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Sujet How to figure out what style of music you will choose when becoming a professional DJ

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The question says it all.
You want to become a professional DJ,
what to choose from the start to learn ?
whats the most difficult music style to work with ?
would i need to sacrifice my self into anything even if its not what i prefer ?

Thanks :)
 

Posté Fri 04 Sep 15 @ 12:00 pm
PachNPRO InfinityMember since 2009
 

Posté Fri 04 Sep 15 @ 12:27 pm
It's really gonna depend on what type of Dj you wanna be. If your gonna do weddings or bars then you'll wanna learn how to mix all styles.

Me personally I mix whatever and consider myself an open format Dj who speaclizes in hip hop.

Just jump in and go for it
 

Posté Fri 04 Sep 15 @ 12:49 pm
I personally have my preferences (latin, house, techno..) but would really like to eventually work for those places where they mix about anything
80s, disco, 90s, 2000s 2010s, anything that grooves.
 

Posté Fri 04 Sep 15 @ 2:20 pm
Rnow3PRO InfinityMember since 2011
I would say start with the genres you like techno, latin etc., that way it will remain fun while you practice. Any electronic music is the easiest to mix. The hardest in my opinion is music with a live drummer. Start with what you know and once you get the hang of it start practice blending those songs with other genres. Whatever style you pick there will be a audience for it.
 

Posté Fri 04 Sep 15 @ 4:09 pm
The most important thing is to only play what you like most of the time IMO
 

Posté Fri 04 Sep 15 @ 4:22 pm
DJingMinds wrote :
The question says it all.
You want to become a professional DJ,
what to choose from the start to learn ?
whats the most difficult music style to work with ?
would i need to sacrifice my self into anything even if its not what i prefer ?

Thanks :)


Play whatever you want. If you can make it beat mix or blend together using timing/drops then it largely doesn't matter.

Myself I play the majority of time Rap/Hip-Hop, but I get in my moods to play stuff from the 70's, 80's, 90's, early 00's . Next year I am going to lock myself into a room in a different country away from everybody and everything. I am going to dig deep into VDJ and level up my scratching/turntable skills.

 

Posté Tue 20 Oct 15 @ 7:48 am
locodogPRO InfinityModeratorMember since 2013
DJingMinds wrote :
The question says it all.
You want to become a professional DJ,
what to choose from the start to learn ?
whats the most difficult music style to work with ?
would i need to sacrifice my self into anything even if its not what i prefer ?

Thanks :)


House is usually the start but every genre has it's mixing nuances.
Most difficult, anything with tempo shifts. I've yet to try jazz.
That's up to you, but it's good to broaden what you listen to.


 

Posté Tue 20 Oct 15 @ 5:38 pm
You said you want to become a professional DJ, well professional DJs play whatever the people want to hear, period. Let me just speak for myself. No one cares what I like, they want to hear what they like. I love what I do, but I don't do it for free. I really can't stand 90% of the music that I play, but love the money that I make doing it. A carpenter does not just build the kind of houses that he likes, he builds whatever his clients want. I'm older, and love real musicians, playing real instruments together, as one.

My taste start at classical, but no one wants to pay me to play that, except at weddings for a very short time. I love funk and disco, because that is what got me started. I can find some of this in some of the house music that I love. I'm really talking about the old house sound, not what some of you call house. There are plenty of mixes out there that give me the flavor that I need. If 20 guys in cowboy hats come into my club (has happened on several occasions), you will hear country in my mix. If they are the only ones there, you will hear country all night. A DJ is like a chef, he can't just cook vegetables, or just meat, or just starch. Even if you like broccoli, some people don't. Everyone out there wants to be fed, you have to be able to feed them what they like. If you want to play only what you like, you will be home a lot. Unfortunately, most young people think that music started in 2000, and will only get to hear what's out now. However, a lot of us have the knowledge and skill to throw in some old school gravy and spices, to keep a smile on our face.

On a side note; do me a favor and listen to the original 4 min version of Darlin' Darlin' Baby by the O'jays. Listen to the whole thing, and tell me how tight these musicians are. The orchestra behind them is MFSB. I could listen to the instrumental ending for 20 min (that's how long it took me to get the perfect loop to sample). With over a hundred couples on the floor, doing the hustle, I did it with two 45's. I love this song but can't play this much. However, I can play Special (HNNYedit) by Chesus. This keeps me and the club happy. You have to find a balance, if you want to play to a diverse crowd.
 

