Sunday, 7 October 2012

The Easiest Way To Learn How To DJ

By Sharlene Fleming


Being a DJ is a dream job for many young people. You get to go to nightclubs and parties for free, you get drinks bought for you and you get paid at the end of the night. Yet if you do not learn how to DJ properly you'll never get past he pub karaoke night. Here are a few helpful tips to get you started.

The first thing to do is decide who you are and what kind of DJ you want to be. Some Disc Jockeys are specialists, popular because the audience knows they will hear something particular and remarkable when they go see them live. Others are crowd pleasers - the audience flocks to their shows because they know they will hear something they like, something expected.

Getting the right equipment is vital to getting the right sound. Find out which decks suit the kind of mixing you are interested in doing and which ones best suit your sound. The right equipment is central to DJing, more so than just about any other musical performance. Do a bit of research into what your favorite spin-masters use.

All a DJ really requires is two turntables, a mixer and a decent pair of headphones. Once you have this you can start playing in your home and getting used to how it all works. You really don't need the speaker system, the MIDI stuff, the monitor or the microphone until you are out there playing parties and shows. To begin with just get used to the system and set up of the basic equipment.

DJing is not something you can do just because you have a good record collection or a great playlist on your iPod. It is a craft, built up over time, and based upon recognizing the reactions of an audience to different changes in tone and vibe to a set. Watch your favorite DJs in action, see how they construct their sets, how they build and break them down. This is the craft of DJing.

At first you'll want to take every gig you can get and that is the right move. Your first few sets will not pay too much and neither should they - it is as much about you learning your trade as getting cash. Once you've done a few gigs you'll get better and better as you'll recognize what the sound of a set is in a certain type of venue, learn to overcome your nerves and generally get the feel of what a live set-up is.

The bigger your following gets the more you should do to encourage people to identify you. A fan base wants a familiar face behind those decks so make sure they can see you. Don't just stand, hunched over, one hand on your ear. Get your head up so they can see who you are and show them a bit of personality and charisma.

There are plenty of want-to-be DJs out there. If you want to be more than that, you'll have to learn how to DJ. Our tips are a great start to doing that.




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