1. The beginning: How to become a DJ

The first thing I recommend is that you find a friend with turntables. Hopefully, they'll be nice enough to let you play around on them. Get a feel for the setup, and see how you like it. If things are looking good, then start going to record stores and buying records. Don't go crazy and buy a shitload of records (you'll be surprised how your tastes will change once your collections grows larger), be selective and make sure you truly like the vinyl you purchase.

For turntables, I recommend getting Technics 1200s, flat out. One will set you back $350-$500 (new) per table. This may seem expensive... you're right, cuz it is. The reason why I recommend Technics, aside from them being a sturdy and reliable turntable, is because they're the industry standard. If you ever have aspirations of playing out at a club, rave, or any other proper event, there's a 99.99% chance that you will be playing on Technics 1200s. You're best off, then, practicing at home on the same tables that you'll be playing out on. You could save a hundred bucks by buying a cheaper set of turntables, like Geminis or Numarks, but you'll eventually want to upgrade to Technics, so why not start off with them in the first place? If money really is an issue, though, or if you plan on just being a bedroom DJ, then I'd say go for the cheaper tables.

      

As for the mixer, my reasoning is that all mixers basically do the same thing. However, one thing you should look for in a mixer is separate EQs for each channel, and preferably a gain knob as well. If you're ever looking to add a 3rd turntable to your setup, you might want to look into a mixer that has three or more channels as opposed to just two.

You can get a decent beginner mixer for $300 or less. Some brands I recommend are Vestax (I started off with a Vestax PMC-17A and wore it to the ground), Rane (I now use the TTM 56) & Pioneer. Vestax mixers are reasonably priced, but Ranes & Pioneers can get kind of pricey. When playing out, I've noticed that both Rane and Pioneer mixers are pretty common.

Aside from the turntables and mixer, you'll need to get a decent pair of headphones, some turntable catridges (needles) and some speakers along with a receiver/amp to power your setup.

Shop around for gear online, you're most likely to find the best prices there. Try searching the on-line classifieds and auction sites for used Technics as well, cuz they're just as good as new ones (assuming the previous owner took proper care of them). You may even find a DJ who is getting out of the scene and is willing to part with their equipment and records for a bargain price.

Now that you've got your DJ setup, what do you do with it? Here are the basics of DJing that should help you get on your way:

A) Beat Matching

The most fundamental aspect of being a successful DJ is learning how to flawlessly mix your records from one turntable to the other. The way to do this is by a process we call "beat matching." Turntables come with a pitch control function which allows you to speed up/slow down a record's bpm (aka tempo, "Beats Per Minute") from it's original intended bpm. The pitch control is a slider which is set to zero in the middle, then goes in either direction by a certain percent. On Technics, this percent is ±8%, but on many other makes the pitch range is ±10%.

The idea behind beat matching is as follows: While one record is playing out over your speakers (the record that the audience can hear, we will call this Record A for discussion purposes), you are listening to the other record (Record B) discreetly in your headphones. Usually, you will have only one ear covered by the headphones, so that you're listening to Record B in the headphones, and Record A through the speakers.

Record A is playing at a set bpm (ie., the pitch stays in one place). Your duty is to use the pitch control on Record B's turntable to adjust B's bpm to the same bpm as Record A's, so that the kicks from A & B are playing simultaneously, at the same time and rate.

It is always necessary to "cue up" Record B and then release it on beat when beat matching. To do this, you must set the needle to the beginning of Record B and locate the first kick drum. Usually a record starts immediately with a kick, but if it doesn't, fast forward the record with your hands (by directly rotating the vinyl) until you find the first kick of the track. With your hand on the record, and the needle in place, you should be able to cue back & forth over this kick. (This will sound similar to a baby forward-backward scratch).

With Record B cued, the idea is to drop it at the same time as Record A's kick, so that the kicks of Record A & B, are initially playing simultaneously. As Record B continues to play, your job is to keep its tempo locked with A's by continually adjusting the pitch control. It helps when cueing to scratch the kick of B several times to the beat prior to release so that your hand & arm move in rhythm along with Record A.

