If you're just fading, you don't need to match anything. I would keep all music at their natural BPM if I was just fading from one song to another. Most radio stations do exactly this.

well I wasn't doing just fading, I was also experimenting on ending track 1 on a high note then immediately cross fade to the right and bring in track 2 at a point to merge with track 1. Sometimes I'm just doing normal fading but other times I'm doing drop fade.

So in other words the principal behind beat matching or tempo matching is to get 2 tracks to play together so that a DJ can mess with both tracks and create a new mix or for performance purposes?

That's correct. Beat matching is key when creating a smooth mix. But as you will learn with experience, you can still create great mixes and rock the crowd without entirely relying on beat matching. Although 90% of my mixes are beat-matched.

I spin hip-hop/club/dance/top 40, so there is a lot of creative flexibility when it comes to mix songs in, especially when dealing with lyrics; and scratching can also be an integral part of a mix. In my opinion, beat matching is very important when spinning dance music, house, electro, d&b, etc....

As long as it sounds good, then do it!!!

Thanks for the advise so can I ask do most DJs at night clubs play their tracks from front to back then just fade things out without beat matching? The reason why I'm asking is because I tend to hear them play whole tracks one after the other and usually top 40s so there is no point for them to beat match but just simply fade in n fade out right?

Thanks for the advise so can I ask do most DJs at night clubs play their tracks from front to back then just fade things out without beat matching? The reason why I'm asking is because I tend to hear them play whole tracks one after the other and usually top 40s so there is no point for them to beat match but just simply fade in n fade out right?

Not the good djs. Most will beatmatch on just about every mix. I personally don't let songs play all the way thru. The crowd usually has a short attention span so I try to only let about two verses play before mixing in a new track.

Not the good djs. Most will beatmatch on just about every mix. I personally don't let songs play all the way thru. The crowd usually has a short attention span so I try to only let about two verses play before mixing in a new track.

you need to beatmatch and mix if not you can be replaced with a jukebox or ipod......

you need to beatmatch and mix if not you can be replaced with a jukebox or ipod......

why is this thread double posting everything???

Ha! Exactly!

+1

I usually beat match everything.
I do not think that letting the song go all the way will keep your crowd interested. The Idea is to read the crowd and to continue bringing new tracks that will keep the people on the dance floor. Again, Letting the song play all the way is the worst thing you can do as a DJ. First of all there is not creativity by doing so. And Second of all it is preety cool when You can put to songs together at the same time and know when to fade out the song that is currently playing after alreading playing the coming song so that vocals from deck A End and Vocal or Intro from B Starts. When you master that is when you finally start becoming a DJ.

I know the following is going to be really long but I am a firm believer that if you read the following article for DJ Novice it will make you a better DJ and will help you out how to beat match to its perfection.
Happy Reading:
The following instructions have been designed for the novice mixer. These directions are based on my own opinions and experiences over the years. Keep in mind that what you are about to read is not the only way to mix. My way is only one example and is just meant to give you the basic skills to get you started. In most cases, you will notice I am talking about vinyl and turntables. This is just a preference, even though I do spin a lot of CDs now. The techniques presented here apply 100% to CD spinning as well as vinyl.I find these steps to work well in obtaining the “perfect mix,” if such a thing exists. After grasping the basics (Which may take longer than you think so don’t get too frustrated!) of mixing, you will find that there are many other ways of doing it. Every DJ has his/her own bag of tricks and yours will develop as you get better.

KNOW YOUR MUSIC

The first thing you want to do is know your music! This is the most important rule (not opinion) in obtaining a good mix. Without knowing your songs, you can not possibly mix them with your best ability. Sometimes, the best mixes can derive from mixing songs that you don’t know all that well. However, when it comes to playing live, it is not the time to experiment. When you are practicing, get creative and definitely try mixing something that you just bought before even listening through it. If you find that it works well, learn it and use it. When it comes down to the “perfection line”, you don’t want to be guessing what will work.

Another reason to know your music selections well is so that you can mix sections of other songs in throughout the current selection. Throwing in other songs for short periods of time sounds great when done properly and they also throw off your audience as to what is really coming on next. You will know where the breaks, fills, drop-outs and edits (edits are the hardest to mix over as they sometimes allow the beat to become non synchronized) are and this will allow you to maximize the expertise of your ‘remix’. Don’t get carried away though. It may sound cool but the people who are listening won’t find it too nice when it becomes so repetitive in the song that it sounds like a sample-fest. Also, if you are just starting out, don’t even bother trying to mix in samples of other songs. I just noted that part for when you are ready to step up a bit from just mixing records together one after another. Just get the song that you want to come in next on the turntable and match up the beats before you run out of time…. for now.

LEARN YOUR MIX POINTS (BREAKS) WELL

Just in case you don’t know what a break is (No, not the music style!), let’s begin with a definition. A break is the part of the song, usually at the beginning (referred to as the “intro”), middle or end (and sometimes at all 3 points), where it is most generous in allowing you to mix songs together without a clash of tones or vocals. Some breaks do have tones through them, (in other words, a bass line or higher pitch melodies) and they should be dealt with more carefully. Vocal tracks are either absent or vaguely sampled through breaks. These “breaks” are the best spot to mix in songs that start with vocals, if you so choose. However, sometimes even a sampled vocal can make your vocals coming in from the other record sound messed up, so be careful. NEVER mix vocals on top of vocals (full vocals, not quick samples). It is easier to just mix in a song that starts with only a beat. No melodies or vocals are present so they can mix on top of practically any song. An easy way to remember what will mix without a clash is by following this little rule: Other than the beat (Percussive Instruments), if a song has a vocal, bass line, sample, tone melody or other musical aspect, then the other song you are mixing it with should be void of those components. Of course once the one song drops out those parts, the other song may have them present. Don’t think about it too hard. It all comes down to KNOWING YOUR MUSIC. Remember, this is a beginner’s documentation! There are occasions where layering those aspects can give you great sounds and mixes but stay away from it for now.

