How Do I Mix Music Without Knowing the Beats Per Minute?

To be honest there is no real way of knowing how to mix songs without at least having a sense of how fast the song plays. You might not know the exact BPM, but after trying to mix some different songs together and actually calculating the BPM of at least a handful of records then you don't have a reference point.

You need to at least calculate the BPM of some records in order to have a reference point so you know when you hear a record play you can estimate the BPM of it.

This really comes with knowing your records and the only way to know your records is to play them. If you don't take the time to get to know your records then there is no point in DJing.

What do I mean when I say "know your records"?

When you know your records I mean you know the song and can repeat it. When you know your records you also know the following:

1. The name of the record label

2. The artists

3. The producer of the song

4. The way the song begins

5. The way the song ends

6. How fast or slow the song plays

7. If the song is one that gets people to dance

8. If the song has breaks in it or the point where only the drums play.

9. If the song is only a quick transition song or if the song can be played for an extended period of time without getting boring.

10. Does the song offer the opportunity to scratch over it?

11. Does the song offer the opportunity to make a great mix?

This is what getting to know your records means. By definition a DJ is supposed to know the first three items on the list down pat.

1. The name of the record label

2. The artists

3. The producer of the song

People will want to know the names of the songs, who the artists are and sometime the record label.

You will find that when you play records people will come up to you and ask you. "What is the name of that song?" Your answer should roll off your tongue.

When you get to the point of knowing your records you will inherently have an idea of the BPM in order to mix just about any song you want. This, however, does not happen overnight and it will take some time.

I find that the best DJ's naturally have a sense of time and rhythm and can almost instantly pick up any record and mix it after they've listened to the first few bars of the song.

Fortunately for you this can be taught by simply listening to a song and clapping your hands to the beat.

This may sound basic but understanding this simple concept and applying it to other songs you will find that you start bobbing your head and then bouncing your whole body to the beat of a song.

Unfortunately from my experience even the most enthusiastic music lovers don't necessarily have a sense of rhythm and if this is the case with you don't despair. Read the earlier section on calculating BPM's for a better understanding.

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DJing Class Reunions Confidently and Effectively

How frustrating is it to DJ a class reunion? These events are probably the most annoying parties to DJ due to the ego's of the guests attending trying to look and sound "cool" to classmates who thought they were "cool in school". This is an informative article offering tips of effective music programming techniques and perfect responses to annoying guests. By the end of this article you should be confident and excited to DJ class reunions.

The Ego's of the party really depends on how old the crowd is. The older the crowd, generally, the more tame a crowd you'll have. The younger the crowd, prepare yourself for a night of bad requests, people telling you how to do your job and what to play, a few insults, and possibly the longest night of your life!

This article will teach you about choosing appropriate music, ways to format your music program, and what to say when guests come up to you when guests have requests and what to say to those guests who try telling you how to do your job. If you take this advice, you'll actually have a TON of fun DJing Class Reunions. Learn to Stay Cool and have fun because You have Total Control!

Hour 1: Choosing Music

What Year did they Graduate: Look up on the internet "Top Songs" from the year they graduated. Like, "Top Songs from 1994" if the class graduated in 1994. Make sure you put together a bunch of songs from that year and a few top songs from "around" that time period. EX. From 1993 and 1995. For about the first hour you want to play this type of music.

Hour 2: Play Some Current up-beat top 40 rock stuff

Hour 3: Open up the dance floor with Current Beat Music (Current Hip-Hop and some Current Rock Beat Music)

Hour 4: Play a few slow love songs for the couples to dance to and then open up the dance floor again with some really good dance music (try different sets and see how the crowd responds: Older hip-hop, Motown, Classic Rock Dance Set, Spanish music if the crowd may like Spanish (if the crowd looks like they like it keep going with it, if they look like they are getting bored, change up the set.)

End the night by asking the host what song their class song was. Play That and your night musically should have been a great success.

What do you Say When Guests request songs? "I've already played that" or "I'll work that in later on"

What do you say when a guest tells you what music you should be playing? You can say politely, "Thanks for the suggestion, but let me be the DJ and go enjoy yourself with your friends, we'll get to your stuff later" (smile)

When guests really, really want a song and they are pushy but not rude, they say things, like; "Come on if you play (This Song) everyone will dance to it." (people hardly ever do). Say ok. Play their song and announce that this person requested (THAT SONG) and said everyone would dance to it. People will then be hesitant to request songs, leaving you in control of the party.

What do you do when a guest gets belligerent about requests? With a smile say: "Would you like to DJ?" Show them your mixing board, and say, "ok have fun". Then walk away leaving them behind your booth, watch how fast they panic.

This is your party, your music, and you will never see these people again, so be super confident in your choices and decisions. Always be as polite as possible and never get angry (this shows that you are losing control). If people ever get super angry at you and may pose a danger, shut your equipment off, pack up, and leave. It's not worth you getting emotionally destroyed or hurt. Stay Cool and Calm because you really are a great DJ!

http://www.mixesthatwork.com is a site made for DJ's by DJ's. I am an entrepreneur and I am always seeking ways to make things better and run more efficiently. MixesThatWork.com is a site that is about to revolutionize the industry with instantly connecting DJ's to each other never leaving DJ's without a great mixes and programming.

