residency. This is a “learn on the job” kind of trade.
I’d tell you first to simply make and post mixes online. Not some 10 or 20 minute thing, but a 45-80 minute live mix. You performing. Picture it as if you were performing in a club. That’s what I did and still do now. The point of this is to make you feel comfortable playing for longer periods. Too many DJs now toy around and play (which is fine), but then they post very short mixes…when any normal night could be you playing several hours.
Also look into the programming and energy aspects of it all. Learn what an opener is, a headliner, and a closer. Understand how it’s not all constant pounding all night. Grow in building up energy so if you’re the one playing early, you do it properly.
From there, start small. Make mixes for online shows when people post that they need DJs. Do the demo/networking thing we put in the guide. Play some guest spots at smaller events and parties. Maybe pick up a night in a smaller spot. Just play, grow, and learn. Keep going…you’re on the right track.
ALSO…if you get the chance or have the means…learn manual beatmatching. Even now I’m trying to get re-oriented with Traktor, and while I’ve gotten the basics of editing beatgrids down, I’m not at the point I could rely on sync in Traktor. Thankfully I can just go manual if I need.
[ link ]OH HELL YES! So many people EVEN MOST PROFESSIONAL DJS need to get this concept: “Also look into the programming and energy aspects of it all. Learn what an opener is, a headliner, and a closer. Understand how it’s not all constant pounding all night. Grow in building up energy so if you’re the one playing early, you do it properly.”
I almost wish there was a Flagging system to card people for playing the wrong set at their time of the night.
[ link ]I tend to call DJ’ing (especially when you start out) the 5 cent job. No one really wants to pay you for your time, you’re unsure of yourself & your abilities, and unlike yourself in this instance most of the time people don’t have the best equipment to start. That being said I recommend you align yourself with other friendly DJ’s in the area and start hanging with them behind the DJ Booth. Certainly wouldn’t hurt to get some tricks and pointers. Next, feel free to work at home…you got that sweet setup…hook it into another computer and record yourself practicing at home. Worst case scenario you can listen to yourself doing a horrible job, best case scenario you have a recorded mix that you can pop up on the player in the event that “nature calls” while your working. Either way you slice it…that practice is invaluable.
[ link ]Remixes, Mashups, and other related crap….well I can ask you this. What do 95% go to FYE or other music stores to buy? Do they buy Mashups, Remixes, and underground club mixes (depends on how many DJ friends you have) or do they buy the radio version? People want to hear your technique, yet at the same time if you remix the song so much…many people won’t even recognize their favorite song. FOCUS ON THE MUSIC SELECTION. ANY DJ can join me in agreement that the wrong song will put a shank in your dancefloor. Focus on the music and the rest will follow with practice and patience. Give the people what they want and you’ll pack the house every day (that doesn’t necessarily mean take their requests…drunk kids always wanna listen to the crappiest music). Good luck kid!
What matters is: Can you do basic mixing, can you still do it if you suddenly realize your beatgrids are slightly or even a long way off, do you have any concept of harmonics, which songs work as a mix and which just make everyone’s ears bleed when you mix them? Do you know how to use an EQ? Do you know what the red bit of the mixer’s LED chain means? Do you trust your judgement of what might work with a particular crowd, and are you willing to play that instead of your favorite rare and obscure underground tune? If so, then get out there, play, and keep your hands off effects, samples, loops and mashup attempts as long as you are not absolutely sure that you got the basics right. It will take a while, but there’s no way of learning other than trying. My advice: Don’t go for the clubs first, play at your mate’s parties to get some practice in front of a crowd.
[ link ]This was a very well written article and I like the example you used Phil, really would help a young artist to understand how those basic needs. Personally clubs are a little bit of a war zone if you aren’t very skilled at mixing and the programming elements of a set especially in venues where the crowd is in the 18-24 range. Start small by playing to friends or even hanging around at parties until you feel comfortable enough to approach the bar scene. Having your presence in a club is months maybe even years ahead. Keep working hard.
[ link ]I’m going with Phil here.
Let’s start at the beginning: “Am I good enough to play in Clubs?”
I think most people miss out on what DJing actually is:
At first, I knew I had the skill and the good music to back up the skill, I had practiced but I had not felt prepared to “Officially DJ”… you know why? People (in this case *I*) somehow miss that being a DJ is a manner of public speaking (where the recordings do the speaking for you) and a lot of beginners seem to think they have to “get it all right, right from the moment things start and if they mess up a little they’re ruined… time to bring in the next guy.” It’s really not like that and if you do mess up, find a way to make it look like it was intentional and do that mess-up in some melodic fashion and then move on. You must be able to roll with anything and keep on moving. If you all the crowd to all stop being entertained, you’ve failed. So do whatever it takes to keep that crowd entertained. People pay to be important and for the night they’re on your dance floor, they ARE important.