KNOW YOUR RECORDS (or CDs)

After you know your music, KNOW YOUR RECORDS. Learn the Beats Per Minute. Before you mix songs live, it is a mandatory factor to know what songs will go with other songs as far as speed is concerned. What does this mean? Try mixing a song like Puff Daddy’s: Been Around the World with Sneaker Pimps: Spin Spin Sugar. If you do it and it sounds right, call me to let me know. You might want to make sure that I am still alive though, considering it will probably be years later when you do it right! Don’t quote that though, I just pulled two songs out of a hat. Some songs with such a great difference in speed will mix, but you have to mix on every other beat or 3rd beat, or 4th beat etc…don’t get into that now. That is much, much, much more advanced. It is possible to mix them with speeds that are as different as they are, but not by the average beat mix.

Another method of mixing is to “bang” the other song in. This means that when one song gets to the end of the verse where you want it to end, you can hit stop on the turntable as you throw in the other record. The new song is then instantly started with the volume set at the maximum ideal level for sound, with no fade. One more way to mix is to turn the turntable off causing the record to gradually slow down. Throw the other record in while the one you shut off is in the process of stopping. There are other ways of accomplishing this but they require more skill.

One thing to remember is that if you are going to do something like what was just described, you must have “hand or finger control,” which comes from lots of practice. It allows you to know the exact amount of tension you need to put on the record so that when you throw it in, it comes in at the exact proper speed. Otherwise, it will either drag in and sound funny or come in to fast and sound like a bad scratch technique or a chipmunk for 1/16th of a second. Lastly, certain songs will not even sound right with this type of technique. Practice before you try it for an audience.

Once you know the B.P.Ms of your records you can easily tell what record will mix with what other records. The speeds have to be close. I try not to go outside a B.P.M. difference of +/- 5. You may think that it sounds good (And it might if you are lucky) but the speed is offset and the vocals and melodies will sound a bit too slow or too fast. Your listeners will notice if you are spinnin’ for a crowd who knows the music. I arrange my records in B.P.M. order, not by title or artist. This way, if I run into a last second mix situation (because I was distracted by a talkative friend or something), I can easily just grab a record in the same area and know it will mix. That is not the main reason of course. The main reason is to have your records of mixing potential in the same area. Mark the records with the B.P.M.s so that you can see them easily. Memorizing them is a bit hard for now. Once you have been doing it for a while, you may not even have to mark them. You just learn the speeds by hearing them. That is way down the road though. MARK YOUR RECORDS.

KNOW YOUR COUNTS (MEASURES)

When mixing the records you should know the measures. This is easy to figure out. Just listen to the song. Listen for the changes in instrumentation and vocals. Some songs do something different every 4 counts (beats). Some do it every 8, 12, 16, 32 etc. This is important because you need to match it up with the record you are going to mix in. If one record is playing at an eight count and the one you are going to mix is a 16 count then apparently the one playing is going to change twice as much as the record coming in. This can work most of the time but you have to be careful that new melodies or rhythms are not introduced that will clash with what you are mixing in. Clashing melodies can sound very dissonant and quite unpleasant to the ear. The mix should sound as natural as possible. Once again, if you KNOW YOUR MUSIC well, different measures can possibly mix correctly. PRACTICE!

TRY TO MATCH SOUNDS

Trying to pick a song to mix that has the same kick drum sound as the playing record also enhances the mix value. Different kick drums are most noticeable when playing together. By matching them, it seems as if the song that is coming in is part of what is already playing. If they are not the same sound, you will hear the fade of the old song much more clearly. That is not a good thing, but sometimes it can’t be helped. With the amount of music out there now, matching the kick drum is much more rare than it used to be. If you are staying strictly with one style of music, then it can be very easy to find alike kicks. If you can match other aspects of the songs, then more power to you. It is quite hard to match every song like that so don’t kill yourself trying to mix songs that have the exact same sound. It will sound the cleanest (as long as you are mixing on beat!) but it does not happen too often.

BRINGING IN A NEW SONG

Volume levels are another important factor. First off, fading songs in or out is the easiest way to segue from one song to another, but it is also unnatural. Beats DO NOT fade in and out of songs (other than the endings and special effects.) Why should they be in your mix? It just makes it more noticeable that you are mixing. Remember: The object is to make it sound like one constant song. If a song does not have a good drop-in or drop-out point, then by all means fade it. Even the best of us do it. It is a very common mixing technique. You should have no trouble however, “banging it in” as opposed to fading out. Most songs start with just a beat that will mix with anything in its B.P.M. range and therefore can be “banged in” (remember the definition: instantly turned on at with the volume set at the maximum ideal level for sound, with no fade). There are two ways to do this. The first is by throwing it in with the volume already up. If you are good at this then this is the best way. Don’t do it if you can’t do it in time with the record playing. If you throw it in wrong, you will have to make some quick pitch adjustments to make up for your inaccuracy and the crowd will hear the horse galloping sound of your mess up. The other way is by simply listening to the cued record in your headphone and when it is on beat, turn up the volume. Don’t just bring the cued song in anywhere you want. Make sure you wait until the end of the verse of the record playing, and then snap it on. Some people have a tendency to just turn it on once it is on beat in the headphones. WAIT UNTIL IT IS ON BEAT AND ON VERSE.

Get used to the record handling. Every one is different. Scratch back and fourth the note that you are going to start mixing with. Get a feel for it and how much pressure you need to use when throwing it in so that it is up to speed immediately. All records take very little pressure to throw in when you use the right kind of turntable. If you know the pressure level you need to use, then you can always bang records in perfectly on time.

Be careful with your volumes. Do not over power one record with the other. Sometimes you may not be able to tell by ear that one is way to loud. The easiest way to see your levels is by using your mixer meters. Every time I mix, I watch the VU meters. I bang in my records and then watch the meters, being careful to adjust the volume so that the meters read the avg. signal input, which is 0 dB. When the meters jump up a little bit higher than they were for the past few minutes, I know my approaching record is audible in the mix. Once I see the change in VU, I lower the last song’s volume (not the new song coming in) down to make up for the difference. Now, it is back at the same volume that the one record was playing at before I mixed in record two.

