DJing is such a great skill to have, it’s so much fun and you never know where it might take you complete stardom one day DJing in front of thousands of people at a festival or Vegas. Sounds cool right?
Can you learn to DJ by yourself?
It’s possible to learn how to DJ by yourself. Many people have friends that DJ and can make for a very good method to pick DJing skills up that you can practice on your own. The internet can help you learn DJing skills and there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube and online DJ courses also.
We all have to start somewhere and I thought I’d put this article together for you on how you can get started and teach yourself how to DJ.
Here’s my top advice for you to start teaching yourself DJing.
Firstly it’s wise to understand the individual elements that form stepping stones to becoming a DJ.
Sign up to the Beatmatch Guru Email Newsletter to gain a DJ Progression Checklist. This has all the relevant information to guide you towards DJing success. It highlights equipment you need, beginner, intermediate to advanced skills that you need. SIGN UP HERE.
Here some of the key steps to get you started in the meantime:
- Learn how to setup and use DJ equipment e.g. DJ controller and DJ software
- Decide on the style of DJing you like e.g. Drum & Bass, House or Open Format
- Collate the music you like to DJ with e.g. download from Beatport or Soundcloud GO+
- Learn DJ mixing and transition skills e.g. beatmatching, EQing, LPF/HPF, Effects (echo / reverb)
- Record your DJ mixes and analyse them e.g. using Rekordbox
- Record, practice, record and practice some more.
To support this list, here’s a video I put together explaining the basics of DJing.
Learn from Reading DJ books
There are some great DJ books out there to help you get started in DJing.
One of them stands out to me when I think about buying a book if I were a new and beginner DJ.
It’s called… “HOW TO DJ” by Austen Smart, Scott Smart and Tom Dent.
It’s a great book as it starts teaching you all the buttons etc on equipment, beat matching and moves onto structure of music such as House, Garage, Dubstep etc.
A lot the foundations could be gained in knowledge by reading this book, the hurdle which takes discipline is the application of the knowledge.
Here’s a mega run through all the DJ books that I’ve recently read. Hopefully you’ll be able to learn from my top tips that each book brings to the table.
Learn DJing from a friend
DJing with a friend that has already been DJing for sometime will massively help you jump start your knowledge and skill level.
Simply standing by their side watching them DJ and mix between tracks will give you a fly on the wall view of how a DJ mixer works, what all the buttons and switches do etc.
It’s great to DJ 1-on-1 as you can ask questions directly and get instant feedback based on when they’re moving EQ switches and using DJ software such as Rekordbox for example.
Questions you should ask:
- How is the equipment setup?
- How do you beat match?
- What do all the buttons do?
- Where do you start cueing up a track?
- How do you use EQ to transition from track to track?
Learn from YouTube
There’s a tonne of YouTube videos out there, and some great at showing specific skills such as ‘cueing up a track’ or ‘beat matching’ for example.
The downside of YouTube DJ related videos is that you’ll find yourself taking time to sift through videos to find quality.
If you’re not time obsessed to improve your DJing skills quickly then you can be frugal with your money and take your time sifting through videos online.
Here are some videos to wet your appetite on Beatmatch Guru’s channel here:
Learn from an online DJ Course
DJ Courses are setup in a logical way, they are high quality and get you learning skills step by step.
Ultimately getting you to the end result quickly which is having the skills to put together a creative and unique DJ mix e.g. 60 minutes or longer DJ mix.
The best way to help you pick a DJ course is a course:
- that is step by step,
- straight to the point,
- easy to follow and results driven
- genre specific mix transitions
- related to your DJ equipment e.g. DDJ-400
All of which is available HERE at Beatmatch Guru.
Why not check out Beatmatch Guru’s DJ COURSES?
Final Advice for new DJs on where to start
Do what works for you. If money is a hurdle for you right now, then start with learning DJ skills on YouTube or buy a book and get the fundamentals solidified in your mind.
If time is of the essence for you then investing in a DJ course is of high importance to support you hitting your goals ASAP. Remember Beatmatch Guru offers DJ courses to support you hitting your DJ goals quickly.
Tips for Complete Beginners
- Listen to music changes in music. A big part of DJing is beatmatching, but not a lot of beginners recognise the need for phrase matching. So when you’re listening to music naturally during your day, listen out for drum fills, silences and changes in sections of music. This are indicators in which you would start cueing up a new track.
- Create Spotify or Soundcloud playlists. Focus on trying to order music tracks that sound good together. This music selection skill is going to put you in the right direction for when you start DJing on a DJ Controller for example.
- Pick a genre and stick to it (for the time being). My advice is to get your head into a specific style of music, preferably a genre that’s got a similar range on tempo (BPM). This way you’ll learn beat structures and song structure within that style of music. Then from there you can venture into other styles of music.
Related Questions
Can I be a self taught DJ?
It’s possible to be a self taught DJ, it may take more time, effort and practice figuring things out on your own path. Other methods such as DJ courses can help you speed up the level in which you progress your DJing skills.
Is it hard to learn DJ?
It’s not difficult to start, it simply takes focus, dedication and practice on a regular basis. Discipline will help with learning from the start. Aspects that may be considered harder to learn are marketing, business and standing out from the crowd.
Can I learn DJing without equipment?
It’s possible to learn how to DJ without DJ equipment, watching other DJs mix on DJ equipment is quite helpful. Downloading a DJ software on your laptop or phone can help you get used to the main controls such as crossfader, cue, channel volume faders, along with music selection and cuing up music tracks.
Can a shy person be a DJ?
Yes. Anyone can DJ. Other professional DJs such as Noisia have said that they are quite introvert in their music studio, but surprisingly when they get on stage they flip the other way into hyped up extrovert people.
What is the easiest music to DJ?
Anything with a 4 x 4 beat around 120 BPM, such as Techno, House, EDM.
