The Ultimate Guide For Djs

The History Of Djing:

The history of DJing is a fascinating journey that traces its roots back to the
early days of recorded music. In the 1940s and 1950s, DJs began to emerge
as pioneers who played a crucial role in introducing new sounds to eager
audiences. One of the most influential figures in DJ culture was Jamaican-born
Kool Herc, who is widely credited as the father of hip-hop. Herc's innovative
technique of isolating and repeating instrumental sections of songs laid the
foundation for what would become known as "breaks," forming the basis of
early hip-hop and DJing.

As the 1970s unfolded, DJing continued to evolve, especially in the context of

disco and club culture. DJs such as Francis Grasso and David Mancuso gained
recognition for their skillful mixing and seamless transitions between records,
creating an electrifying atmosphere on dance floors. The emergence of the
iconic nightclub Studio 54 further propelled the DJ profession into the
spotlight, with DJs like Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles captivating audiences
with their eclectic selections and innovative techniques.

The advent of new technologies in the 1980s revolutionized the art of DJing.
The introduction of the Technics SL-1200 turntable and the development of
vinyl scratching techniques by DJs like Grand Wizard Theodore and
Grandmaster Flash pushed the boundaries of what was possible. DJs became
virtuosos, manipulating records and creating unique sounds through
scratching and backspinning, further solidifying their role as musical
innovators.

The 1990s marked a significant shift in DJ culture with the rise of electronic
dance music (EDM). DJs such as Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfold, and Sasha played
pivotal roles in popularizing genres like techno, trance, and house music. The
emergence of digital technology, including CDJs and later digital DJ software,
allowed DJs to carry vast music libraries and experiment with new
techniques. This era witnessed a surge in DJ culture, with massive festivals
and events like Ibiza's legendary parties becoming showcases for the world's
most sought-after DJs.
In the 21st century, DJing continued to evolve in parallel with advancements in
technology. The rise of digital DJing software, such as Serato and Traktor,
enabled DJs to seamlessly mix tracks from their laptops, blurring the lines
between DJing and production. Additionally, the advent of streaming platforms
and online communities allowed DJs to reach wider audiences and share their
mixes globally.

Today, DJing has become a global phenomenon, with DJs commanding

massive crowds at festivals, clubs, and events worldwide. The art form
continues to push boundaries and evolve, as DJs embrace new technologies,
experiment with diverse musical styles, and engage with their audiences in
innovative ways. The history of DJing serves as a testament to the power of
music, technology, and creative expression, and its impact on popular culture
is undeniable.

Some Things You Need To Know As A Dj:

1. Being a Dj needs A LOT of practise.No one can make you a good Dj.You
need to start practising,listening to other Dj's sets,finding the music that
fits you the most,being always aware of what's trending etc.
2. You MUST NOT waste all your money for buying good equipment.This will
change NOTHING.
3. Djing is not only skill,it's fantasy.Music is like therapy.You need to work on
spiritual level too.You MUST FEEL it.
4. Never underestimate anyone.Music is like water,there is
everywhere.Everyone can help you on this journey!
5. Last but not least.Please,stop going on Dj Schools.Nowadays there is so
much information on the internet that you really don't need to waste
money to become better.Start watching videos on Youtube,learn some
music theory (that will help a lot).There are so many sources of
information out there that you can get for free just by sitting on your
couch!

What You Will Need:

1. One laptop,one controller and headphones.Make value for money choices
because you don't need the perfect equipment in order to be a good Dj.
 Your First Steps As A Dj:
1. Find music.Search for the style of music that you like and start
downloading.You can download for free from "Myfreemp3juices.cc","free-
mp3-download.net","slider,kz","MediaHuman - Youtube to mp3 converter"
or "Soulseek".You can even have subscription plans on "Djcity" or "Digital Dj
Pool".You can even find music on Facebook groups.So START now! No
excuses.The hardest work you have to do as a Dj is to work from home.To
be prepared for every circumstance.
2. After downloading some music you need to get a Dj Software.I
recommend "Rekordbox" because it is user friendly for new Djs.You can
also work with "Serato","Traktor" or "VirtualDj".After getting some
experience i recommend using "Traktor".Thare is NO better or worse
software,you can work PERFECTLY with all of them.This is just my
PERSONAL opinion.
3. Now it's time to learn how beatmatching works.It may be hard enough at
the start but believe me,it is much easier that it looks.Beatmatching is a
technique used by Djs to synchronize the tempos of two or more songs,
allowing for a seamless transition between them. It involves aligning the
beats of two tracks so that they play in sync, creating a smooth and
continuous flow of music.Traditionally, DJs would manually adjust the
speed (or pitch) of one song's playback to match the tempo of another.
This was done by manipulating the turntable's pitch control or the speed
controls on DJ software. The goal is to match the beats-per-minute (BPM)
of the two tracks, ensuring that the downbeats, or the prominent beats in
each bar, align.
4. In order to beatmatch correctly you need to know some things about
music theory.Every song has its own rhythm,right? Djs translate this in
BPM (Beats-Per-Minute).If you look at your Dj Software's grid you will see
bars to all of your songs.These bars calculate the BPM and also help you
understanding the rhythm.Songs consist of 4 beats and then another 4
and then another 4,etc.(4 beats means 1 bar).Watching on your Dj
Software while reading this PDF will make it much easier to
understand.So,if you want to beatmatch correctly,the first beat of the bar
of the one song must be syncronized with the first beat of the bar of the
second song.Then you just catch a 4 beat loop and everything works
without doing anything.When you want to make the transition you just
 remove the 4 beat loop and changing the song.Never forget that
Softwares are not always calculating right so you have to learn to use
your ears.That will happen only if you practise.Day by day.
5. You learnt what beatmatching is.Start training it.Find two songs,syncronize
them and make transitions.Then another two songs.Again.And again.And
again.
6. Bravo!
7. Now you are ready for your first set!
8. NO,YOU ARE NOT!
9. Continue collecting music and work on beatmatching and transitions.Let
your fantasy work too.Do it every day! If you want to succeed over
time,believe me if you follow all the steps you will earn a lot of money
from this job,fame and a lot of proposals!