10 Tips to DJing With Ableton Live

Ableton Live is a great program for music producers and djs alike. It offers great tools for creating music in the moment or doing more linear recordings. I'm going to walk you through how to make smooth dj mix transitions with live the way I do it. I've put one three channel eq on each track and set it up so that the numbers on my computer keyboard control the bass frequency kills on each one. I also open all the tracks I want to use in advance and set the warp markers for each song so that I know when I start it that it will be perfectly beatmatched. Keep in mind you have unlimited routing possibilities that allow you to control many perimeters in Live with Midi controllers or your computer's keyboard.

1. Get your bass kills setup using EQ Three on each track (I use the numbers on my keyboard as controllers) To do this activate the Key button on the top right then select the L on the EQ for low end and press the key you would like to set as the controller. If you are using a midi controller then select Midi on the top right instead of Key.

2. Make sure the 1 marker lines up with beat 1 in the track, and the tempo has to be correct or else you'll have to add markers throughout the track manually. If you know the tempo is consistent throughout the track but the tempo is not set correctly then line up the one marker on beat 1 and then go to beat 8 or so and line that one up without double clicking to the corresponding beat. This should change the tempo automatically to match.

3. Press play on track 1

4. Let it get into a groove and eventually bring in track 2 with the bass killed

5. When you want swap the basses out so the track 1 bass is cut and track 2 is bumpin'

6. Fade or cut out track 1 volume

7. Bump it

8. It's all about timing

9. You can press start on track 2 within four beats before the 1st beat you want to start on and live will automatically start on beat

10. Keep the beats bangin' when people are dancing (many people don't like it when a groove goes into some long break right when they were feelin' it.)

If you have any questions of how to do any of this stuff then feel free to contact me through my website and I will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

This article was written by Jacob Louis A.K.A. DJ Story.

Check out Jacob's website: http://www.intuitivebeats.com

Great Beginner Hints on the Way to DJ Mixing - Improving Your Skills

As a novice in the world of DJing, you may well be on the prowl for some insights and principles on the way to help your skills as a DJ and pick up the way to mix music properly.

First off, you must don't forget that as a DJ, your job is to preserve a steady and smooth flow of energy and rhythm on the dance floor. You have to possess your audience dancing and keep them like that during the party but you in addition need to please the crowd too. So, here are some of the easier principles of DJ mixing, which will allow you to entertain the crowd and keep them on the dance floor.

Firstly, you ought to not overlook that beat mixing is one of the most tough things to attend to when you are studying how to mix. Nevertheless, thanks to long intros and long outros, beat mixing is now a lot simpler to do. This implies that as a newcomer, you should have an improved gamble of studying the way to DJ mix faster than before.

It's really not that challenging to find the ideal mix out of a dance track. This is because the breakdown in the record is obvious. The technique here is that you should be aware how to count. By counting, you will have a clearer picture on where you should place your mix.

Listen carefully to the song being played on the dance floor and by counting you will be able to cue the song that you mean on playing next. By employing your headphones, you can mix the beat of the next tune with the music that you are these days playing. Your main aim here is to commence the second song on its first beat when the current song that is playing through the speakers is heading towards the outro section.

Beat mixing is a precise skill that you need to master as a DJ. You ought to know where you are planning to beat match the tunes you are playing and your hand will also need to stick to the pitch of the tune that you are intending to introduce to the bunch. Plus you will require to match the drum beats of each song at the same time.

Together with that, you will would like to accelerate or retard the tune you are working on to introduce, which can be carried out by adjusting the pitch on the mixer.

DJ mixing is a skill that you ought to practice regularly as a DJ. By mastering the ability to beat mixing, you will be in a position to perform a smooth changeover from one track to some other to really keep the music flowing and keep the crowd happy.

Recollect these points and you will be in a position to keep the party going all night and avoid every DJ's nightmare... an empty dance floor!

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Sound System Rental - Exciting Sound Enhancements You Could Use In A Dance Party Setting

When you are putting together a dance party and are compelled for one reason or another to use sound system rental, there are several options that you can add to your rental that can significantly enhance the overall experience of the participants and can make your dance party an even greater success.

What makes a dance party memorable should have the components of unexpected, participatory, and emotional. The unexpected sound enhancements will catch the audience's attention. Audience's participation makes the event much more memorable, and, depending on what happens, also quite emotional.

When picking music system rentals, especially speaker rentals, it will behoove you to know what options you will have to choose from.

We will first go over the must-have sound components for a dance party, and then mention the possible optional extensions which enhance the unexpected components, participatory components, and emotional components of your audio visual equipment rental.

Must-have components of a sound system rental

These are the bare minimum components of a portable sound system for a good sound experience when throwing a dance party:

A pair of powered heavy duty speakers with the 800 Watt to 1500 Watt maximal power load. The speakers must come with high enough speaker stands for maximum sound clarity and range.
A minimum of four-channel mixer to allow mixing of iPod, turntable, CD, and microphone sounds. You want to avoid long pauses between songs, and want to be ready to bring on the music that will get people back to the dance floor.
The sound sources of choice, the iPod or an MP3 player, one or more CD players, and at least one microphone.

