@docfish i know where your coming from man people learn differently. i’ve had lessons and the instructors that stand behind me and told me what needed to be fix as i mixed, and i’ve sat with another instructor we picked 6 songs and he did a simple mix and i replicated it and he explained the steps as i was replicating it. i learn better the second way. i guess it comes down to being able to hear and know what my mix is suppose to sound like before i make it. but if you try to replicate a very complicated mix… well thats for later on haha
I kinda of have to agree about it being a bizarre question. Maybe its just me, but I feel like in this day and age everyone wants exact clear cut instructions on how to do something. Djing is about feeling the music and being creative and that is something that can’t be taught. You can practice mixing techniques, chaining different effects, beatmatching etc. but it all means nothing if you don’t actually put it to use and do it yourself and figure out what works and what doesn’t with your tracks. You compared it to flying model airplanes. There is a clearcut way to do a certain manuever and a clearcut way to string along mauevers in a sequence. In DJing there is no clearcut way. I can mix the same 2 songs 100 different times and never do it the same way twice. I may have “my way” and someone else has “their way” and neither is right or wrong.
The best way to practice is to start a track with no plan in sight and mix, picking different tracks on the fly and try different things, just experiment and record yourself, then go back and listen to it. As for there being a track list to practice with, it doesn’t matter, beacuse you can practice with any tracks, its about what you hear and what moves you.
Song selection is subjective and relevant to the crowd in the building at that time, or the audience the DJ is playing too. You’re not going to learn much from copying another DJ’s set list… Maybe you’ll learn to mix in key, or when to drop tunes, but that’s not song selection. Nor reading a crowd.
You’ll learn more by playing out and emptying a dance floor.
The request was specifically for learning/practicing these techniques, not song selection. Each has its importance and value.
Yeah, see here you are wrong, and in those circles would not have been called bizare - you can string manuvers into countless sequences, many of which are perfectly legit and will look/score well - but each pilot has his own little bit of art to make it look better/harder/cooler/whatever. JUST like in DJing…
You should probably read a thread, or at least the OP, before posting an answer - this thread was specifically about practicing DJing techniques, not looking for precanned setlists to play out. I wouldnt have even considered using the “practice sets” I was asking about in my own recorded or live mixes, I specifically stated PRACTICE TOOLS.
yes exactly.. as has been said here several times, music selection is a key part of the process, and cant be taught through examples. however, how to transition, including controllerisim elements, etc, can be learned and practiced - if you have some preselected tunes that have worked well for these exercises, then it makes it a little easier to exercise those muscles specifically, knowing that the selection provided a good match, and hopefully an example to reach for in the practice. Once you attain the level that you can duplicate what was done by another, you can then try to personalize it.. THEN use that built skill against your OWN playlist and build your own completely unique set.
seriously? exercise those muscles? If this is your approach to DJing, then I think you should take up a different hobby because you clearly don’t get it and you certainly can’t feel the music…
Here is a set I tampered with for a while. There is a lot of improvement to go along with it even switching out for better songs isn’t a bad idea. But the songs all match in key pretty well from song to song, if you were to reorder it you may have some mismatches. But you can look all over Mixcloud and people have the tracks time stamped in the song which makes it even easier. Hope this helps.
I tried to embed it but aparently I fail at it so here is the link:
um actually when you get good at djing all the movements and adjustments are second nature… and it does have to with muscle memory… your brain processes the adjustment so fast that it can’t tell your muscles to react fast enough so muscle memory solves that. it like flips a switch and everything is automated vs flipping like 9 switches 1 by 1 to do the same thing. Ask any good Turntablist it’s all about muscle memory Practice and Enjoy
Thats not what muscle memory is. In fact thats impossible. Training and practice is to train your brain to react to something making it 2nd nature. Your brain will process faster because it used to the action you practiced. Its all mental. To suggest that your muscle somehow develops a memory by doing something over and over again and will process before your brain is rediculous. Its like saying a 30 yo wouldn’t be paralyzed from the waist down from a spinal chord injury because his legs spent 30 years walking and developed a memory and doesn’t need the brain for the motion of walking.
Muscle memory refers to the building up of a muscle to the point where the muscle won’t grow any bigger thus developing a kind of “memory”. If you lift a 30lb weight every day, doing 10 reps, the first day it may be hard, each day it will get easier and easier because your muscle will build up. Eventually your muscle is used to that 30lb weight and plateaus developing a memory and won’t get any bigger so you have to move to a bigger weight. Ther are several new types of workouts, p90X, Insanity, etc. that use muscle memory to build up quickly because these workouts are designed so your muscles never develop a memory by switching up the workout to use those muscles differently enabling a person to go from flab to insanely ripped in 90 days. That is what muscle memory is.
first..stop mixing shit in key…you are limiting yourself before you even start…
what DJs do you like? what sets have you heard that you like?