Let's Discover Other Functions:

I know that you want to start scratching etc etc.It's still early.You need to
learn the functions of your controller firstly.You have the opportunity to
search for songs and load them into your decks,to mark your songs at every
point you want by using Hot Cues,to use filters or effects,to change the pitch
or the bpm of a song,to syncronize songs automatically,to remove
frequencies (bass,mid,highs),to beat jump,to change the size of a
loop.Discover your controller and your Dj Software before starting scratching
and making annoying transitions.

Secret Advice:
Learn music theory.If you start watching the best Djs of the planet you will
see that they started producing music before becoming Djs.That means that
they know music theory,they know how songs are made,how music works.I'm
not here to teach you music theory but believe me it will help you a lot.You
can work with your eyes closed if you have some knowledge of music
theory.Just the basics,you want to become a dj,not a basist.

One Step Further:

1. After learning how beatmatching works for 4 beats you can do the same
for 8 beats,then for 16 and then for 32 beats! ALMOST all the songs have
the same pattern.32 beats for the intro,32 for the buildup and 32 for the
drop.Some of them have 16 for the intro or for the drop.But let's take a
look.You can prepare a transition much earlier than you think! You can
start training this technique with house music.Every house song has the
same pattern.ALL of them.Make your technique perfect.It's important!
2. Let's say that you have to make a good transition.If you knew music
theory you would know that sub is monophonic.This means that when 2
songs are playing together the bass becomes annoying.You can't combine
2 different basses.So when you are ready to make a transition you need
to cut the low frequencies of the song that's changing.This will make the
sound become more friendly in people's ears and will also make the song
that's coming feeling louder.
3. Let's talk about keys.If you put a song on your deck you will see
somewhere (depending on your Dj Software) some weird letters like:
Am,F#m,A or 9A,8B,etc.That's the key of the song.The key of the song
hides some information.At first it says the notes that are used on this
song.At second view it says if the vibe of the song is sad or
happy.However,what you mostly need to know is that transitioning songs
that belong to the say key make the transition MUCH better.You can even
do this if you want to change from house to rnb for example.Transitioning
from one style to another feels much better if we do it by choosing songs
that belong to the same key.You can also search and learn what "relative
keys" are.That's some music theory information that will take your sets to
another level.
4. Let's talk about scratching,using effects or doing tricks.There are no
rules.There is only talent,practise and mostly FANTASY.Experiment yourself
onto effects,scratching or whatever you can imagine.Practise it.When you
are on a set let your feelings do the job for you.

We talked about the technical part of Djing.Let's talk

about some more important stuff.

Equipment/Mapping:
1. Begginers: Pioneer Ddj 400,Traktor Kontrol S2,sennheiser headphones and
a simple laptop are the perfect combo for you to start.Keep in mind that
your laptop must be able to support your Dj Software and not bugging.Do
not use THIS laptop for anything other than music.
2. Advanced: Pioneer Ddj 1000,Pioneer Flx10,Traktor Kontrol S4.My
preference is Cdjs.Depending on your Dj Software the most economical
and reliable are Cdj 400 and Cdj 350.Obviously an excellent choice is Cdj
2000 or Cdj 3000 but the budget goes up a lot.
3. Even if you are beginner or advanced you need to know that you have the
choice to map functions onto your equipment's buttons.You can change
commands and make your job easier depending on what's more useful for
you.