Due to a wonderful thing called “Phase” (no need to discuss this), the volume during a perfectly beat matched mix will fluctuate drastically if the kick drum in each song has frequencies present that interact with one another. Phase is much more technical than what I just stated but there really isn’t any need to bring it in to this discussion. When I have songs that phase, I try to off set the kick drum of each song by a couple milliseconds so that this does not occur. Instead, by offsetting them, you get a highly undetectable reverb (a delay of sorts) that keeps your levels where you want them. If they do phase, you will see it in the VU meters and most definitely hear it too! This can also be a good thing when trying to obtain special effects in your mix but for our purposes, it just makes the volume go nutty. LOWER the master volume during unwanted phase until you pass the effect. The bass can double at times and even blow a speaker if you don’t know how to control it. However, that is only if you mix at a speaker’s highest output to begin with.

THE MIX

USE THE PITCH CONTROL! After you throw the record in, make good use of the pitch controller, unless you already have matched the beats perfectly (which is not too often.) Throughout the mix the songs will fall off from each other. If you can get the 2 records to stay on beat for an average of 8-10 seconds, then you have a good pitch lock. You can get different records to lock for a whole song sometimes but a 10-sec. average is awesome. If the beats fall off under that length of time, then re-adjust. If you can match the pitches for ten second intervals, it gives you the time to take off your headphone and listen to the actual mix and maybe even switch and monitor the other record (which can be confusing). With your headphone on and monitoring the song you are mixing in, you can tell which way it is falling (fast or slow). You can then speed it up or slow it down to correct it faster than the audience can detect it. Without the headphone on, it is harder to detect the minuscule changes (my opinion). Some people may feel otherwise, but I find it easier to hear the differences when the song I am monitoring in the headphone is at a level where I can just barely hear it. The louder it is, the more it floods out what you hear with your other ear.

Do NOT use your hand along the side of the turntable platter or record to slow it down. This causes warbles in the sound unless you have a bionic hand that can apply a fixed amount of pressure. The pitch adjuster is the only thing you should use. Nowadays, I see more and more people doing this and it works sometimes, but it is still easier to adjust by the pitch. It is much more accurate than you at speed changes and is certainly smoother. Learn to use it right and it will benefit you as the most important tool of the turntable.

Another bad part about slowing a record down with your hand is the fact that if you do, it is only temporary. You may get the records to be on beat with each other but, when you remove your pressure, they immediately fall off again! If you had to slow it down to begin with because it was too fast, it is still too fast! USE THE PITCH. Again, unless you are doing some kind of effect (scratching, cueing etc..) NEVER USE YOUR HAND ON THE SIDE OF THE RECORD AS A MEANS OF PITCH ADJUSTMENT.

If you are good, then you may switch the record you are monitoring during a mix. Do this only if you have an acute sense of hearing. I say this because when you switch the monitor to the opposite record in the middle of a mix, you tend to lose your perception of what is what and/or will make pitch changes that are in reverse of what you wanted to do. If possible, stay with the record you started with (the new one coming in of course.) If I can’t tell what is happening, I first try to listen harder. When I have no other option, I will switch the cueing monitor, but only briefly. If the new song coming in is at a point that is louder than the other song, then it will be easier to switch the monitor to the lower volume record without getting confused.

MIXING OUT

Getting out of a song can sometimes be as hard as mixing into one. You have to listen for the right time to drop the first one out. Although I told you earlier in this document that you should avoid fading a song in, it is more acceptable to fade a song out. When you do decide to fade a song out, you must once again know where the song that will continue to be playing has drop-outs. If you are fading a song and it is already halfway faded out, make sure you know what is coming up in the other record. If the song mixing in decides to drop it’s beat out for a moment, you will hear the faded song at a half volume (or however far you have faded) in the background. This sounds very unnatural. To get around this problem, either quicken or lengthen your fade to match up to the drop out of the other record. In other words, if “song A” has a drop out that is about to happen in 20 seconds, make your “song B” fade complete by the 20 second point. If “song A” has a drop out point in 40 seconds, then either lengthen your fade or, fade closer to that point. Wow! That explanation even confused me!

Another way to end a record is to just hit the stop button, which will stop the record (on a good turntable) practically instantly. If you do it at the right time, it will also drag the note you stopped on for a fraction of a second. A final option is to turn the turntable off, which will cause the record to gradually slow down and stop. The only time you should practice this technique is when the song you are stopping has no beat or, the song that will continue to play has no beat for the duration of the gradual stop. Otherwise, the beats will clash and sound terrible. There are additional ways to mix out of a song and by practicing, you will find your own creative ways to do accomplish this.

OTHER TIPS

Watch out for drawn out songs, unless you are making house music sets. House music seems to be one of the few formats in which lengthy versions are acceptable. If the song is really working the crowd, then by all means let it play through. Most crowds tend to bore easily of instrumentals and vocals that play too long. Bored people dancing quickly leads to a big empty space on the dance floor.
A lot of dance mixes start out with a long intro before vocals are ever heard. This is done with the DJ in mind. It is good but don’t get trapped in mixing songs from the beginning all of the time. Some of the intros can last as long as some full-length songs. Once again it brings you back to the boring factor. To stay away from this, mix the long intro under the other song playing right up to a few verses or closer before the vocals start. Then start mixing out the first song. This way there is minimal time between the two vocal tracks. Another way is to cue the incoming record to right before the vocals. It doesn’t get any easier than that. Instrumental selections are much more acceptable to the masses these days so the above statements are partial. Use your better judgment.
DO NOT MIX VOCALS ON TOP OF VOCALS! Vocals clash no matter what key they are in. You can’t understand what they are singing/saying. Just don’t do it! It sounds horrible. You can get away with samples under vocals sometimes but I don’t recommend it.
Remember that the ultimate mix is a mix the listener did not hear. There are three things that you should hear through a mix:
The Song playing
The mix of the two (or sometimes three for advanced DJ’s) songs that sound like one
The song that was mixed (Now the song playing).
Every DJ has his or her own tricks. This is what separates them from the rest. After you learn the basics of mixing you will develop tricks of your own. Listen to others and hear what they do. Incorporate them into your style. By combining styles of others you will learn limitless techniques and know how to do practically everything. After you know all you can (which is probably impossible), what separates you from the rest is how well you can read the crowd. Can you tell what they want to hear? After all, they give you your reputation.
THINGS TO REMEMBER:

Use good slip mats. The original rubber mats are no good for mixing. They are made to grip the record for minimal slippage between the record and the mat. Get DJ mats that loosely hold the record to the platter. This will allow you to manipulate the record much (cue, spin back, stop, etc..) easier. When you stop the record, the turntable platter will keep spinning allowing you to throw the record in without having to let the platter pick up to normal speed.
Don’t scratch the hell out of records you think are going to be your most classic. After all, records start losing their sound quality after just 10 plays! Imagine how bad they become when they are back cued, scratched etc… over and over.
Don’t get into the habit of listening to a record in the headphone to get it on beat with the other one for a long time and then spin it backwards to the beginning. Pick up the needle and start it over if you went real far into it while matching beats. It saves lots of time and wear and tear on the records and needle.

by the way the First Long Article was not written by me. I actually grabbed from a Teaching Academy online. Once you read the first Article now it is time for the send one to complement what you already know.

If you manage to master the following steps, you wont need sync for more than it was intended for. Using a program that does everything for you might be fun, but I think it should be funnier if you can master the basics of Djing.

Basics of Beatmixing
Written by Rob Clark · April 8, 2008

The Premise - we get paid, not just to play music, but to create an atmosphere - an atmosphere that is conducive to people getting up on the dancefloor and getting involved. The typical crowd at a wedding reception is not likely to be the type of folks who are out at the dance clubs every weekend. People generally feel awkward when dancing. We should, therefore, try to do everything possible to create a comfortable and energetic atmosphere on the dancefloor. Smooth, seamless segues from one song to the next - without any awkward pauses, dead air, or difficult transitions - are most helpful.
Whether it is recent dance music, dance classics, oldies, Motown, rock, swing, or country, EVERY dance set can benefit from beatmixing. It is NOT just for club music with a heavy bass beat.

Definition of Terms
Before we can even get to the interesting stuff, we all have to be speaking the same language. Here are a few terms we should know as we discuss beatmixing.

Bar - Individual time divisions in a musical score, represented by vertical lines on the staff, are bars. Each bar normally contains the same number of beats and are also known as a “measure.”

Beatmixing (also referred to as: beat matching, beat synching, hot mixing, mixing) - The art/skill of bringing the beats of two different songs into phase with one another and fading across. For example, if the song the crowd is hearing (song A) is 118 beats per minute (BPM), and the next song you want to play (song B) is 122 BPM — you either slow song B down to 118 BPM using pitch control, or slightly speed up song A and cue it up to the beat. When you are ready to bring the song B into play, “throw” the CD (i.e., hit the play button on the “1 count”) so the beats stay aligned and listen to it on your headphones. Listen to the two songs play (song A through the speakers and song B in your headphones) for at least 32 counts to ensure that they are in sync.

If they are not, use the + and - “Pitch Bend” buttons to gently speed up or slow down song B in your headphones. Once you are sure things are in order, use your cross-fader or individual channel controls to let the new song blend into the old one, and eventually go completely across so only the new song is playing. This will give the illusion that the song never ended. Once you get the hang of getting beats into sync, you will quickly find many more interesting ways to fade in and out of songs.

Beats Per Minute (BPM) - The number of beats during one minute of a song. An identifier of a song’s tempo. To calculate this, take a stop-watch and count the number of beats in 60 seconds (or count for 30 seconds and double the number). See software section below for tools that you can use through your computer. Some mixers have this feature built into them as well, providing a digital read-out of the BPM of the songs on each channel.

Cold/ Fade - This refers to the type of ending of the song. A cold ending will be abrupt and sometimes dramatic. A fade ending does just that - it fades away. When it does fade, the energy decreases as well. So it is usually best not to play songs all the way through if they do fade. At the same time, songs with a cold ending require a quick and smooth transition so that there is no dead air during segues.

Cross fader (alias: x-fader, fader) - A slider control which moves from one input channel to another in a very smooth fashion. The volume on each channel is inversely proportional to each other, so if the x-fader is completely on the left side, you will only hear the input for that channel. Once you start moving it to the right, you will gradually hear the right channel becoming louder. When the x-fader is in the middle, each channel will be of equal volume. As the x-fader continues to the right, the right channel will approach full volume, and the left channel will diminish.

Cueing - Playing the music only through your headphones (without the sound coming through your speakers so that the crowd could hear) to find the spot you want to start the next song. Once you have determined the best place within the song to start (most times on the 1 count), you can hit the Play button (or throw the vinyl record) on the 1 count as you are listening through the headphones, and adjusting the speed as necessary in order to line up the beats to the song that is playing through the speakers.

Measure - A measure is a musical notation device that distinguishes a specific unit of time comprised of a fixed number of note values (whole, half, quarter, et cetera) of a particular kind, fixed by the meter and bracketed by two vertical lines across a staff of music. The two vertical bar lines are separated by the distance required by the number of notes contained in the measure. This portion of musical notation does not determine the rhythm, tempo or note values; the measure does contain the notes and various note-types. Tempo, rhythms and note values are determined by time signatures and tempo markings. Each measure of a time signature of 3/4, for example, will contain three beats, one for each quarter note. If a dotted half-note is contained between the two vertical bars, it will receive three beats and the measure will be over. The measure can also contain six eighth notes and a number of different combinations of note-type fractions depending upon the musical context. How fast the respective beats are is determined by the tempo.