I think this is the definitive (human) test:
How you tell if you’re ready *FOR SURE* is playing to a small group of friends (preferably music they like) who are told to act like “THE WORST CLUB-GOER EVER!” Prepare to handle public criticism because you’re going to be speaking to the public! Have them; ask for whacky requests (and find a way to handle that request), mess with your gear, “Woot-Woot” to songs, etc… and then get them (and this is the important part here) *REALLY DRUNK* (because people get really selfish and honest when they’re drunk). When “the Groove” sets in… (that “This should lead to that and mix into that” feeling), it’s like no other feeling in the world and you’ll be able to make them happy as long as you don’t over-think solutions. Remember to be polite and help them get back to the dance floor (where they belong) and play stuff that (excuse this expression) “Comes from your soul” but be a mindful custodian of your fellow adventurers.
When you’re done with the night, you should take a few things away from the evening, among them should be how to deal with drunk people and how to deal with the crowd. If you got the people drunk enough, someone should have gotten ugly with you and that’s exactly what you want… feedback (both that night and the following few days after your friends have enjoyed your set). DJing isn’t all about playing the right tunes at the right times and getting all the ladies and drugs want, it’s a form of expression played out in real life against other people’s psyches and preparing yourself for people to express themselves back is the last real step to knowing if you’re ready. If you can hack it, you can go on to be a DJ almost anywhere (provided you’re playing the music people want to hear).
[ link ]I forgot to add this in conclusion… If you take the human element out of your set, you might as well be an iPod (in shuffle mode) on legs. While you’re DJing, you should constantly be looking for “tells” from your crowd, using your brain to know what’s going on and using that to your advantage. For some reason people want their DJ to know what the people want to hear before they want to hear it.
In truth, no one will care about you your first few nights playing live. You’ll have to earn people’s interest and respect. I wouldn’t recommend trying to drop fancy moves on people your first few nights out, if you mess up you’ll mess up big.
[ link ]Um… there was a screw up in my response… the line “If you all the crowd to all stop being entertained, you’ve failed.” should be “If you *GET* all the crowd to all stop being entertained, you’ve failed.”
Grumbles about no “Edit button.”
[ link ]Genius post. Sound and sensible advice. Thanks!
[ link ]DJ Forced Hand,
This is so well put and sound advice for the questioner.
Thank you!
[ link ]just sayin… th way you describe your mixes, they must be really boring… i mean if you use sink but just mix the end with the intro etc you might aswell take cds with you
[ link ]atleast with cds you dont have much else to do… but with traktor, or whatever, i mean if you use synk and thats all you do then yes you are super boring! basicly all you do is from 5 to 5 minutes lower one fader and raise the other one… what do you do while the songs playing ?? abusing filters and just putting your hands in the air ? LOL start using sample decks or anything!!! or just make crazyer mixes… idk but you gotta push yourself! just sayin, you will be a ”oh everybody is a dj nowadays with a laptop” guy! no mater how good your tracks are, you have to bring something else to the table to atleast seem a little bit interesting to the crowd!! speccialy if all you do is press play, synk and play again!!!
Sorry mate, but you’re not getting it. If there’s one approach to digital DJing that is inherently wrong, then it’s “just making crazier mixes” just because there’s nothing else to do other than syncing.
[ link ]There’s always something else to do. Reading the crowd, browsing your library and thoroughly thinking about your next track, making sure it actually will work in the mix and with the crowd, keeping levels and EQ in check, etc. etc. As a DJ, you’re not there to not be bored, you’re there to entertain the crowd and not yourself or your DJ mates. Mixing properly is not playing one track after the other. Even if it may seem like you’re doing nothing else to the five controller geeks in the crowd (of whom I might be one).
