Becoming a better DJ - improving one's skills.

[Kwal]

Damn, I feel like I do a lot less than most of you when it comes to throwing a mix together lol. After playing tracks once or twice in practice sessions, I get a good idea of what will work with what. When I buy new tracks, I just mix with those for about an hour and once it comes down to recording a mix I just wing it. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. All of this just seems unnecessary to me, but there is no correct way to dj and mix so whatever helps you flow best just roll with it, your little checklist in the first post looks fine to me.

[Stewe]

I'd add a mapping techniques as for a digital DJs.

[DJ MAX]

Hi there, here is my opinion, if you are good at mixing you can make What i Called "Magic Mixing" magic mixing is when you surprise the crowd by mixing tunes without they noticing the transitions, properly done the girls would scream and everybody goes crazy, but if you don't have that skills your can entertain your crowd by getting a good selection of tunes, by not going too obscure, play at least 5 songs in the same genera before changing, surprise the crowd with some club banger that they don't expect.. look at the big picture...
Make fun, make it entertaining... enjoy the music you playing ...

[DJKaseOne]

I would also like to add that often people can get stuck in these ridgid mixes and ideas in the digital djn world. its often very productive to freestyle practice and just experiment and improv everything, mix different tracks, and try random transition techniques.

It will make you more versatile and help you have more unique and creative mixes.

[DJSigma]

I would also like to add that often people can get stuck in these ridgid mixes and ideas in the digital djn world. its often very productive to freestyle practice and just experiment and improv everything, mix different tracks, and try random transition techniques.

It will make you more versatile and help you have more unique and creative mixes.

I agree with this 100%.

[amadeus]

Don't overthink too much, yeah go ahead and organise your tunes, tag them do whatever, but don't get yourself stuck in creating sets for hours on end, is this productive, maybe? it's a rather limiting way of doing things.

The most valuable thing you can do is learn your tunes, listen to them, you'll then know what goes with what.