Phrase - A natural division in the melodic line, similar to a sentence or part of a sentence. (Usually 4 groups of 8-counts for a total of 32 beats)

Pitch bend - The temporary changing of pitch to get beats in phase. These are the little + and - buttons next to the PITCH button on your CD players. This gives you the ability to “nudge” the speed up or down temporarily to get the song on beat. It has the same effect as placing your finger on the vinyl to gently slow it down or speed it up. Once you release the pitch bend button, the song will go back to the current pitch control settings.

Pitch control - The ability of a device to change the tempo (speed) of a song. Essential feature on your CD players if you are going to beatmix. Most pitch controls allow the song to speed up or slow down plus or minus 8 %. (Some players allow plus or minus 16 %).

Key Lock or Pitch Lock- The ability of a device to change the tempo of a song, without changing the key (e.g., on Denon 2500 and Pioneer CD decks). This lets you drastically speed up songs with vocals without a “chipmunk” effect.

Segue - Italian for “follows,” a segue is used to indicate a smooth, flowing transition from one section of a composition to another without any pause or interruption.

Tempo - The speed of a song. Usually measured in Beats Per Minute (BPM).

Throwing - Starting the song in at full volume on the 1 count (the first beat of an 8 count). The term originates from vinyl DJs who have the turntable spinning at full speed while lifting the record off the platter with their finger holding it with the needle in the groove just before the 1 count. When the DJ wants to start the record, he “throws” the record, giving a record a little push when it starts up so there is not any lag time while it gets up to speed. This effect is simpler with CD players that have “instant start” (normal CD players may take a few tenths of a second before a song starts).

Getting Started
First we need to know the beats per minute of our music. As defined above, the BPM is simply the number of beats in a song in 60 seconds. You can use a stop watch, or, if you would like to take advantage of your computer, you can use a BPM counter (see shareware URL sites in the resources section below).

It is helpful to know the intros of songs and the 8 counts.

8-counts and Phrases

So what’s an 8 count?

Example:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
We are fam-i-ly I’ve got all my sisters and me

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
We are fam - i - ly Get up everybody sing!

These 4 groups of 8-counts form one 32-count phrase (4×8=32 for the mathematically challenged). It’s best to mix at the 32 count. In other words, the best place for the new song to come in at full volume will be at the first beat of a new 8-count at the completion of this 32-count phrase. Got it?

Note: in many songs, as in “We Are Family,” the first note of the song is not always the first beat of an 8 count. In this song above, the single and album versions have a drum riff that is actually number 8 beat. So if you want to begin matching the beats on the 1 count of the first 8 count of a 32-count phrase, you may want to skip over the drum riff while in cue in your headphones.

32-Count Intros

Many songs have 32-count intros (32-counts of instrumental track) which make them much easier to mix. With these songs, you can listen in cue to song B through the headphones while song A is playing through the speakers. Once you have matched up song B on the 1 count of the 32-count phrase so that it is in sync with song A playing through the speakers, you can bring the volume up and you have 32 beats to make sure that is right on track. At the end of that 32 count phrase of song A, song B is already at full volume and is ready to take over.

What if the song does not have a 32-count intro? I’ve heard this reasoning used by some DJs over the years to say that they don’t mix because not all music has 32 count intros. I’ve heard others say that you can only beatmix with “House” music or “Club” music. My answer to that is that it does not matter what type of music it is or whether or not it has a 32 count intro. Songs do NOT have to overlap for a full 32 counts to produce an effective beatmix segue. For example, when segueing 2 “oldies” songs, if song A ends cold on the 8 count and you hit song B perfectly on the 1 count so that the beat is continuous, then you have created a smooth beatmix. The same holds true for virtually any type of music, be it rock, alternative, country, etc. Beatmixing is not just for “disco” or “club” music.

Putting Sets Together

Once we know the BPM of our music, it is easier to think about what songs might go well with each other. Generally it works well to group songs together that are of a similar style. For example, if we are putting together an oldies set, it generally works well to put several songs from that same era together. That way, people who enjoy that type of music will enjoy several songs together. Mixing an oldies-song into a hip-hop song into an alternative rock song - even if done perfectly on beat — might not create the desired effect of continuity on the dancefloor. The oldies fans might exit once they hear a hip-hop song. And the hip-hop fans might depart as soon as they hear crunching guitars from an alternative rock song. Granted, in some cases, these types of transitions might be exactly what the crowd goes for. But generally it’s good to put sets together that are of a similar style.

Here are some examples of songs (and their associated BPM) that might go well together:

Oldies Set:

Runaround Sue - Dion & the Belmonts (156)

Let’s Twist Again - Chubby Checker (164)

I Saw Her Standing There - Beatles (160)

Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis (174)

Rockin’ Robin - Bobby Day (174)

Rock Around the Clock - Billy Haley & Comets (174)

Motown Set:

ABC - Jackson 5 (96)

Respect - Aretha Franklin (112)

Ain’t Too Proud To Beg - Temptations (124)

Sugar Pie Honey Bunch - Four Tops (127)

This Old Heart of Mine - Isley Brothers (127)

80’s Rock Set:

Love Shack - B52s (134)

Our Lips Are Sealed - Go Gos (134)

Mony Mony - Billy Idol (137)

Or

Love Shack (134)

We Got The Beat - Go Gos (156) (this mix of over 20 BPM is workable with key control in the Denon 2500 or Pioneer decks so that the tempo of the music can be adjusted dramatically without the key of the music changing. Without the key control, it would be too noticeable that the songs had been significantly adjusted and would sound awkward.)