When i was a baby house DJ i would find DJ sets i liked…buy a couple of the records and try to do what they did…no harm in that, track selection comes later…learn the HOW first…
Actually, it is exactly what the term “Muscle Memory” was first used to describe - not a literal memory in the muscles, but rather specific brain pathways and memorized nuron firing patterns built over many repetitions of the same action.
(first two google hits)
Sure, there are google hits for this too - the third hit is one - but of course that is because it is an overused and completely unscientific advertising gimick used by hucksters selling exercise videos. Worse than that, your description dosnt even match what that advertising hype claims (of course at some point you have to lift more than 30 lbs for more strength increase - it only takes so much strength to lift 30 lbs..)
The phenomenon of Muscle Memory is key to improvement of ANY physical activity, and is exactly why practice is so important.
I am not mixing in key.. still learning the whole gig at all, and was just looking to get some tools for developing the technical chops, and mostly for Sample Flip/Performance/Production use - perhaps for some djing too, but as I mentioned in an earlier post, that is one side of the spectrum and I was coming from the other.
As for DJs I like, I am actually interested in the “controllerist” types - Ean Golden, Moldover, Mad Zach
Here is a great example of ALMOST what I was thinking - and of course, combined with Ean’s other tutorials, makes up exactly a great techichal workout..
Have a look at ellaskins channel on youtube. There is a lot of gear review, and stuff that isn’t really Dj-ing technique, but there is lots of that too. It will give you an idea of the basics of mixing, and some tricks and tips. Be warned though, there are over 3000 videos, so will take a bit of filtering.
Then just practice the techniques. He usually lists tracks used in his demonstrations, so you can practice on the specific tracks he uses too.
There is no substitution for practice, so its a case of putting the hours in.
Then you can start to build a collection of tunes you like, and transfer your skills to mixing them. As others have suggested, have a look on mixcloud to see what others are doing. Try to find the accounts of people whos work you like, and listen closely to what they are doing. If they have youtube channels, even better. Its good too actually see what they are doing, to try to understand. Of course, things like cue points and hot cues will all be personally developed, so you will have to work on figuring out where best to set a track up for what you want to achieve.
Good luck. It should be much easier now to learn all this stuff than when I started out due to the likes of youtube and mixcloud, and the interweb in general.
damn your are very educated man!!! i wasn’t even gonna waste the effort to argue with that guy lol… I play classical violin and woodwinds in the philharmonic and have had the privilege of sitting in with some amazing turntablist when i’m not djing… trust it’s all about muscle memory
Paralyzed muscle memory? wtf are you smoking bro… p90x? insanity? your from Jersey right? this is a dj forum stop taking steroids and hanging out with Pauly D and mix more… btw i love your mix… you know the one with taylor swift as the opening banger
op - I think you are more interested in the controllerist side rather than traditional long mix style dj’ing, correct?
These sets are hard to find on sites like mixcloud / soundcloud.
tbh I don’t see that many on here either, which is weird - your best bet is youtube.
pm some of the people who’s sets you like saying you admire their style and are starting to learn yourself and could they share the tracklist so you can practice.
Also djtt has run a few comps in the past - look through the main blog and you’ll find a few vids to check out.
sorry your right Nicky H… @docfish here man this is my old set. It has diffrent bpm and diffrent genres and diffrent keys can’t wait to hear what you can do with it. good luck Practice and enjoy. btw on a personal note i think your off to a great start to being a Dj attitude and class is the most important aspect. I’m still working on being more proactive instead of reactive.
Timmy Trumpet & Chardy - Sassafras (Original Mix)
Faggot Fairys - Samo Ti (AC Slater Remix)
J-Trick & Apocalypto Feat. Treyy G - Redikulous (Original Mix)
Albin Myers - Hells Bells (Original Mix)
Dubsidia - Kill Humans (Dirtyloud Remix)
Bingo Players - L’Amour (Original Mix)
Erol Alkan & Boys Noize - Lemonade (original Mix)
Alex Sayz - Acid Kills (Original Mix)
Nari & Milani - Kendo (Original Mix)
Basto - I Rave You (Original Mix)
Steve Aoki - Tornado (Original Mix)
Martin Solveig - The Night Out (A-Track Remix)
Kaskade & Skrillex - Lick It (Original Mix)
Revolvr Feat. Sue Cho - Make Me Want More (Original Mix)
If you’re going to call me out at least have something online yourself or are you to scared to be heard? I couldn’t give a rats ass what any bedroom DJ that has nothing to show and never played a gig beyond the 4 walls of their bedroom thinks of my choice of genre or my mix. Anytime you want to go head to head with a mix, you can send me a track list and we can do that.
Practice and Enjoy