Posté Tue 20 Oct 15 @ 9:51 pm
Tear Em 'UpPRO InfinitySenior ModeratorMember since 2006
PachN wrote :
Start with House.


Not trying to pick on you PachN ;-) There are over 140 different genres of house alone. Also as stated, go with what feels best to you. There are no true rules other than, have fun. DJing starts as fun and gets in your blood.

 

Posté Tue 20 Oct 15 @ 11:07 pm
Hi guys!! Man, what a thread! So djing mind, ya wanna be a DJ. It's very simple, but don't expect to become successful playing what you wanna play, in the beginning. May take ya 5 years or so to build up to that. The simple part is, all you have to do, is own the crowd, whether you are doing a gig in a nursing home, or you are bouncing Avicci off 22 year olds. You have to be prepared for anything and everything, and be a wizard at reading the crowd. You have to read and interpret the crowd reaction to every song, as this will guide you during a gig. You need to research upcoming gigs, what's the age group, popular genres, what's worked well here. Visit the venue, talk candid, ask questions. Good footwork, homework and prep will give you the greatest chance for successful gigs. Build a good playlist for upcoming gigs fashioned for that venue. Practice playing through the playlist, insure each song flows well into the next. Always remember you are a nothing, the crowd is everything! But, if you are prepared, and go in and own them, that will create the stepping stones you need to get to where you want to go in your DJing career. In the beginning, whether you are playing Pitbull or Elvis Presley, it better be good, cause you're the rookie. Ya gotta walk before ya run kid, but stay with it, cause there is no better feeling, than owning a crowd!!!! Cheers!
 

Posté Wed 21 Oct 15 @ 2:14 am
A Man and His Music wrote :
You said you want to become a professional DJ, well professional DJs play whatever the people want to hear, period. Let me just speak for myself. No one cares what I like, they want to hear what they like. I love what I do, but I don't do it for free. I really can't stand 90% of the music that I play, but love the money that I make doing it. A carpenter does not just build the kind of houses that he likes, he builds whatever his clients want. I'm older, and love real musicians, playing real instruments together, as one.

My taste start at classical, but no one wants to pay me to play that, except at weddings for a very short time. I love funk and disco, because that is what got me started. I can find some of this in some of the house music that I love. I'm really talking about the old house sound, not what some of you call house. There are plenty of mixes out there that give me the flavor that I need. If 20 guys in cowboy hats come into my club (has happened on several occasions), you will hear country in my mix. If they are the only ones there, you will hear country all night. A DJ is like a chef, he can't just cook vegetables, or just meat, or just starch. Even if you like broccoli, some people don't. Everyone out there wants to be fed, you have to be able to feed them what they like. If you want to play only what you like, you will be home a lot. Unfortunately, most young people think that music started in 2000, and will only get to hear what's out now. However, a lot of us have the knowledge and skill to throw in some old school gravy and spices, to keep a smile on our face.

On a side note; do me a favor and listen to the original 4 min version of Darlin' Darlin' Baby by the O'jays. Listen to the whole thing, and tell me how tight these musicians are. The orchestra behind them is MFSB. I could listen to the instrumental ending for 20 min (that's how long it took me to get the perfect loop to sample). With over a hundred couples on the floor, doing the hustle, I did it with two 45's. I love this song but can't play this much. However, I can play Special (HNNYedit) by Chesus. This keeps me and the club happy. You have to find a balance, if you want to play to a diverse crowd.


You mean to be a middle class DJ; you play a series of events and special occasions where they hire you to play what they want to hear. You happen to like the money more than what your playing.

I can't stand playing what I don't want to hear. So I never got too deep into doing Weddings which is the cash cow of any working DJ.

That said, there are tons of DJ's who play what THEY want and the crowd responds or doesn't. You can find a crowd that wants to hear what your playing, this is no different than being the creator of the music.

The task is finding the crowd. In my research/experience this is things like summer music festivals. Also adding production to your skill set also means you might get a chance to play in front of receptive crowd.

