DJ techniques range from simple mixing to complicated scratching and beat-juggling.
DJing has moved beyond weddings and cruise ships to become an artform in its own right. House and trance DJs such as John Digweed, Tiesto and Deadmau5 create musical journeys out of recorded tracks and perform them to sold-out arenas; hip-hop DJs such as Q-Bert, A-Trak and the Invisibl Skratch Piklz use the turntable as an instrument, manipulating vinyl records to create complicated rhythmic and musical effects. The widespread availability of affordable music technology has made beginning to DJ easier than it's ever been.
Instructions
1. Collect the music that you want to use in your DJ sets. Originally, DJs only used vinyl records; now, however, digital music formats allow you to carry thousands of tracks on your key chain. Decide whether you want to use analog or digital audio for your set: Digital audio has many advantages, but some DJs swear by the warm sound and tactility of vinyl.
2. Set up your DJ rig. If you're using vinyl, you'll need two turntables and a mixer with a crossfade. If you're using digital music, you have many more options: You could, for example, connect two CD decks to a mixer, or mix the entire DJ set using software on your computer. Specialized DJ hardware/software packages allow you to control MP3 files on your computer using a turntable.
3. Practice mixing songs together. Listen to an incoming track using your mixer's "Cue" function, then match the tempo, or speed, of the incoming track with the tempo of the playing track. If you're using turntables or CD decks, alter a track's tempo by adjusting the "Pitch" slider; digital audio software has a "Tempo," "B.P.M." or "Pitch" control that changes a track's speed. When the two tracks are playing at the same tempo and the beats are matched together, slide the crossfader across to bring in the new track.
4. Organize your music collection. As your DJing career progresses, it's likely that you'll gather hundreds or thousands of tracks. Setting up an organizational system right at the start helps you to integrate new tracks into your performances. You could, for example, sort tracks by tempo, musical key or mood; you can also group tracks into categories such as "beginning of the night songs" and "peak-time tracks."
5. Find a venue in which you can DJ. Many clubs have open DJ nights; smaller nightclubs may be willing to let beginning DJs play on off-peak nights. Record a sample DJ set onto CD-Rs and pass these demo sets out to local promoters. Set up a promotional website with a streaming DJ set; print business cards with the website's address and keep a few with you at all times.
