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Learning to DJ?
cloudkj asks: "Being a geek and a music fan, I've played with various applications for creating and mixing music. DJing has always been an interest of mine, but I've never had the time nor the resources to take it up as a hobby. Now that I've left college and started working, I have the time and the funds to allow me to explore DJing. What are the best ways to start learning how to DJ? Are there any spectacular pieces of digital DJ software out there that a aspiring DJ needs to have? How does a DJ transition from digital to the real thing?"
Is it just me that thinks this one is odd, or should this have been posted to slashdj.org
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I would go find a DJ I like locally and ask him that same question. Talk to EVERY DJ you can, and ask him what you have to ask. Having somebody real in front of you is way more valuable than all of Slashdot. No offense, dear reader.
You can get practical software solutions, practical hardware solutions, and really get a lot of comprehensive feedback where a Google search will fail you. And if you're lucky/friendly and find a DJ who's interested in YOU, you could get actual feedback on your performance. Sometimes, a Pro will let you touch their gear, and that's thrilling, too.
Good luck!
Please stop stalking me, bro.
My advice to you is as follows. This is coming from someone who has DJ'd around the world, supported big acts like the Prodigy, had residencies.
Your first step is to learn to play music that people want to hear. Don't worry about beatmixing, cutting, scartching, all that can come later. If you want to be popular, the kind of Dj that gets asked to play regularly and has a good following (regardless of whether it's underground or mainstream), learn first to read the crowd and play music that you think they will like. Some of the world's best DJ's are technically awful. But they play upfront tracks.
Then, when you're ready, buy some turntables. They don't have to be Technics - in fact I recommend some rubbish old ones first. They will improve your technique.
Then practice, practice, practice.
"You can justify anything by putting it in quotes, adding a famous name and making it a sig" - Albert Einstein
A DJ is someone who plays music for people, this means only two things:
-Access to a suitable music collection.
-Knowledge of the crowd or listeners you're playing to.
Nothing else.
Now... depending on the style of music you're playing to people this might mean picking up some technical skills, but these are not really mandatory, if you can read the crowd and play just the right tune you'll be alright.
Skills you might need:
-Beatmatching
-Harmonic matching
-Needle dropping
-Scratching
-Doing voice overs (for instance, in radio work)
-Putting on a show, in the visual sense, might mean video screens or maybe costumes, maybe even (shudder) dancing
Listen to some mixtapes, radio shows etc. of suitable variety to see what you're aiming to. Talk to people: DJ's, listeners, music geeks, partygoers, the list goes on. Once you're aware of what you're trying to do, just practice. As much as you need to. Also, if you're a DJ of the bedroom variety,and have no other feedback: record your sessions/sets, and listen after some time to hear all the mistakes you've made. It's painful but there's no way around it. Maybe play them to people who might give some insightful comments.
Again, in my opinion, what you're aiming for is entertainment, something that is seamless and builds up to a cohesive whole. Something that keeps people dancing, listening, tapping their toes and nodding their heads. Tell a story, you can line up your records by tempo, theme, artist, melody, intensity etc. To do this you need to know your music well. Listen.
Don't let your ego rule your thing, people aren't going to be there to watch you (unless you dress up in drag and do spastic dancing for show), they're there to dance or listen to music, make it worth their while. Audience comes first.
Hmmh, but then again... maybe i've got it all wrong. Plus I'm slightly drunk. Take this with a grain or two of salt.
How to DJ Right by Frank Broughton and Bill Brewster is easily the best text I have read about DJing. I had been DJing for quite a few years when I read this book and there was a lot of information which I found very useful.
My advice would be that if you are serious about learning, buy yourself some good second-hand technics decks. They have excellent re-sale value because they are built to last for years. I have some old second-hand 1200 Mk2s which I bought when I was living in England, and they have been moved around countless times and still are as good as the day I bought them. Even if you buy a cheaper mixer to start with, get the turntables right.
I'd also advise to get in with an online community of people that play the same sort of music as you want to. Not only is it handy for finding gems which you might not know about, when you get confident enough to start hosting your mixes online you will get some useful advise and criticism of your mixes.
Blessed are the 1337, for they shall pwn the earth.
The poster is specifically asking for applications and tools, obviously it pertains to technology and computers.
As a computer and music geek myself, I would like to see more articles related to how technology is used in creating music.
Just because you aren't interested in the topic, doesn't mean others aren't.