Sample decks, loops, FX etc. are the next level. If your mixes suck without them, they won’t get better with them.Oh how many nights have been spoiled by some clueless guy overusing the beatmasher.
all that might be true but my point is simple!! if a dj is not having fun, then the crowd will not have fun!!!! i see that all the time in the bar i work! it might be just me… but mixing 2 decks with synk just like that is super boring !! if somebody is starting to dj now and all they learn is to press synk AND they are satisfied with that, im sorry but, i think thats just wrong!!! if that’s really all you want to do learn to beatmatch ! atleast by doing so you wont be made fun of by somebody in the crowd that actually understand’s whats goin on…
[ link ]one thing i started doing like 2 weeks after getting traktor (yeah it took me about 2 weeks to get super bored with just ”play-synk-play” mixes) was to use cuepoints! i mean, its something sooooo simple and yet i havent seen ANYBODY do it! and ive seen lots and lots of play-synk-play djs at the bar!! i mean im shure everybody has certain parts in the song that they dont like or whatever, with the cuepoints you can literally re-arrange the song as you like on the fly…!! that keeps you busy, in a productive way, the tracks might not sound so repetive and crowd will like it aswell (if they know the song, coz they know you are actually doing something to it!!) so everybody wins.. i know im obviously not the only one doing it but i havent met anybody that does so and ive really met a lot of local djs thruout the ears & they all have an x1 so really no excuse! point being..those 2 decks synk djs, are nothing but posers… everybody with passion wants to bring it to the next level, bring something new to the table!! ive met people with passion and i have a lot of passion for this as well so i really know so!! otherwise you probably will argue against me but you’re in this not for the music… just to luckly get some girls on saturday nights, some drinks, just playing some songs and still get paid… thats all these guys want! im my opinion, the opinion from a guy that really loves this, that sucks!!! just keep it interesting!! whats the problem with that??
i forgot how much you learn when you have to beat mix
[ link ]I totally agree to the last post. I am not a club-dj yet (by the way this website really encourages me to try it out one day) but I have a clubbing experience for almost 10 years now and I have been to many (too many) parties during that time and I think that I actually never really looked at any dj what he is actually doing because I just don’t care. A good dj set for me is 100% about the music and the vibe. I get really annoyed by people that mess around with my favourite tunes. I think if you play a track by a really good producer it’s kind of an insult to mess around with their music too much, because the track should be something that can stand for itself and that people can enjoy just as it is….
[ link ]Good responses from Phil and every1. Wise words indeed
[ link ]In my own personal experience, 90% of the people in clubs don’t really give a rats ass about your mixing as long as they like the music. In fact, I would go as far as saying they don’t even “hear” the mixing, they just hear that the music changes. Sometimes it changes in a cool way, sometimes in an unexpected way, sometimes in a f**** up way (“WHY are you doing this crazy s*** to my favorite Rihanna song!?!?!?! WHY WHY WHY?!!! Stupid DJ!”) sometimes in a slow way (“just get the song playing already!!!!”).
[ link ]What I mean is, sometimes it takes a trained ear to actually hear the mixing, but everyone can tell if you are playing the “wrong” music, or if the mixing is bad (i.e not beat matched, in key or the timing is waaaaay of.
Sure… but that’s a lot different to saying that mixing doesn’t matter. I think people don’t notice “mixing” but they do enjoy the experience of it. Ideally people are focused on dancing and the track selection, mix, sound, dynamics, movement are all a part of motivating them to that.
the key is that the mixing doesn’t intrude on the vibe (most of the time).
for myself I’m interested in taking people from a place that’s flat to a place where they’re dancing and continuing to dance, and I don’t really care whether they understand how it happened on the way.
[ link ]The first thing you need is a catchy name. Then you have to get a Mac because everyone will dis you for using a PC. But seriously,
Its been 1 year for me since I decided to ‘be’ a DJ (Feb 2011) and got my first gig (May 2011). I played house parties for my friends for free just to get in front of people. I would advise against playing anything by Lil John at a backyard BBQ at full blast. Just an FYI.
I know salsa music backwards and forwards so thats where I started until I was more familiar w/ House, Hip-Hop and Club-Dance music. I dont think its realistic to shoot for landing a club gig within a few months because you need to be a DJ and a promoter for yourself and its alot of work. My approach is to start with small bars and places that already have a captive audience so this takes some pressure off having to promote it and hope to get 100 people to show up.
Read every article Phil has and the comments. Tons of FREE advice can be found here and its helped me immensely.
[ link ]I’ve never posted on here before although I am an avid reader of this site but after reading this article I feel like there is one thing that Phil forgot to mention, your setup, now you do have some decent stuff don’t get me wrong and some people are more then able to rock any venue with very obscure or simple setups but when your just starting out I feel like two decks in front of you are a must. When you have a decent hardware controller you don’t have to deal as much with the physical gap that there is between you and the software you are using. I feel that if you got you hands on (not necessarily purchased) a nice controller that not only would it help expand your creativity but it could help you access features that as of now you may have to be scrolling through drop down menus and using a mouse to access.
