Name 5 things that make for a good DJ

[tommykesh]

Been a while since i've engaged with you guys and thought this might be a good ice breaker so guys what do you think are 5 things that all dj's most posses ?

[LabRat]

1. Reading a crowd. 

So many DJs can't do this and it really separates the good from the bad

 

2. Track selection

gkes hand in hand with reading a crowd

 

3. Beat matching

its kind of a given that you should beat match so it's not that high up

 

4. Stage presence

the way you act behind the decks influences the way the crowd responds 

 

5. Personality

dont be a dick lol

[OxyKon]

1 minute ago, LabRat said:

1. Reading a crowd. 

So many DJs can't do this and it really separates the good from the bad

 

2. Track selection

gkes hand in hand with reading a crowd

 

3. Beat matching

its kind of a given that you should beat match so it's not that high up

 

4. Stage presence

the way you act behind the decks influences the way the crowd responds 

 

5. Personality

dont be a dick lol

1....

 

 

 

i got that far and he beat me to it

[tommykesh]

Boys Really… I mean really  ? 

I'm noticing a disturbing pattern whenthe word "Crowd" being mentioned so much.

Now I'm going to have to sound like I'm falling into the later part  of -

"5. Personality

dont be a dick lol"

But there has to be more to it then pandering to the masses 

Tisk tisk

[andyman]

26 minutes ago, tommykesh said:

Boys Really… I mean really  ? 

I'm noticing a disturbing pattern whenthe word "Crowd" being mentioned so much.

Now I'm going to have to sound like I'm falling into the later part  of -

"5. Personality

dont be a dick lol"

But there has to be more to it then pandering to the masses 

Tisk tisk

If you're DJ'ing out and playing to a crowd, then it's your job to keep them dancing.

If playing tunes so underground they are produced by mole-men is more your thing, you would need to either find more suitable events to play, or adapt to the situation.

Dancing people = great success.

 

That's my 2 cents worth.

[OxyKon]

Ok so maybe we switch up from just being in the club scene:

 

#1 make sure you're having fun (cause if you ain't then what's the point)

 

#2 tune hunting (I can tell you that I'm finding new tracks every day that turn my head side ways, I think I use Shazam on a daily basis atm)

 

#3 having friends to share djing with (this forum)

 

#4 The experience of performing in a club/festival (most of us who have stuck with DJ'n long enough have definitely done at least one club

 

#5 the urge to make their own music to play (same as #4, if you've stuck it out long enough you get that feeling of wanting to give back to the community more than just your mix tapes)

[Narukami]

3 hours ago, andyman said:

If you're DJ'ing out and playing to a crowd, then it's your job to keep them dancing.

 

Basically this. If you're a mobile DJ (like I was), crowd reading is REALLY important. These people are hiring you to read the people at the party and play music that suits them. Playing music according to your crowd will get more people to dance.

 

Ultimately, that's the job of any DJ; to keep the crowd dancing

[eggssell]

On 3/2/2016 at 0:32 PM, andyman said:

If you're DJ'ing out and playing to a crowd, then it's your job to keep them dancing.

If playing tunes so underground they are produced by mole-men is more your thing, you would need to either find more suitable events to play, or adapt to the situation.

Dancing people = great success.

 

That's my 2 cents worth.

yep i totally agree with andyman. what we are not saying is play only the top 40s (not that there is anything wrong with that) or playing the same classic bangers multiple times in the night

 

what we are saying is if the crowd aint digging it, be it to dance in the club or to provide the atmosphere at an event or dining/drinking experience, then to me you are doing something wrong. so that is the point of reading the crowd.

 

now the best dj's are the ones that can dump a track no one knows and yet they are still enjoying it. back in my days the djs were the tastemakers, so would def introduce new tracks seemlessly while we are dancing out. that is track hunting.

 

i dont think beatmatching is 100% important, rather its about keeping a flow, keeping a vibe. one way which is to ensure you beatmatch, but that is only one way. so yeah that would be a third point for me keeping a flow (which also includes builds, peaks, chill downs, and so on within the set).

 

thats three points to me that make a good dj.

 

 

[RichoKidd]

I think its going to take a lot more then "5 things" to be considered a "good" DJ. I mean personality, crowd control (or "reading"), music collection, music SELECTION; they're all a crucial part, but it also depends on your ability to listen well, and understand how different music can work together, understanding keys, bpms, etc are also important. The list goes on!

[LabRat]

1 minute ago, RichoKidd said:

understanding keys

This is a good point. I mix in key and the transitions are much more seamless (especially for mashups - you'll be surprised how many people don't think about this). I had this conversation with someone a while back and he said that mixing in key limits your choice in what music to play. Dumbest thing I've ever heard. I can still play any song I want to. I'll work around it until the key's work together to make a transition, rather than playing the track straight away. 

 

As per the other posts, most people who DJ imagine themselves playing in the big leagues. Nightclubs aside, a wedding / private function DJ needs to have the same qualities as the ones I've stated in my first post. IMO they need to hold more respect compared to a club DJ, as the clients and audience are more intimate. The only outcome I could see where most of those points wouldn't apply is playing radio. DJing should be fun, which is the reason most of us get into it to start with, however, if you're looking to take it seriously you're gonna need to be prepared 

[tommykesh]

 OxyKon's point about having fun for me is the main thing RichoKidd is spot on saying you need to understand how different music works together and Labrat true true transitions is the meat of the mix. I'm not really in it to play out it's more for my own enjoyment these days so for me I would say 

Heart - being in the right place not having altiria motives for being a DJ (not a huge fan of show pony's) and having fun 

Rhythm - If you aint got none you have no place attempting this

Head - keeping a cool one knowing how certain music fits into this jigsaw we are creating

Instinct - which some times contradicts the previous point as you do need to go into cruise control some times I find some of my best miss are when I've never heard the tracks before 

Control - from hand eye reflexes from a hard snap on the fader to the mitts touch on the plater

 

 

 

[Kodiak]

1. Has lot's of Instagram followers

2. Has lot's of twitter followers

3. Has lot's of Soundcloud followers

4. Has lot's of young acquaintances in real life who go out all the time

5. Has the capacity to get as many of the above to their gig as possible.

[LabRat]

1 hour ago, Kodiak said:

1. Has lot's of Instagram followers

2. Has lot's of twitter followers

3. Has lot's of Soundcloud followers

4. Has lot's of young acquaintances in real life who go out all the time

5. Has the capacity to get as many of the above to their gig as possible.

lol so that's unfortunately true