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    Spin Now!: The DJ Starter Handbook
    Spin Now!: The DJ Starter Handbook
    Spin Now!: The DJ Starter Handbook
    Ebook256 pages1 hour

    Spin Now!: The DJ Starter Handbook

    By DJ Shortee

    ()

    Read preview
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRowmanLittlefield
    Release dateMar 1, 2012
    ISBN9781458471505
    Spin Now!: The DJ Starter Handbook

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      Book preview

      Spin Now! - DJ Shortee

      Copyright © 2012 by Shannon Bruno (DJ Shortee)

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, without written permission, except by a newspaper or magazine reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review.

      Published in 2012 by Hal Leonard Books

      An Imprint of Hal Leonard Corporation

      7777 West Bluemound Road

      Milwaukee, WI 53213

      Trade Book Division Editorial Offices

      33 Plymouth St., Montclair, NJ 07042

      For photographs in the text, the author wishes to thank Rane, Shure, Pioneer, Technics, Alesis, Sennheiser, Stanton, Vestax, Serato, Native Instruments, Mixed In Key, FL Studio, Ortofon, Sony, Pearl Music, Zildjian, KRK, Beatport, TrackItDown, Soundcloud, and Facebook.

      The image of the Camelot Wheel on page 50 is reprinted with permission of Mixed In Key. All rights reserved.

      Book design by Kristina Rolander

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      DJ Shortee.

      Spin now!: the DJ starter handbook/DJ Shortee.

      pages cm

      1. Disc jockeys—Vocational guidance. 2. Sound recording—Remixing. I. Title.

      ML3795.D57 2012

      781.4—dc23

      2012002082

      ISBN 978-1-4584-1652-0

      www.halleonardbooks.com

      To my partner in music and life, DJ Faust,

      who taught me the basics of DJing.

      Thank you for supporting me in every possible way

      and pushing me to follow my dreams.

      Contents

      Part 1: Getting Ready

      Chapter 1: What Is a DJ?

      A DJ Is…

      What Kind of DJ Do You Want to Be?

      Club DJ

      Mobile DJ

      Radio DJ

      Supporting DJ

      Turntablist

      Chapter 2: Tools of the Trade

      Essentials

      Audio

      Players

      Mixer

      Amplifiers

      Speakers

      Headphones

      Microphone

      Different Types of Gear

      Turntables

      CD Players

      Mixers

      DJ Software

      DJ Midi Controllers

      Where to Shop

      DJ Equipment

      Music

      Hook It Up!

      Turntables

      CD Players

      Mixer

      Software

      Part 2: Getting Busy

      Chapter 3: Is This Thing On?

      Mixer

      Exercise 1: Mixer

      Turntables

      Exercise 2: Put the Needle on the Record!

      Exercise 3: Holding the Record

      Exercise 4: Rewinding the Record

      Exercise 5: Forwarding the Record

      Exercise 6: Cueing the Record

      CD Players

      Exercise 7: Playing the CD

      Exercise 8: Rewinding the CD

      Exercise 9: Forwarding the CD

      Exercise 10: Cueing the CD

      Exercise 11: Setting and Adjusting Cue Points in CDJ mode

      Exercise 12: Setting and Adjusting Cue Points in Vinyl Mode

      Software and All-in-One Controllers

      How to Listen

      Headphones with Monitor

      Exercise 13: Headphone/Monitor Mix

      All in the Headphones

      Exercise 14: Headphone Mix

      Split Cue

      Chapter 4: Breaking Down the Music

      Beat

      Exercise 15: Find the Beat!

      Drums

      Exercise 16: Identifying the Main Drum Kit!

      Counting Music

      Bars

      Exercise 17: Count the Bars!

      Phrases

      The One

      Exercise 18: Count Phrases and Identify the Ones!