Sound enhancements to your DJ rental equipment to spice up your dance party

This is the additional audio video, AV rental equipment that, when used in moderation, can significantly enhance the sound itself, and make for a more memorable dance experience:

DJ machines, including DJ turntables, DJ CD turntables, and DJ MP3 turntables. Depending on your DJing skills, these could add significantly to the experience for dance parties. At a bare minimum, experience with mixing the music inputs will be very valuable.
Karaoke machines, could be valuable for certain parties
A multi channel mixer with digital effects, such as vocal reverb can add a new dimension and can enhance singers sound, when used sparingly.
One or two additional, wired or wireless microphones
A fog machine with sufficient fog supply. Works best in a dark, environment with a light show.
Tekno bubbles, a blacklight sensitive UV bubbles, they glow in the dark when shone on by the black light.

If you implement just a few of these additional sound enhancements in your dance party, you will likely find that people will come back to you after the event and thank you for a job well done. Your enhanced AV rental equipment will be well worth the money spent.

For additional info on speaker rental enhancements, you can check out DJ equipment rental.

DJ Cheriana Gets Back to Her Roots!

Music has always been a part of Cheriana's family, having a Jamaican mother, whose family exposed her to Reggae, Ska, Funk, Soul, Disco and Hip Hop at an early age. Songs were the focus in the house so she caught the fever. This expanded into Rock, House and Dance (Really, just about anything that was good!) leading to her study and perform Acting, African Dancing and Singing, and finally to DJing as an inevitable step.

Finally, Cheriana got a break to start DJing at well-known KANE on Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles. "Kane was one part 60's Vegas Rat Pack, one part 70's Super Fly cool. We had a female, Cleopatra Jones-type DJ playing nothing but funk, flanked by two dancers in bra and panties doing jazzy go-go." Says Ivan Kane. The intimate venue, a kind of sweaty house of soul, drew an A-list crowd of celebrities lined up around the block.

After a while, she left for an opportunity to go to Senegal, West Africa and dance Sabar and study polyrhythm. Upon returning to Los Angeles, she brought back some African vibes with live drummers on her House music sets.

She was frequently warm up DJ at the Legendary Mandalay Restaurant/Lounge where the likes of Madonna, Dr Dre, Mariah Carey, Giselle, Pharrel and Salma Hayek etc. used to attend.

In between, were a few years of overseas gig's singing with bands, always staying connected to the music. Her work includes Toronto-based fashion events as well as producing the first ever music concert, on 2 stages, for the 175th Anniversary of the University of Toronto.

After residence at the new CityMaxx Lounge, she has left Dubai to be the resident DJ at the newly opened Grand Millennium in Abu Dhabi. By bringing a soulful mix of Chill Lounge, 80's Electro, Deep and Minimal House to Relexions Lounge, her party will be unlike anything in Abu Dhabi.

She is currently singing and co-producing tracks for an independent label. " When I DJ or just walk down the street, I am always hearing some other beat or lyric in my head. There is so much inspiration around!"

DJ CHERIANA believes that all the artistic ways she has expressed herself in the past allow her to connect to the music on so many levels. "When I hear a proper tune, I get so excited and overwhelmed. There are so many things I want to do to connect to it!"

Written By Becky Gaines

BECKY GAINES

The Art of Digital DJing

Thanks to recent advancements in the technology department, state of the art DJ gears and instruments are now available to most of us. The fact that you can actually play live sets at local venue using only your laptop and compatible DJ equipment is changing the entire DJ scene completely. A lot of new DJs are invading the market with their unique yet tasteful styles and new producers are producing tracks on a daily basis.

Digital DJing -- how most people call the trend -- is getting more and more popular thanks to available DJ sets and DnB sets as well. With more than enough inspirational boost downloadable at sites specializing in dance music, understanding different genres and finding the right materials or elements can be done swiftly and easily. All you need is enough storage space and an internet connection; sets and mixes can be downloaded to your laptop in no time.

Don't think that with so much tools to help you can actually create tunes and formulate sets easily; this is definitely not the case, especially if you are serious with a career as professional DJ and you care about quality more than anything. Studying proper theories and practices of old-school DJs can help you blend tracks and tunes in a better manner, producing generally more pleasant sets or mixes for your die-hard listeners.

Learn how to play with real DJ equipments as well should you want to play at live gigs. You need to be able to cope with track changing and elements adding to bring your set to life. The audience will never enjoy a monotone, often predefined, sets; you need to watch how your listeners react to different elements and fine tune your set accordingly throughout the play.

All in all, digital DJing can help you master different techniques faster although proper care and approach are still necessary. Make sure you appreciate the development as tools or ways to improve your skills -- not as means to reduce the amount of efforts you need to put into the study -- and you can be the future digital DJ real quick.

Beatplexity is an Internet database of thousands of DJ sets. With over 3000 DNB sets and many other genres including jungle, dubstep, house, ambient, funk, dance and more. The site has a community who are happy to upload mixes and allow them to be downloaded for free and most importantly love music.