Beginner dj needs help with beatmatching

[startupdj]

Hey guys, I a newbie but know certain basics like how to calculate bpm, how to use the pitch bend to align track when it's going off and how to use the pitch fader to get the same speed of both tracks, I can beatmatch 2 songs with same or close bpm's and if they have the same strong beats, what I am mainly having trouble with is knowing sometimes which beat is the downbeat or first beat in a song so sometimes I may match up a snare with the kickbass and with some songs I notice that I may catch the correct timing with both kicks but it occurs only for a split second or so but what is frustrating is that these 2 songs have the same exact speed and tempo so I don't understand why they are difficult to beatmatch? 2 songs for example are Shannon's "let the music play" and "My heart's divided".

I am trying to use the waveforms in Virtual DJ for those 2 tunes and still can't get it right, I have tried looking at videos of beat structure and bars and all that but doesn't help with these 2 tracks, any ideas please?

[Gryz]

You are on the right track, but to make life easier, you don't always have to match the song you are trying to beatmatch from the beginning of the song....you can skip through a little and find a section where the beat is strong.

Just make sure your cue button is on and volume is down....made that mistake more times than I care to remember.

[startupdj]

Agreed but what I like to do, if you notice, a lot of 70's music have soft intros or acapellas before the first beat kicks in, I have heard a few DJ's who while one song is playing, start the 2nd song from it's start and when that song's first beat hits, it hits exactly on the beat of the existing song, that is my ultimate aim, that is what I want to learn, Mixmeister software does this with perfection [depending on the 2 songs of course].

Before I can do that I think I need to first master taking any 2 songs with same bpm's and speed matchup and be able to beatmatch them by lining up the "correct" beat of the incoming song, as mentioned that is my immediate problem.

[Gryz]

Well, I might not quite understand, but from what I get from your problem, it can still be solved by what I had said.

If you skip foward in the song and beatmatch it there, you can then return to the beginning of that song and begin mixing it in. If the song is correctly beatmatched, it will indeed fall on the beat of the other track.

It would be quite difficult to beatmatch a song without much of a drum line, so that is why I suggest moving foward a little, and then when you are ready to bring it in, go back to the beginning (where there is no kicks or snares) and mix it in. It should still be beat if you have matched correctly.