My Sharona - The Knack (160)

Whip It - Devo (160)

That’s What I Like About You - Romantics (156)

Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol (174)

Dance Classics Set:

Macarena - Los Del Rio (106)

December 1963 (Oh What A Night) - Frankie Vallie & Four Seasons (106)

Stayin’ Alive - Bee Gees (106)

Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry (108)

Get Down Tonight - KC & Sunshine Band (112)

That’s The Way I Like It - KC & Sunshine Band (110)

We Are Family - Sister Sledge (113)

Celebration - Kool & The Gang (120)

Boogie Nights - (120)

YMCA - Village People (127)

Born To Be Alive - Patrick Hernandez (132)

Disco Inferno - Trammps (132)

Recent Hits Set:

Electric Slide - Marcia Griffiths (108)

Getting Jiggy Wit It - Will Smith (108)

This Is How We Do It - Montel Jordan (110)

1-2-3-4 - Coolio (116)

Now That We Found Love - (118)

Copacabana - Barry Manilow (122)

Don’t Stop Til You Had Enough - Michael Jackson (127)

Dropped A Bomb On Me - Gap Band (127)

Pump Up The Jam - Technotronic (125)

Whoomp! There It Is - Tag Team (128)

Progression of BPMs

As a general rule, it is beneficial to transition from a lower BPM song to a higher BPM song. Increasing the BPMs tends to have the affect of creating more “energy” on the dancefloor. People move their bodies to the beat of the music. If the tempo of the music increases, so does the movement on the floor. As the song’s tempo increases, people will begin to move their bodies at the same rate - increasing the speed of their body movements and their heart rate. On the other hand, if we transition from a higher BPM song to a lower BPM song, people’s movements and energy level will decrease -creating the sense of lost energy on the dancefloor.

Note the progression of the dance sets above. The song sets generally move from a lower BPM to a higher BPM. With pitch control, each of these segues can be created seamlessly, all the while gradually increasing the tempo and BPM. If we were to take these same songs, switch the order of them and play them from 120 to 106 to 127 to 112 it would force the people dancing to re-adjust their body movements each time. This can be awkward and might provide just enough of a reason for people to exit the dancefloor. That’s a chance I do not want to take.

This is also equally true for slow songs and ballads. Slow dance songs can vary in BPM from the 40 BPM range to 80+ BPM (generally speaking). The principle of transitioning from a slower BPM slow dance song to a slightly higher BPM slow dance song has the same effect. It is generally perceived as more comfortable to the dancers as opposed to transitioning to a slower song, which would have the effect of dropping the energy level even more.

Taking a Left Turn

“OK, so now that I am at 160 BPM in this dance set, how long do I stay there?” Obviously, your crowd is not likely going to stay out on the dancefloor for an extended period of time if the music is at a high BPM. Folks will get plain tuckered out after just a few minutes of dancing at that tempo. So how do we transition from that? It might be a good idea to change dramatically to a slow song or ballad to give people a chance to catch their breath. Or, we might choose to transition to a completely different style of music that is at a lower BPM. For example, we end up a dance set with “What I Like About You” by the Romantics at 160 BPM. After the last “Hey” of that song, it can work well to transition to something completely different in a hip-hop song (e.g., “California Love” by Tu Pac at 93 BPM); a dance classic (e.g., “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees at 106 BPM); a Motown song (e.g., “ABC” by the Jackson 5 at 95 BPM); a ballad, etc. Might you lose some of the folks on the dancefloor? Yes. But that might be OK. After all, we are typically trying to provide a mixture and variety of music to reach a wide audience. Some of the folks might stay on the floor; others might leave. But hopefully we have done a good job of “reading” the crowd to anticipate what is likely to work.

Intro, Outro, and Breaks

So where within the song is it best to mix? As stated earlier, it is usually a better segue if the mix is on the instrumental break and NOT over vocals. Many radio versions and album versions of songs do not have full 32 count intros. This makes it a bit more tricky to have overlapping segues. One of the great tools available to professional DJs is the many remix services. There is a list below in the Resources section which highlights some of these services. These can be invaluable tools to the DJ as they generally take popular songs and remix them, providing additional 32 count intros, built-in breaks during the song (during which you can mix to another song, loop back to an earlier point in the song, lay over samples, etc.), and 32 count outros. These versions can work well when programmed into a dance sets at virtually any type of adult function - from wedding receptions to nightclubs. One type of function at which the use of remixes might not be fully appreciated is with middle school and high school audiences. The kids are usually so used to the version of the song they know, that anything other than the original creates confused looks and comments such as, “what did you do to the song?! That’s not the way that song goes!” As such, I generally don’t use the remix service versions as much for youth functions.

The other thing to be aware of when using remixes is that many times, the remix artist puts in all sorts of samples, do-hingies, bells, whistles, etc. and the resulting effect is that it is SO different than the original song that people on the dancefloor either don’t recognize the song at all and exit the floor, or think that it is too weird and exit the floor. My personal preference for remixes, particularly when playing at a wedding reception, is to use remix versions of songs that are fairly true to the original. That is, perhaps they have taken the original version of the song and have built in a 32-count intro and outro, a break or two, and have laid over the song a more danceable bass beat.

Practice, Practice, Practice
Bobby Orr, my all-time-favorite ice hockey player legend from the Boston Bruins quoted one of my favorite lines: “practice does not make perfect, practice makes better.” As we strive to increase our skills in all areas of our business, beatmixing is one of the areas in which we can constantly improve. So what is the best way to practice? One of the best ways might be to take 2 versions of the same song, adjust the pitch of one song, then try to match up the beat of the second song.

Another beneficial exercise is to practice putting some sets together. Knowing several sets of songs with similar stylings will help. Practice mixing those sets together until you gain confidence to use those mixes in a live performance. Tape the mixes (from the output on your mixing board) and listen to them, critiquing yourself. You will find that, as you continue to practice, the mixes will become that much smoother.

Advanced
Sampling: As you gain confidence with your basic mixes, you can branch out to master even more challenging skills. Sampling is one of those. Sampling is simply taking a vocal phrase, a musical riff, drum loop, etc. and laying that portion of the track over the music that is playing through the speakers.