Getting Jobs:
1. If you have friends working on cafes or nightclubs,ask them for
help.Getting your first jobs is hard.You will have to work for free
sometimes.That's good.People will hear you.You will meet another people
and get to know them.Remember this: Every time you are on a set,it is
more important to vibe and to meet people than getting money.Chasing
money will lead you to failure.That's the nature of this job.
2. If you don't know anyone who can help you: Start working.Wake up in the
morning and go from cafe to cafe.It's easier to start from a cafe or a
beach bar than a nightclub.Ask them for one hour set FOR FREE! Record an
one hour session and give it to everyone.Make sure that your record is
perfect,you can even prepare it for 1 day or 2.Someone will hear
it.Someone will tell you YES.Then your journey beggings.
3. Go out.Go for a drink.Meet new Djs.Listen to their music,watch their
techniques.Go from the one nightclub to another.Go talk to the other
Djs.Being a Dj means that you belong to a group.We are friends,not
enemies.Meeting and having good relationship with other Djs in your area
will help get a lot of jobs fast.
4. After getting your first job it's time to talk about the money you have to
earn.You know that Djs get A LOT of money,but it's still the start of the
journey.Depending on your country you have to ask for a little bit below
average.This will help you becoming resident Dj for a while.Follow the
previous steps while working too.After getting experience start asking for
 10$ per hour.Then for 15$.Then for more.If you have done what i said you
will know how much other Djs get paid.Watch your progress.Calculate
what you think you must earn.You will not always accomplish it.It's
normal.Sometimes you will have to work for less money.But believe me
you will always meet people and the proposals are not late to come.
5. Money as a guest Dj: Here the game changes.When this time comes you
have to ask for 2.5x of the money you get as a resident Dj.Maybe
more.Depends.There will be people rejecting your proposal.It's okay.You
must not underestimate yourself all the time.If you got to the level that
people want you for a guest Dj then you have to know your worth.

Interaction With The Crowd:

Interacting with the crowd is probably the most important thing you need to
know as a Dj.You always have to watch the crowd.Do they have fun? Do they
want more music like this? Are they dancing? All these questions must run
around your head ALL THE TIME.If you see that something goes wrong you
have to be prepared.Every audience is not the same.You need to have
alternative choices for your set.Your set MUST NOT be prepared.You need to
work with your feeling and with the crowd.You need to have music to satisfy
everyone.Even if you don't like every style of music.It is your job to make
people have fun.So,what do you have to do when something goes wrong?
You see people not drinking,not dancing or even leaving the club.It's time to
check what they want.Change the style of music you are playing as soon as
possible.It doesn't matter if you make a bad transition.It's better to make a
good choice and a bad transition than the opposite.Play different styles of
music until you see them reacting.If you do this,they will react.You may have
to "burn" some good songs but it's okay.If the crowd start drinking,dancing
and having fun it will be much easier for you to control them later.

How Psychology Affects You:

1. When you're in a good mood your imagination works better so you can do
more fun things in your set.
2. When your psychology is down you have to devote yourself to music and
give your best whether you can or not.Try to use music to help lift yourself
up.
3. When you are angry the chances of having a good set increase rapidly.It
may sounds strange and I don't know why it happens but it's true.Being a
Dj takes courage on the decks,maybe that's why we do better sets when
we are angry

The Risks Of The Job:

1. Alcohol.The most important thing.You should try to avoid it as much as
possible.Drinking alcohol can give a bad image to the public and obviously
you may make a bad set if you are drunk.Also in the long run alcohol can
create serious health problems for you in the future.
2. Drugs/Guns.Equally important.I have nothing to say about that.I think you
get the point.Stay away.AWAY.
3. Bad acquaintances.Not all people are nice and we have to be discreet and
kind and obviously keep a distance from people who seem strange to
us.You don't know what everyone might want and what kindof person
they are.
4. When you are a Dj you have to know that you won't be able to do this for
you whole life.Growing up makes it very difficult.You have to save money
and have a second plan knowing what you want to do in the future.It will
be good for a while to try to implement both.To work as a Dj and to do
something else at the same time.You have to know that your plan for the
future will work.

Djing And Fame:

Playing music gets you an audience.Don't take it personally.Keep your head
down.Make your audience love you for your music and follow you wherever
you play.Don't be surprised and look like a fool in front of your audience.

How Djing Affects Your Personal Life:

Most people think that being a Dj helps your love life and many of them
become Djs for this reason.If you want to knowthe truth this is not the
case.There are times when you will find someone and have a good time but
through it of work,it is difficult to find something stable for two important
reasons.First,most people who go out to clubs go out to have a good time,to
forget about their problems,etc.Most people do not go out to find a
relationship in clubs.Whenever you meet someone in a club is a one-way
street.The second reason is that precisely you do this job,everyone has the
impression that you have a good time and go out with a lot of
women/men.Even if you are lucky enough to meet a person who is capable of
a relationship it is very difficult forthem to deal with these thoughts and this
will probably be the reason they reject you.