Learning to DJ
Saturday 31st May
The day when I first got to understand what a DJ does. I don’t go to clubs, but love the dance sets at festivals, and part of me has a dream about learning to DJ, but I'm 50, isn’t this too old to take this up – isn’t this what people start learning at 14?
I talk to my career coaching clients about their passions, to help me to understand more about them and how we can integrate this into their career and life – too many people had passions but they have let them go.
At Wychwood festival we noticed there was a DJ workshop – I wanted to go but everyone was so young but if I didn’t go in I'd regret it!
It was really interesting to see the set up, to watch him beat mix and put a loop together. We all got a chance to have a go, but it was just a taster. It got me thinking though …
He was using the industry standard – Pioneer 1000s and a pioneer mixer, but this was way beyond what I wanted to pay. I think it was £750 per deck so I'd have been up to £2000 without the speakers.
That evening I was on line to look at my options –you could get an all in one set up from Argos for £170 but clearly that wasn’t going to be good enough. I then found a set up for about £500, but would this be ok?
The next week I spent a lot of time on line – reading reviews, looking at options and a mid range solution seemed the best bet, and I could always trade up in the future.
I decided on Pioneer CDJ400 decks and a Numark DXM06 mixer, and decided to buy them from a localish company so I could go and visit. 5.30pm I was on the phone to Chemical Records and had ordered decks, mixer and head phones and decided to go to the store on the Saturday to choose speakers.
Friday 6th June
The equipment came this morning, and I had a quick peak during the day, and put it all together late afternoon. Working out which cable goes where was quite complicated but I got it all connected and could hear a CD through the head phones so enough for one day.
Saturday 7th June
We drove to Bristol and found Chemical Records – I'd expected to see a lot of equipment on sale, but the shop was mainly laid out for records, talked to the staff and decided on some speakers – I wanted them powerful enough that they would be able to be used in our garden when we have parties.
That afternoon I connected the speakers so we got to hear the music, but I still wasn’t clear how to use the equipment – I know I had the manual but I do find these difficult to understand. I'd picked up a leaflet for DJ Academy http://www.djacademy.org.uk/ and thought that probably the best way to learn was to have some lessons.
Monday 9th June
I called and arranged 2 days of one to one training, I could have signed up for a course, but thought the one to one tuition would be best, that means it is focused on what I want to learn – I've got days booked for Monday 30th June and Thursday 3rd July.
Sunday 23rd June
Looking back over the past 3 weeks I really haven’t done much –apart from to learn about the mixer controls, I have not attempted to beat match, don’t really understand what I'm meant to do and thought it best to wait for the course.
I have looked at clips on youtube, seeing how people mix etc but it is not really sinking in.
What I have been doing is listening to my music and picking out the tracks I like, a really eclectic mix – and putting them through mixed in key this means that you don’t get key clashes when you move from track to track. I've so many tracks I love – from Johnny Cash, Transglobal Underground, The Ting Tings and Klaxons – guess I'm really an Indie girl, some dance music amongst the lot – Underworld, Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx.
I'm a bit nervous for the course – what will they think of a middle aged woman as an absolute beginner. Also, I have to take music with me.
To set the scene I watched the Faking It TV programme where they took a Cellist and turned her into a DJ in 4 weeks. Well in two days I'll not make that transition, but it was nice to see what she was like in the beginning and in the end.
Monday 30th June
I was a bit nervous, but also excited, I took along a selection of CDs, as requested, plus a list of all my music.
I was relieved that my tutor was older. I had thought I might be taught by a 25 year old.
I met Andy King, the owner of DJ Academy, and to begin with we just chatted about music and festivals, I guess they wanted to suss out the sort of person I am.
My tutor is DJ Tanz and he’s been a DJ for 20 years, playing all sorts of music, but loving scratching.
The morning was a slow walk through of all the equipment, these decks are a bit more advanced than mine, so I may need to translate and adapt for when I get home, sort of makes me wish I'd bough the professional set up but that would have been £1000 more, and I just couldn’t justify that!
We then started cueing up, and that was difficult to start with. By the end of the session I'd learnt an easy way to beat match, obviously I didn’t get it right all of the time, so I need to take time to practice at home.
I've been learning more about dance music, counting beats and how songs are constructed. I've also learnt that the music I have isn’t really suitable for beat matching – too short and not constructed right, so bless him, he has copied me a few CDs to practice on at home.
So I'm home and trying out what I've learnt, and it’s hard – I thought I knew what I was doing but my equipment is different, I'm sometimes able to cue up but sometimes don’t know what to press, so I've written my own idiots guide.
Tuesday 1st July
I have got how to cue! Not a major achievement but I've learnt to do it on my equipment and can do it over and over.
I can also do simple beat matching. DJ Tanz had recommended the DJ for dummies book and it said a really good way was to play the same CD in both decks but to start the second a bit behind the first, and it sound good to me!