      Song Structure

      Vocal Music (Hip-Hop, Rock, Pop, Reggae)

      Electronic Dance Music (House, Techno, Trance, Drum and Bass, Dubstep, Breakbeat)

      BPM

      Exercise 19: Counting the BPM

      Genres and Tempos

      Quantized Music

      Key

      Clefs

      Scales and Keys

      Major and Minor

      Key Signature

      Harmonic Mixing

      Mixed in Key DJ Software

      Chapter 5: Dropping the Beat

      Starter Music

      Beat Dropping Options

      Baby Scratch

      Exercise 20: Baby Scratch

      Release Scratch

      Exercise 21: Release Scratch

      Baby-Release Combo

      Exercise 22: Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby, Release!

      Droppin’ on the One

      Exercise 23: Droppin’ on the One

      Baby-Release-Rewind Combo with Crossfader

      Exercise 24: Baby-Release-Rewind Combo with Crossfader (Silent Babies and Rewinds)

      Droppin’ on the One Using the Crossfader and Headphones

      Exercise 25: Droppin’ on the One Using the Crossfader and Headphones (Silent Babies and Rewinds)

      Chapter 6: Matching the Beats

      Beatmatching

      Exercise 26: Manual Speed-Up Method

      Exercise 27: Manual Slow-Down Method

      Exercise 28: Using Manual Adjustments

      What to Listen For

      How to Tell If the Song Is Too Fast or Too Slow

      Exercise 29: Continuous Manual Speedup

      Exercise 30: Continuous Manual Slowdown

      Exercise 31: Full Pitch Adjustments

      Exercise 32: Different Songs

      Exercise 33: Different Songs, Different BPM

      Chapter 7: Mixing It Up

      Level Adjustments

      Simple Blend

      Exercise 34: Simple Blend

      Basic EQ Mix

      Exercise 35: Basic EQ Mix

      Drop Mix Using EQ

      Exercise 36: Cutting

      Exercise 37: Drop Mix Using EQ

      Chapter 8: What’s Next?

      Practice! Practice! Practice!

      Record Yourself

      Play for Your Homies

      Build Your Fan Base!

      What’s Yo Name?

      Creating Awareness

      Playing Out!

      Be Prepared!

      Mistakes

      Don’t Be an Ass!

      Have Fun!

      About the DVD-ROM

      Part One

      Getting Ready

      Chapter 1

      What Is a DJ?

      A DJ Is…

      A DJ is someone who selects and plays musical recordings for an audience. The word DJ is short for deejay or disc jockey, originally referring to a person who played vinyl records. Nowadays DJs use a variety of different formats, including vinyl, CDs, and MP3s. (Yes, they still make vinyl!)

      What Kind of DJ Do You Want to Be?

      There are different types of DJs, and the role of each DJ really depends on the job.

      Club DJ

      A club DJ is someone who plays music in nightclubs, raves, and bars. Some stick to one genre of music and only play events that promote that genre, while others spin multiple genres. If you play commercial genres, you’ll also be expected to work the mic to hype up the crowd, take requests, and announce birthdays and bachelorette parties. Resident DJs play the same venue on a regular basis and may open or close for headlining guest DJs or play the entire event on their own. Traveling DJs are guest DJs who travel to perform at different venues in various cities and countries around the world. Many are also producers or remixers with a substantial fan base who are known to provide a certain unique sound. Superstar DJs are the elite traveling DJs who have achieved a household name within their music scene and are making a ton of money jet-setting around the world, playing massive events, and living out their dreams. All DJs should shoot for the stars. But don’t worry—even if you don’t hit superstar status, you can still make a decent living as a club DJ and it’s a lot of fun!

      Mobile DJ

      A mobile DJ brings an entire sound system and lighting rig to the event, sets it up, and runs the whole show solo. Events include weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, proms, birthdays, holiday parties, and so on. The music is generally commercial and well known, and the occasion may be very special to the client. Personality, versatility, and ingenuity are must-haves because you’ll have to adapt to any situation and literally get the party started with a diverse group of people who may be shy to let loose. You may have to provide a Karaoke setup, start party games to get people involved, and announce special moments, requests, or dedications. It’s a ton of work, expensive, and you’ll probably be playing the same songs over and over. But the business payoff can be huge, and you’ll become a master at reading and controlling a crowd.

      Radio DJ

      Radio personalities introduce and play music that is broadcast on AM, FM, shortwave, digital,

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