B) Phrasing

Most "four-on-the-floor" styles of electronic music (eg., house, trance, hard dance, techno, etc) are written in phrases. (This can be related to measures in score music). One phrase consists of 32 beats. If you pay attention, you'll notice that there's almost always at least a little change in the structure of a song every 32 beats (eg, a crash cymbal, a change in the kick pattern, etc). It is imperative that you pay attention to these phrases, as they will guide you in proper mixing from one record to the next.

Let's refer back to our discussion in Section A about beat matching. Using the same Records A & B, when you are cueing up B and releasing it, you must drop B at the ONE COUNT (the first beat) of a phrase of Record A's. This way, when you mix over from A to B, the phrases of both records are in sync, making the mix sound fluent.

As an example: While listening to A, pay attention to the phrasing. As a beginner, I recommend counting along:

"1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-...etc-etc...-29-30-31-32"

Or, if you prefer (which I find to be a little easier), you can break the 32-count phrase down into four 8-count measures"

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8
2-2-3-4-5-6-7-8
3-2-3-4-5-6-7-8
4-2-3-4-5-6-7-8

While counting, you should be cueing Record B's kick along to each count. Once you get to the next phrase, release Record B at count 1, and proceed to match beats!

C) Programming

After you have the hang of beat matching & can keep track of phrases, it's time to move on to a slightly more advanced topic: programming. You can't go from a really progressive house tune into a very hard & hoover-filled nrg track... it just wouldn't sound right. Furthermore, you can't drop in a record too early so that it starts kicking in hard before the last record is even out of the main break. So programming consists of finding records that would blend well together, and then determining when the best time would be to drop the next record in.

I'll leave it up to you to decide whether 2 songs sound similar enough to mix. Usually, if you stick within a genre this is easy to do. We'll leave it at that for now... as you get better & your record collection grows, you will find creative ways to mix records together.

      

The second part of programming has to do with timing. Most songs are built in a DJ-friendly way. A general structure is as follows: Song starts minimally, then the bassline kicks in, then it gets a little busier, then the main break kicks in, then the "beef" of the track comes right after the main break, then the song begins to die out, the bassline ends, then it's minimal again.

As a general rule, I recommend trying to time your mixing so that the next record's bassline kicks in at the same moment that the old record's bassline drops out. This way you have a continual flow of energy, as it is transferred from one record to the next. Sometimes, you may find that your next bassline kicks in before the old record's bassline is over. Beware of this, because if your basslines do not harmonize this could sound funky (like, not good funky!). Conversely, don't wait too long before dropping in your next record (ie, don't wait until the first record is almost over!), because you'll find yourself mixing only the minimal elements together: the minimal ending of the last track, the minimal beginning of the next track. The listener only hears clean beats: “boom tss boom tss" - kicks & hi hats, and nothing more. I call this "dead mixing" cuz it's boring as hell. Try to avoid this at all costs or you may lose the interest of your audience!

Now continue to practice, and never stop. One of the basic rules of DJing is that you will always get better with practice, and it never ends.

It's tough getting your foot in the door. You need to work your magic if you want to get noticed. First and foremost, you should make a mixed demo CD (forget about making tapes these days, nobody wants 'em!). Record it, listen to it a few times, wait a week, listen to it again. Do you still like the mixes you did? Don't rush it, make sure you feel this recording is the absolute best you could possibly do at that very moment in time. Once you've created something that you're 100% satisfied with, make copies and give it away. Give it to friends, DJs, promoters, who ever. It's probably best to give it to your friends (especially those who know about mixing) first and ask them to review/critique it for you. Hopefully they'll think it's as pimpin' as you think it is.

Another path of action you can take is to help out promoters. Pass out flyers, help set up / take down for an event, etc. Get yourself linked into the scene that you want to become a DJ in. Hopefully, enough hard work will pay off by getting a gig at one of their future events.

And finally, perhaps the most surefire way to get yourself booked for an event is to simply throw your own party! Don't get cocky and make yourself the headliner, especially if it's going to be your first time playing out... have respect for senior DJs you've booked and give them proper recognition on the flyer, remember to treat others as you would like to be treated.

If you truly enjoy it, then with enough hard work and practice opportunities will manifest themselves. Just remember, that there are many people who want to be DJ’s, and only those with motivation, and passion for what they are doing will succeed!