Take a classic example: “Gonna Make You Sweat” from C&C Music Factory has one of the greatest sampling lines, “Everybody dance now!” That phrase can be sampled and laid over the music to inject a jolt of high energy to a song. So how do you extract that phrase? You could digitally sample it. Some mixers have that capability; some CD players have that capability; and there are several types of digital samplers.

There are a couple keys to this. First, the sample needs to be the same BPM as the song that is playing. That “everybody dance now!” phrase is actually 4 counts of an 8 count in a song that is 114 BPM. If we were to sample that phrase and lay it on top of another song that is much different (e.g., 125 BPM or 100 BPM), the “everybody dance now!” sample will sound awkward an out of sync. If the sampler you are using has pitch control so that you can adjust the pitch of the sample, that is a great tool to use. If not, then you may want to consider using samples that are very close in BPM to the song over which you will be laying the sample.

Another issue to consider is where, within a 32 count phrase, you will want to lay the sample. Using our example of the “everybody dance now” phrase, that actually comes in on the 5 count of an 8 count. So if you were to lay that sample over another music bed, it will sound best if you lay it over at the 5 count of the song that is playing. Play the single version of that song and count out the 8 counts yourself. You will see that it comes in at the 5 count of the 2nd measure of a 32 count phrase.

This brings up the issue of where, within a 32 count phrase, is it best to lay a sample. Generally, it is best to lay a vocal track or sample over an instrumental music bed. Laying vocals from different songs over each other can sound jumbled and distracting.

Echoing: There is a lot of creativity that can be used with 2 copies of the same song. By playing them both at the same time, at the exact same speed, and ever-so-slightly “nudge” one a bit slower momentarily, it can create an effect that closely resembles the Doppler effect — sounding like a jet going by. By placing a finger on the + or - pitch bend button and slowing down a song then speeding it up, it creates an almost 3 dimensional effect to the music.

Another version of this would be play 2 of the same songs delaying one by one measure. In other words, the song in CD cart 1 is playing and the same song in CD cart 2 is a few beats behind (depending on the vocals and instrumental beds, it might be better to create the echo at a 1 count, 4 count, an 8 count, or even one whole 32 count phrase). You can then switch the fader back and forth between the 2 songs, giving the impression that the song is echoing itself.

Key Matching: True trained musicians will tell you that songs blend together best when they are not only on beat but in the same KEY. So how does one determine the key in which a song was recorded? I have long forgotten the musical keys from my pre-adolescent guitar lessons and piano lessons. If you are like me and you do not instantly recognize the key of a song, you might want to purchase a key whistle. It is a relatively inexpensive device that you could find in most music equipment stores (places that would sell guitars, for example). When listening to a song playing at its original speed (in other words, without engaging the pitch control), blow this little whistle and listen for what it sounds like. Try blowing the various whistle keys until you hear the sound that fits well. Something that is not in the same key should be immediately noticeable and will sound brash. Once you find the key in which the song was recorded, it should sound like a perfect harmony.

Once you have determined the key, you can write that down on the CD jacket or record jacket. This becomes one other piece of information that you can use when deciding what songs blend well with each other. When you mix two songs together that are both on beat and in the same key, it will sound incredible!

Shifts in Energy and Breaks: As mentioned earlier, it is generally beneficial to build the energy on the floor by gradually increasing the BPM of the music. There are times, however, when dramatic shifts in energy can create an energizing effect. Take, for example, Rockefella Skank by Fat Boy Slim. During that song, it slams along then, at a break point, it slows down until it almost drags to a stop. Then, it builds again, faster, then faster, then faster still until it is slamming at full speed again. The crowd (obviously it has to be the “right” crowd for that song) will be captured by the music and will let their bodies move in sync - slowing down then increasing speed steadily until they scream when the music is back at full speed. It can be a fantastic effect. I have found, however, that it is best when used sporadically. Another example is the House Mix of “Fantasy” by Mariah Carey. It goes along at 125 BPM until a break where it goes back to the “Genius of Love” sample music bed at 102 BPM. Then, in dramatic form with a siren, it increases again until it is eventually back at 125 BPM. By the time it is back at full speed, the dance floor is jamming! Great effect on the crowd. I very rarely use this effect at a wedding reception because the effect will generally be lost an unappreciated by the aunts and uncles and friends of the parents of the bride, etc.

This is very important, if you master this will sound like a real pro because you will know when to fade in and out a song allowing the other song to come in with an intro.

First we need to know the beats per minute of our music. As defined above, the BPM is simply the number of beats in a song in 60 seconds. You can use a stop watch, or, if you would like to take advantage of your computer, you can use a BPM counter (see shareware URL sites in the resources section below).

It is helpful to know the intros of songs and the 8 counts.

8-counts and Phrases

So what’s an 8 count?

Example:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
We are fam-i-ly I’ve got all my sisters and me

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
We are fam - i - ly Get up everybody sing!

These 4 groups of 8-counts form one 32-count phrase (4×8=32 for the mathematically challenged). It’s best to mix at the 32 count. In other words, the best place for the new song to come in at full volume will be at the first beat of a new 8-count at the completion of this 32-count phrase. Got it?

Note: in many songs, as in “We Are Family,” the first note of the song is not always the first beat of an 8 count. In this song above, the single and album versions have a drum riff that is actually number 8 beat. So if you want to begin matching the beats on the 1 count of the first 8 count of a 32-count phrase, you may want to skip over the drum riff while in cue in your headphones.

32-Count Intros

Many songs have 32-count intros (32-counts of instrumental track) which make them much easier to mix. With these songs, you can listen in cue to song B through the headphones while song A is playing through the speakers. Once you have matched up song B on the 1 count of the 32-count phrase so that it is in sync with song A playing through the speakers, you can bring the volume up and you have 32 beats to make sure that is right on track. At the end of that 32 count phrase of song A, song B is already at full volume and is ready to take ove

To make the counting easy so you don't have to count until 32,
the way I do it is : every 4 counts is 1, 4 counts is 2, 4 counts is 3, until I reach 4 counts 4, and at point I am ready to mix the new song in. Once the song is in on the same speed they will sound almost perfect then I am ready to fade out the old song. I love fading out a song rather than fading in a song. It gives you a sense of perfect DJ and the crown does not know even when the new song came in.