This is how many of the guys that compete in Red Bull make their living. Occasionally they will do what is required and do weddings/special events but in those cases they do make it worth their while by charging an outrageous amount that some people will pay. They mostly make money touring. Now for many of you that's no longer possible because you have young children or something. But for somebody in my position (older, no kids, never married) and those under 25-30 this is a real option.

That said anybody just starting out is a long way from that point.

I started in 1986


 

Posté Mon 26 Oct 15 @ 9:35 am
mrgrumpy1 wrote :
Always remember you are a nothing, the crowd is everything! But, if you are prepared, and go in and own them, that will create the stepping stones you need to get to where you want to go in your DJing career.


Remember this line. Not in a negative way but don't be cocky and think your #1. It's a great feeling to have a night go well. I think I just had my best night on Saturday here and I'm still pumped about it. However when your starting out in public you will run into empty dance floors and it can get to you mentally. This is part of crawling before you can walk. I'd say I'm ALMOST walking every show but I still have to crawl here and there.

I've been working almost every Saturday (some Fridays & Sundays) non stop for 2 years and for the most part I usually do weddings. We do get into Christmas party season and other odds and ends when every they come up. At times I am on the inside looking out at wanting to DJ a club at least once. As soon as I get my butt in gear I'll get that chance because a bar in town does an open format DJ USB Jam's every Sunday now. I was there last night paying attention to how they switch DJ's and trying to listen & learn. So if you run across this in your area, get the courage up and go do it, Hold a house party or offer to DJ at a friends party. Doing it for free to get your own personal experience is one thing, but if you want to become a working DJ you will need to start charging money regardless of who it is. Don't fall for any sob stories either.

One thing to keep in mind: Not everything has to be beat matched. It's easy enough, for the most part, to beat match anything with an electronic drum beat in 4/4 time (Top 40, Electro, Techno, ect..) and you can match the beats by hand with the cross fader, or use sync, whatever helps you practice. Start looking at ways to make transitions as well. You can talk over a change going from 2k to 80's/Funk/Disco/50's - "Goin' out on request", you can just slam it in with the right timing, beat match in key from 140 to 70 BPM (or vise versa), use filters, spin backs, ...Lots of ways. Practice the hell out of it every chance you get because you will only be as good as what you put into it. Just make sure your having fun doing it and even if you don't like a certain song, use it as a challenge to find what works well with it and test your music knowledge. A whole lot is said and learnt when you go out and do it.

One simple phrase you have probably read or heard already just fits so well..
Practice & Enjoy.

Brendan
 

Posté Mon 26 Oct 15 @ 8:59 pm
DJfourmoney, you obviously did not understand my post, if you saw middleclass DJ in there somewhere. Or maybe that is just your definition. Tiesto plays exactly what those thousands of people want to hear. For all we know, he may love country music when he's home. Some of the people in that crowd may also like some country music, but he's not playing any. I'm giving advice to someone trying to break into this field. You can love what you do, but starve to death doing it. I was a DJ before I was a Bio-Chemist. I was able to buy a salon, from the money I made being a DJ. There is a reason I'm still doing this, after all these years, I'm great at what I do. What I do is make people dance. If that is what this guy wants to do, then he will not be able to just play what he wants in the beginning. He may love dubstep. I don't really know what the demand is for a dubstep DJ, or if he can quit his job right now, and make a living doing it.

Tonight will be my fifth night in a row playing, four in a club, and a Halloween party in a home Saturday. The guy is an award winning sound engineer/mixer/editor. He's even won an Emmy for his TV work, but has other awards for movies, and groups. All I had to bring was my controller and computer. His basement has a theater, bar, and equipped with powered sub and speakers. I connected wirelessly through an Alto unit, he had a full light show including a smoke machine. I used his projector and two other flat panels. I played some of todays hits, but a lot of real music from the 80's, which I love. Stayed an extra hour, which should tell you how things went. So, I did not just play what I like, but what keeps the dance floor packed. I assure you, this was not middleclass, and is quite typical of the parties that I do. If you are able to make a living playing what you like, that is great. I do not think that advice will help this guy, who is just starting out. Gotta go, I start at 7.
 

Posté Mon 26 Oct 15 @ 9:55 pm
Never cut out the music YOU LIKE. You don't just want to be a dj, you want to be a unique dj and your influences play a part in that.
 

Posté Mon 07 Dec 15 @ 3:24 pm


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