DJ Tutorial Archives - DJ Superjam

DJ Tutorial

March 1, 2015

From Beginners to Pro everyone is welcome in this free tutorial.

In the following Article I´ll explain the basics of Dj-ing with a step by step guide which defines all the necessary things to become a good dj. From classic to modern equipment this will cover all the things needed from needles to headphones and tips of what to do under certain situations that you might run into at a gig. It should help to develop your skills as a DJ.

Sometimes just a positive glance at the DJ booth will make me think “what song can I play to keep my dance floor jumping?”. I always keep an eye on the dance floor, especially during a transition, because the people dancing will show me what it takes to keep them on the floor. Many newer DJs keep their eyes fixed on the Serato Scratch Live program screen, instead of staying connected with their dance floor or listeners. Unfortunately, this might make them miss that important moment where the people are actually giving their input. Body language is a known nonverbal expression which speaks volumes. Being able to read a crowd is something that is learned in time. It is a necessary skill for every great DJ to learn.

When you are DJing, I think it is really important to be original and stay in the moment. Of course you have your crate (music folder) selections, but they should be used as a reference and not as a planned running order. Since every night in a club, or clubs, is different (crowd, mood, what day it is, and even the weather), it is not a good idea to rely on a fixed playlist. What may work for one crowd, may not work for another.

A common thing in a club is to have several DJs spinning in one night (DJ Line-up). It is always best to listen to what the DeeJays before you play, before you make your own selections. This is to make sure you are not repeating songs, but that you are also able to keep the hype and energy up as you spin.

When you are the warm up DJ for the night, it is your job to make the main act or special guest DJ, shine. By that I mean playing good tracks to set up the crowd and get them ready for the star act. A good warm up DJ won’t play any main bangers or at least ask the guest DJ if he plans to play a certain song in his set. That is just being respectful.

When you are the special guest DJ for the night and you notice a warm up DJ is trying to show you up, (which when it happens and is not very cool), don’t get mad and play the same songs or style. Just stay professional, you will figure out how to play something better or just as hot. I learned this at a hip hop party from Maseo, De La Soul’s DJ. The warm up DJ played all the hot new music before he played. So, Maseo said that he would take them in another direction, then he played hot hip hop classics that hyped the crowd even more!

“This is the sign of a DJ with experience.”

Radio – Active

February 27, 2015

A live radio performance is an exciting thing.
All the spontaneous ideas and energy of being on the radio live is very special and I enjoy doing them.
When doing pre-recorded mixshows, which is a common thing on radio, you have the opportunity to really get intricate on the mix in ways that are impossible doing a live mix.

I begin with a session of finding music to use in the show from
various record/Mp3 pools like digiwaxx.com, virdiko.com and franchiserecordpool.com for example. With those new songs and all the crates I have in my Serato Scratch Live I have enough to make a hot new mixshow.

When I do a pre-recorded radio show or mixtape, I like to really get deep with the mix using acapellas, changing instumentals under them and adding some of my own produced remixes and beats in the style of the 80’s legendary NYC remixer Shep Pettibone from the 98.7 KISS Mastermix series.

I remember hearing those individual remixes where he would repeat parts of the song and have breakdowns which were much hotter than the original versions. Then the sexy female voice whispering “Kiss Mastermix”. They actually released a double album compilation of the Shep Pettibone Remixes on Prelude Records.

The cool thing about a prerecorded show is you’re not limited to the amount of time you spend preparing a mixshow. I like to record each song on a different channel, that way I can make adjustments to the blends, add effects and drops at perfect locations and since I am always looking for the newest and hottest releases. I might almost be finished with a radio show and get a new track that I want to add to the mix. Since I have recorded on different trax, I can move around anything and and mix in the new songs where ever I want.

If i want to put it in the middle of the mix, let’s say, at the 15 minute point of the show, I add an instrumental of the last song and mix into it with the new song that I am adding. Then I pull the remaining 15 minutes that I moved to make room for the new banger, back to the end of the new song so the mix continues flawlessly.

I have spent up to 20 hours on a two hour pre-recorded mixshow…I figure if the Radio mix is not live, why not make it something extra special!