I've also progressed onto using 2 different CDs albeit they have the same tempo.
Simon was impressed with what I've managed to do and I'm pleased as well.
Wednesday 2nd July
Today I've been practicing creating loops, some sound really good others are a bit off, but I don’t mind it is all about trying it out and being willing to try things.
I've continued to practice my beat matching, I think I'm doing ok but it will be good to get the tutor input tomorrow
Thursday 3rd July
Today was my second training day with DJ Tanz. He’d suggested I took one of my decks in so he could see how it differs and is similar to the Pioneer 1000’s he uses, mines like the younger sibling, can’t do everything but has some neat new features.
I was a lot more confident cueing up and mixing, but still don’t always get it right, especially as today I had to mix the intro from one track to the outro from the other. I must seem really green but I hadn’t realised how dance music was constructed and of course you want to mix at the end of a track not come in when the crowd is loving the music – duh!
I realise I need to know and understand my music so I know where things change – also the decks I have don’t have the visual display you see on the 1000s so that makes it a little harder for me.
DJ Tanz has given me some more music to listen to and we have identified music for my party, tracks that will go well together and I can practice every day!
Driving home I was listening to the music with a new ear – really hearing the bits and when there is the change at the 16th beat – amazing
Friday 4th July
Today I've been listening to music very differently identifying the intros and outros to help with mixing. I think it will help if I start making a note of when the tune changes so I don’t try and mix in at the wrong time.
Today my practice has seen me move from track to track, I haven’t checked on the key so that might be why some haven’t sounded great, and I do find it hard to spot when one track is going a little bit slower, but I'll keep on practicing!
Saturday 5th July
Went down to London for the O2 wireless festival as really wanted to see Fat Boy Slim and Underworld, really enjoyed the whole festival and absolutely great watching FBS – he put on a really good show and it was great to see how he whipped up the crowd. I picked up a leaflet on Creamfields. Can’t believe how many brilliant DJs will be in one place, even Simon insists we need to go, bless him, but as long as there’s a bar he’ll be happy.
Sunday 6th July
We didn’t get back till lunch time and I wasn’t feeling that well. I did a bit of practice, not as much as I should but was paying closer attention to the mix – I was also listening carefully to the music to consciously note the intros, outros and when the tune went quiet.
Monday 7th July
Out working all day but did play music loud in the car and was counting beats and looking for the themes. This evening I typed up my notes on how to mix that Tanz created for me, so no excuses about getting it wrong!
Tuesday 8th July
I've had my equipment in the kitchen which wasn’t ideal but where was I going to put it. Initially I'd suggested the bedroom but Simon wasn’t keen, however after thinking about buying a piece of furniture for the dining room, but have now decided to put it all in the bedroom and this morning have moved it. It looks good and I can also rearrange the stuff in the drawers to give me a space for the headphones and spare cables.
Today I've also downloaded some theme music as would like some very familiar music to start my set at the party!
Saturday 12th July
I haven’t done any DJ practice, can’t believe I've not done any but with being ill I had to cancel personal appointments and so this week has been mega busy, each evening I intended to do some but just never found the time – I did read through my book a few times and have been listening to music so not totally avoided it.
Yesterday I did finish going through my non dance music and finished burning all the tracks to CD in mixed in key categories so that was quite a big job to do
Sunday 13th July
Did some mix practice today and realised that my house CDs don’t have the mixed in key numbers so got to do that, I'm waiting for the music I'm going to play at the party, hope it comes through soon, I want to practice with that.
I decided to finalise putting all my top music through mixed in key – I know this isn’t going to be suitable for long mixes but still want to use it at the party – and to do more than a compilation mix – want to carefully put it together. I did some searching on the net and found some digital DJ software for free, obviously won’t be anywhere as good as the pioneer stuff but good to have a try out. I also need to work out how to save music that I'm playing onto a CD – guess I need to attach my computer, probably all in my book!
Sunday 27th July
Too busy practicing to write things up. I've practiced every day and saw Tanz on Thursday to go through my set for the party. We just practiced the tracks and I continued practicing at home. I did 2 DJ sets at the party and it went absolutely brilliantly. People were amazed and asked me how long I'd been doing it for – 2 weeks 5 days I said!
Set 1
- 1973, James Blunt – Pete Tong and Dave Spoon
- No te Vaya, orig - Kings of tomorrow
- Let the sun shine, Milk Sugar
- Love is a miracle, Swen G
- Believe in me – The Jinx
- In the air tonight – Phil Collins, Stan Kolev remix
- I wanna (Jack the trax), Tommy Davis
Set 2
- Crazy Diamond – Phunk Invest
- Get down – Todd Terrys Allstars – Mousse T remix
- Man with the red face
- Silence, Stan Kolev remix
- Sweet dreams are made of this, Steve Angello remix - Eurythmics