[ link ]I had the same thinks for many times, but when i heared djs in place, i known the most important is the confidence, you will learn with the time, everybody is the best in his bedroom, i know that, it’s very difficult for me to find a place to perform, i m dj for 15 years and i saw the time leave and then i tell you to wait no more…
ps: i would to know how to ask a question please too.
[ link ]Great article Phil! Never thougt of it that way…..
[ link ]But, to continue the metafor, kids can’t wait to get out on the racetrack, but when they don’t get in the major league direct they loose interest pretty soon, and then we old vultures can get fresh dj gear cheep on ebay
cheap I mean lol (I’m from sweden)
[ link ]Thanks Phil. You gave a injection of encouragement in many potentially good djs that maybe could never show their good jobs worried about perfection.
[ link ]Dude, if you have to ask that question you’ll never be a club DJ. I’ve been Dj’ing for 27 years and all this crazy shit I’m hearing these days about what it takes to be a real DJ is a bunch of bullshit. These days it seems that Dj’ing is more about how cool you look while Dj’ing then actually playing the dame music. It shouldn’t matter if you have two Fisher Price Close & Plays and a god dame $89.00 Radio Shack mixer.
[ link ]Just play the music. The music is everything. The music is king.
Please stop all this shit about how cool you are. How cool you’ll look playing on 1200’s with time code disk. That’s got to be the stupidest shit I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t matter what your using, be it CDJ’s, Controllers, Turntables… there just tools a DJ has at his disposal to get the music he believes in out to the crowd. You can radio fade every dame song, the hole night long, and still pack the dance floor.
The only advice I can offer an up and coming DJ is to stick to your guns, believe in what you play.
And for all that is holy, look past the front of your DJ booth. That’s where the action really is…
I fell like I’m in the same boat as you. I’ve only recently started learning how to DJ. I got myself a S4 but then realized that it provided a lot more than I needed (space specially) so I sold it and got a S2 instead. It’s perfect for me but I have never used it without Sync ON. I am yet to get my first DJ gig but what I’m doing for now is putting out my own 2-hour bi-weekly Podcast on iTunes and Mixcloud. It’s a combination of the music that I love and would play at venues. It has garnered some pretty positive feedback and I have over 200 Likes on my FB page. All the mixes are spot-on but since I always have my tracklist ready before I start to Mix, I don’t know how I would react in a LIVE situation in case I decided to play a NEW tune.
[ link ]Regardless, have a listen to my Mixes, I’ve only been doing them for 7 months. Search for “RicMansur” on Mixcloud, FB, YouTube and SC.
Cheers
Well I haven’t read through all the answers, but I am going to share my point. I think a lot of DJs would eat me up for saying what I am going to say.
I believe no DJ is ever prepare to play in a new venue. There is always the fear of not being able to move the crowd. Of course we have our routine we normally go through to get party started and if that doesn’t work then it really helps to know your music collection.
Being able to mash up is great, but not necessary, if you can transition from song to songs, without having to breakdown with a bunch of intros, will definitely keep the crowd on dance floor. Try reading the crowd more than reading the laptop screen. Read what kind of music they are really into, see what tempo drives them crazy. Have your music organized so you don’t get lost looking for music tracks or finding what to play next.
The SYNC button is a great help but doesn’t always work, so you still have to have idea of mixing. SYNC is not there to help you mix, it is there to help DJs with timing issues. It just help you line up 2 beats with accurate time, it doesn’t mean you automatically bring the song in at the right time.
Now This is what will put me in trouble. If you main concern is beat matching and u just can’t get it right, but know you are a darn good DJ beside that. I suggest you use an alternative software like a Mixmeister Pro or Mixmeister Fusion that handles that part for you. With this software you don’t have to worry about beat matching at all. You just have to worry your timeline, when you want to drop in a new track and what type of transition; whether it crossfades in 8 beats 16 beats, bass swap, simple crossfade or no transition at all. With Mixmeister handling all of that now you can do other stuff like mash up samples and FX to your music and have more interaction with the crowd.
Listening to Mixmeister mixing these track also gives you an understanding of how the selected tracks can be mixed, so you can later practice them. In 6 months or so you will throwing Meister out the door, cause Meister would have thought u so much – Or Maybe not, maybe you would just make it a part of your routine….
[ link ]