Forbes Article - "How Hard is DJing?"

[tokenasianguy]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/natalier...count-to-four/


I know I shouldn't care, but this article came close to infuriating me anyway.

As much as people hate to admit it, I think a lot of points in that article was spot-on.

Like the fact that learning turntablism iis much harder than learning how to mix.

DJ's always like to go on an on about how "proper" mixing and "proper track selection" are something that take years of work, but let's face it, it's no brain surgery. Not to mention "track selection" is totally subjective. Case in point, a large majority of the tracks/sets I've heard are underwhelming at best...Doesn't mean my opinion is the correct one.

Anyone can DJ. For some, it takes a few hours to learn, for some (who might have a higher learning curve), it could take years...But one thing is for sure, most people, can eventually learn to DJ.

Brain surgery on the other hand...I'm not in the field, but I can only assume it's not something anyone can do.

[haze324]

Complex music... Dubstep? Seriously? I can see the occasional value in the old school stuff but the current bro step trend is all focused on a drop and it all sounds the same. "Hmm let's make a dubstep track, now then, should it go dubwubwoop, or woopdubwub?".

Also, in my honest opinion DJing has NEVER EVER been about complex and unique routines, yes, to other DJ's, but to the audience it doesn't mean SHIT. They go to a show to hear some bomb music and a good vibe, that's your job and nothing less.
Both can easily be done with CDJ's and controllers.

Which I may add, anyone who knows how to mix on cdj's can take his cd's and mix ANYWHERE. I don't see controllers becoming the standard at all as the negatives outweigh the positives by a long shot for club owners. Quite the hassle if you have a line-up with every DJ bringing his own controller.

+1

also as long as there is still hip hop music DJ's will still want to scratch on vinyl.

[ellgieff]

Wait, did any of you read that?

The writer claimed to have the transformer "down" in 30 seconds. I don't think the writer knows what a competent transformer sounds like.

Put it this way: I can play a C-Major on the piano. Therefore, piano playing is easy, and requires no skill.

[BradCee]

Wait, did any of you read that?

The writer claimed to have the transformer "down" in 30 seconds. I don't think the writer knows what a competent transformer sounds like.

Put it this way: I can play a C-Major on the piano. Therefore, piano playing is easy, and requires no skill.

[KryticalH!T]

The creative side of DJ'ing has definitely shifted more towards "adding" more to what's going on. Instead of beatmatching, people are launching tons of loops/synths/creating live fx/etc. I think this is where DJ's are at a standstill; there are very few GOOD options for creating electronic music live (with one person). Ableton is an option but requires a hell of a lot of setup/planning for your set. I personally am really looking forward to software that allows us to do more live. I want to create loops on the fly, make a synth, and basically make a song live while transitioning into other bits. Until then, the most creative DJ's/controllerists are the ones that work together. We only have two hands after all!

[DJ Retro Blaze]

Complex music... Dubstep? Seriously? I can see the occasional value in the old school stuff but the current bro step trend is all focused on a drop and it all sounds the same. "Hmm let's make a dubstep track, now then, should it go dubwubwoop, or woopdubwub?".

Also, in my honest opinion DJing has NEVER EVER been about complex and unique routines, yes, to other DJ's, but to the audience it doesn't mean SHIT. They go to a show to hear some bomb music and a good vibe, that's your job and nothing less.
Both can easily be done with CDJ's and controllers.

Which I may add, anyone who knows how to mix on cdj's can take his cd's and mix ANYWHERE. I don't see controllers becoming the standard at all as the negatives outweigh the positives by a long shot for club owners. Quite the hassle if you have a line-up with every DJ bringing his own controller.

+2

This pretty much sums up my thoughts as well.

[djproben]

I was just annoyed because there was almost no discussion of beat matching at all. The article seems to ignore the fact that songs can, i don't know, have different tempos, etc. Even if she was learning on a program with sync, which she wasn't, i would think you would still address what you do to actually match the tracks. I know its stupid but it still annoyed me.

Pretty sure she didn't even start learning beatmatching, and that her "first professional mix" consisted of a quick fade out of one song and in to the other on the 1.

She's full of shit, frankly. Maybe she learned the baby scratch and the transform in under an hour. But she certainly didn't "master" them.

[narrah]

It's pretty obvious that controllerism is the future. DJ'ing is dead as far as I'm concerned. There is still a place for it but it's pretty much done.

You either have to put on some kind of show, or mix your own unique sounds.

You have to look at technology that makes DJ'ing easy as a good thing. Instead of seeing it as a way to make it easy for noobs, you have to see it as a way to free you up from the mundane tasks of DJ'ing so you can do more complex and unique routines.

Just like in school, a calculator takes care of the mundane arithmetic so you can concentrate on more advanced concepts.

Same with digital music, everyone complained that making music is so easy now, yet some people at the forefront used that ease to make more complex music, like dubstep.

.

I thought you were trolling, the I saw the "like dubstep" comment....then it dawned on me.....your serious.

[sobi]

Lol @ deadmau5, he so badass he can beatmatch, phrase dj and land a proffesional mix in one hour. He is saying he went from a noob to a pro in one hour. that cocky attitude like he's the best artist who ever lived may work with those blogs but frankly it doesn't mean shit to me or actual proper dj's im guessing.

If you really "understood", you'd realize the mau5e is right. What he and other producers who DJ their music isn't that hard. What he does and what people who mix sets with combination of different artists do are completely different. There isn't much skill involved in putting together a set of mostly your own stuff, and a bit less goes into it seeing how you know it inside and out.
I find it puzzling that people just can't except that while poorly constructed, Mau5e's comment on DJing was nail on the head as to what he and his peers do.

[sobi]

I was just annoyed because there was almost no discussion of beat matching at all. The article seems to ignore the fact that songs can, i don't know, have different tempos, etc. Even if she was learning on a program with sync, which she wasn't, i would think you would still address what you do to actually match the tracks. I know its stupid but it still annoyed me.

It's one of the simplest parts of DJing, and with just a little bit of practice, most people can pick it up easily. I learned in one day.