Yeswedj.com: that's gotta be the longest post ever!!!

With all due respect, this is totally outdated in today's hotcue's world.

Better: "learn where to place your break point well" :)

Well.... It could be outdated... but for a New Dj, who has no idea why to beat Match, and even the different Dj Terms could be helpful.... Again, I did not write that I found that at a Dj Website....I has been helpful to me. Take what you like and leave what you cant take from behind.

Again,
It is pathetic when new djs are trying to learn and they given instructions like they are pro.... Basic 101 could be easy if starting from scratch....

By The way who said the concept of Djing is not Outdated.... There is no different from Djing 10 years ago and today except technology simply has made it a little bit easier....

By The way who said the concept of Djing is not Outdated.... There is no different from Djing 10 years ago and today except technology simply has made it a little bit easier....

i completely agree with this..... the concepts need to be explained above the technical points to a new young dj.......


not outdated but overlooked.....

What I meant is that, given that every song in my collection has cue point #3 assigned to the break, I can't care less about remember where's the break point, because I jump to it based on the crowd reaction on the songs.

Much of my current DJ style is tied to this technique.

so you are just saying it is out dated cause YOU dont do it.... come on :)

No, because technology allows to not care anymore about where the breakpoint is.

i am just messing with you

Great thread...I'd like to add - for those djs that perform more for private parties like wedding receptions, etc. (I know, I'm in the minority on this forum but there are a few of us here) your crowd is typically older and much more varied then most clubs...the concept of fading the song out after two verses is not as important in these cases and will often be greeted with downright hostility if done too much.

but also in these private party situations beatmatching still is appreciated not cutting the song short but beat matching at the end and to the next song so people danceing have smooth transitions

Oh, definitely! Yes, I beatmatch as much as possible but I do tend to let more of the song play out because of the crowd....

To Some people even when Tech does it for you it is still good to know the old school way....

i agree knowwing the reasons behind the methods adds to better understanding and increased creativity

I'm a newbie and reading all the great information in this thread, however I hve some questions. Every time i get the right beatmix/beatmatch..when i dropped it on the 1's it started to clash after the 4th bar when im mixing.. and most of my HIP HOP songs have 2 bars on the front before the 1's...Im really having trouble mixing..i don't have alot of instrumental first to mix before the lyrics starts...and can someone please enlightned me on the structure or an anatomy of a song..like where's the right place to drop the 1. what is a verse and chorus and etc..thnx

chris07 I am going to be the jerk here and ask why are you getting into djing?

there is a book called 'how to dj right by bill brewster it wont hurt to purchase it.

in my opinion, as an instrumental musician, you either hear phrasing or you dont.... there is no in between... and no easy way to learn how to hear and pick out phrasing. to me its completely natural after 18 years of playing music. some "djs" are clueless and will drop tracks in the middle of phrases and sounds like crap. don't be that guy. just because you have dj equipment doesnt make someone a dj. you have to be musical about it and make your djing sound good.

chris, i'd suggest you get with a dj to learn a little first hand... while listening and watching, you may pick up some things...

and kraal, i was thinking that too... if you cant feel music, why try to be a dj.

i wasnt trying to be rude. It is just i became a dj cause how i feel music and think music. when i hear a song i think about the emotion and feel i get or it gives. that wasnt something i learned or read in a book that was what made me want to dj. the same feeling i got when i saw a blank wall and i happen to have a spray paint can or marker in my hand the wall is calling me to draw on it not something i just decided to do :)

btw that doesnt hold up it court

absolutly!

I think once you realize that you can feel the music or the spray on the wall and you know you got it. Then it is still necessary to work on the technically and the basic techniques needed to be successful. I am not disagreeing with anything being said and I am not looking for someone to take it personal here. Again, you have the passion it is then time to read so that other djs do not make fun of you because you do not even beat match... So reading books, asking questions, observing other djs, wanting to get better and wanting to do is part of the development to become a great dj.

Keep listening to music, while driving, try to write the music while you are listening to it, every genre varies and techniques that you might use while mixing dance music might not or will not apply while mixing Hip Hop or what ever. So first step is to understand bars and again listen to a lot of music and eventually you will realize when to come in and when to come out. Again, yes you have to feel music but it is not enough you still need to understand music.

I felt like I am a good lawyer unfortunately I never went to school for it some one not one of them. I might be a better lawyer than those lucky that went to law school but unfortunately, they went to school and they are practicing law every day.

Practice, read, practice, read will make a good dj a good lawyer.

im actually still going to scratch academy here in LA..i have two more session to go...i got down on the basics such as counting bars and beatmatching..we only useTT no serato...but when i drop it on the ONE'S its great, but its starts to fall a part after a couple of bars...sometimes i drop it on the wrong one's...i thought after the 8 bar its the new one, but when i mixed it songs whack...

im actually been shadowing my friend at the club, but he's too advance for me...he always rock the crowd...thats one of the reason i went to scratch academy and the it was recommended one of the DJ here in the forum...

Keep up practicing,

before you know it your friend will have no game.

right but there still needs to be a 'reason' for getting into djing.... if it is just cause it seems fun that may be the wrong aproach. djing is an expensive hobby and very hard to make even a basivt living

Thats true and I've seen a lot of people that wanna get into it just because its fun and not really wanting to learn the basics.

And I do not disagree,

But once you realize that you have and that it is only about having fun, now what, to my point now is time to take it to another level and learn so that other djs do not reap you apart when djing. Again, to Kraal's point some people just want to be dj because they think it is cool. I agree there are bunch of djs that do not have it and to Kraal's point choose another career.

but as yeswedj is saying after the passion get the skills :)

:)