Stefan Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 I ask this in being entirely earnest. What makes a DJ qualify as being good? I'm talking about the real top quality DJs, not your typical club dj... I find it easy to identify good drummers, guitarists, rappers, vocalists, and these individuals are almost always unanimously identified as being the best (or a top 5) in their respective categories... (Drummer: Neil peart, Guitarist: Tom Morello, Slash, Jimmi Hendrix, Rapper: Eminem, Vocalist: Freddie Mercury) You'd be hard to find someone really disagree with any of these choices... It seems like DJing comes down to personal preference with DJing. Excuse my ignorance, and educate me. I understand their is a lot of technical work involved in DJing, and having a trained ear for their craft, can anyone dwell a bit on that though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baka Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 IMO mixture of luck, understanding the crowd, and image/marketing. There is no real blunt answer it evolves to the individual. EDIT: Boring answer I know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grapefruits Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Someone who can actually mix the music well and make it flow. Many seem to think that being a DJ just involves playing music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nux4lyfe Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Thanks for asking, I've been DJing for over 13 years, everything from clubs, Wedding receptions/engagements, Ballroom parties, Graduations, Boat cruises, ...you name it...I've also had the privilege to open up for many well knows artists..also got to 'play' a long with many. What makes a good DJ? These days it seems like a lost art, you have a music library and controller and people automatically consider themselves a dj..with the help of software anyone can beat match (cheating) with out actually learning the craft by ear. I've spent hrs upon hrs blending tracks (mostly back in the day) experimenting to find the right transitions...and it pisses me off how so many dj's think they're 'dj's' with out any ear training and couldn't blend a song in key if their life depended on it without the 'auto' bpm match on. The problem these days is that no one really cares about talent, sad but true...you play whatever the 'hot' stuff is and people will dance weather you suck at mixing or not... To me, what makes a good DJ is , Original music selection, controlling a crowd, reading the crowd and always being 2 steps ahead. Learning when to up/down the 'tempo' to create energy but not wear your crowd out. But to be perfectly honest, to me what makes a good DJ is SKILL...understanding the songs structure, knowing how and when to mix, mixing seamlessly, knowing when to bring the next track in, breakdowns, tricks like beat-juggling, scratching..... But all the above seems like a lost art, which has kind of turned me off of Djing because the general people will hire anyone these days as long the can 'just play music'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLASSJAW Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 I ask this in being entirely earnest. What makes a DJ qualify as being good? I'm talking about the real top quality DJs, not your typical club dj... I find it easy to identify good drummers, guitarists, rappers, vocalists, and these individuals are almost always unanimously identified as being the best (or a top 5) in their respective categories... (Drummer: Neil peart, Guitarist: Tom Morello, Slash, Jimmi Hendrix, Rapper: Eminem, Vocalist: Freddie Mercury) You'd be hard to find someone really disagree with any of these choices... It seems like DJing comes down to personal preference with DJing. Excuse my ignorance, and educate me. I understand their is a lot of technical work involved in DJing, and having a trained ear for their craft, can anyone dwell a bit on that though? first, i think it depends what you mean by a "DJ" -- if you're talking about turntablists and the oldschool hiphop style of DJ'ing, then yeah, there's some technicality involved and lots of practice but if you're talking about an EDM live performance, lots (probably the vast majority, according to deadmau5) just press play occasionally and make themselves look busy. some others work samples and loops and MIDIs on the fly, but it isn't necessary DJ'ing is an artform perfected in the studio, not on the stage. and as terrible as i think most EDM is (as is most body music), i think this could be said for a lot of music genres. hip hop, for the most part, is perfected in the studio and uses a lot of the same tools and methods as EDM. it's just a far more interesting world in hip hop though, since the sampling is so much more genre-expanding and has implicit meaning (kanye's 'strange fruit' sample in Blood on the Leaves for example, was pretty controversial). EDM sampling is usually just pitch shifting of beep boop sounds over very standard beats. utterly mindless. but then i guess you have mash up type DJ's too, which is a different ball game too honestly, it just really depends on what your favourite style is. i wouldn't list Hendrix among my favourite guitarists, so, it's all just boring subjectivity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horny Manatee Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 I base it on the number of gnarly KK Rev tunes that they're able to mix in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzle Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 I ask this in being entirely earnest. What makes a DJ qualify as being good? I'm talking about the real top quality DJs, not your typical club dj... I find it easy to identify good drummers, guitarists, rappers, vocalists, and these individuals are almost always unanimously identified as being the best (or a top 5) in their respective categories... (Drummer: Neil peart, Guitarist: Tom Morello, Slash, Jimmi Hendrix, Rapper: Eminem, Vocalist: Freddie Mercury) You'd be hard to find someone really disagree with any of these choices... It seems like DJing comes down to personal preference with DJing. Excuse my ignorance, and educate me. I understand their is a lot of technical work involved in DJing, and having a trained ear for their craft, can anyone dwell a bit on that though? I think you do have some understanding of it. While I'm not a DJ or a producer or anyone remotely close to the term audiophile, I've been listening to "EDM" much earlier than when the genre was called "EDM" (Electronic Dance Music). To be honest, the really good DJs have to be innovative. BT, real name Brian Transeau, is a more mainstream DJ/producer that is well known for his "BT stutter". This interview by him gives a pretty interesting perspective, though he's promoting this product rather recently, he's been using the stutter technique way before. This just makes it much more accessible for the less talented. Listen to an example here. There's a joke by Russell Peters here on DJing that is SO true. NSFW. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DJO8k8-_8Q Why do DJs have time to have their "hands in the air"? I think it's really hard to be a famous DJ nowadays. I think the appreciation of how much work it takes isn't like it was before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLASSJAW Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 I ask this in being entirely earnest. What makes a DJ qualify as being good? I'm talking about the real top quality DJs, not your typical club dj... I find it easy to identify good drummers, guitarists, rappers, vocalists, and these individuals are almost always unanimously identified as being the best (or a top 5) in their respective categories... (Drummer: Neil peart, Guitarist: Tom Morello, Slash, Jimmi Hendrix, Rapper: Eminem, Vocalist: Freddie Mercury) You'd be hard to find someone really disagree with any of these choices... It seems like DJing comes down to personal preference with DJing. Excuse my ignorance, and educate me. I understand their is a lot of technical work involved in DJing, and having a trained ear for their craft, can anyone dwell a bit on that though? by the way, not to derail this or anything... but who the hell ranks slash and tom morello among hendrix? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzle Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 first, i think it depends what you mean by a "DJ" -- if you're talking about turntablists and the oldschool hiphop style of DJ'ing, then yeah, there's some technicality involved and lots of practice but if you're talking about an EDM live performance, lots (probably the vast majority, according to deadmau5) just press play occasionally and make themselves look busy. some others work samples and loops and MIDIs on the fly, but it isn't necessary DJ'ing is an artform perfected in the studio, not on the stage. and as terrible as i think most EDM is (as is most body music), i think this could be said for a lot of music genres. hip hop, for the most part, is perfected in the studio and uses a lot of the same tools and methods as EDM. it's just a far more interesting world in hip hop though, since the sampling is so much more genre-expanding and has implicit meaning (kanye's 'strange fruit' sample in Blood on the Leaves for example, was pretty controversial). EDM sampling is usually just pitch shifting of beep boop sounds over very standard beats. utterly mindless. but then i guess you have mash up type DJ's too, which is a different ball game too honestly, it just really depends on what your favourite style is. i wouldn't list Hendrix among my favourite guitarists, so, it's all just boring subjectivity You're mixing up DJing with producing. They're actually two different things. Real DJs, as you say, don't just push a button and "make themselves look busy". There's all kinds of equipment that change the experience entirely. When you're mixing, you need to beatmatch and I don't need to tell you how difficult must be to do it ON STAGE. Your timing has to be absolutely ON TOP otherwise you'll ruin it. It's very risky and I don't think the amateur DJ will risk his rep for that. The pros do it like it's nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nux4lyfe Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 You're mixing up DJing with producing. They're actually two different things. Real DJs, as you say, don't just push a button and "make themselves look busy". There's all kinds of equipment that change the experience entirely. When you're mixing, you need to beatmatch and I don't need to tell you how difficult must be to do it ON STAGE. Your timing has to be absolutely ON TOP otherwise you'll ruin it. It's very risky and I don't think the amateur DJ will risk his rep for that. The pros do it like it's nothing. You're absolutely right..too bad so many 'dj's' play pre-mixed CD's, trust me I've seen it 1st hand! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jägermeister Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Thanks for asking, I've been DJing for over 13 years, everything from clubs, Wedding receptions/engagements, Ballroom parties, Graduations, Boat cruises, ...you name it...I've also had the privilege to open up for many well knows artists..also got to 'play' a long with many. What makes a good DJ? These days it seems like a lost art, you have a music library and controller and people automatically consider themselves a dj..with the help of software anyone can beat match (cheating) with out actually learning the craft by ear. I've spent hrs upon hrs blending tracks (mostly back in the day) experimenting to find the right transitions...and it pisses me off how so many dj's think they're 'dj's' with out any ear training and couldn't blend a song in key if their life depended on it without the 'auto' bpm match on. The problem these days is that no one really cares about talent, sad but true...you play whatever the 'hot' stuff is and people will dance weather you suck at mixing or not... To me, what makes a good DJ is , Original music selection, controlling a crowd, reading the crowd and always being 2 steps ahead. Learning when to up/down the 'tempo' to create energy but not wear your crowd out. But to be perfectly honest, to me what makes a good DJ is SKILL...understanding the songs structure, knowing how and when to mix, mixing seamlessly, knowing when to bring the next track in, breakdowns, tricks like beat-juggling, scratching..... But all the above seems like a lost art, which has kind of turned me off of Djing because the general people will hire anyone these days as long the can 'just play music'. Well you covered that better than I ever could have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armada Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Thanks for asking, I've been DJing for over 13 years, everything from clubs, Wedding receptions/engagements, Ballroom parties, Graduations, Boat cruises, ...you name it...I've also had the privilege to open up for many well knows artists..also got to 'play' a long with many. What makes a good DJ? These days it seems like a lost art, you have a music library and controller and people automatically consider themselves a dj..with the help of software anyone can beat match (cheating) with out actually learning the craft by ear. I've spent hrs upon hrs blending tracks (mostly back in the day) experimenting to find the right transitions...and it pisses me off how so many dj's think they're 'dj's' with out any ear training and couldn't blend a song in key if their life depended on it without the 'auto' bpm match on. The problem these days is that no one really cares about talent, sad but true...you play whatever the 'hot' stuff is and people will dance weather you suck at mixing or not... To me, what makes a good DJ is , Original music selection, controlling a crowd, reading the crowd and always being 2 steps ahead. Learning when to up/down the 'tempo' to create energy but not wear your crowd out. But to be perfectly honest, to me what makes a good DJ is SKILL...understanding the songs structure, knowing how and when to mix, mixing seamlessly, knowing when to bring the next track in, breakdowns, tricks like beat-juggling, scratching..... But all the above seems like a lost art, which has kind of turned me off of Djing because the general people will hire anyone these days as long the can 'just play music'. The Sync Button being used as a way to "cheat" is a common misconception in the world of DJing. A lot of the old school dj's especially frown upon those who use it. However, there's a lot of valid reasons and proper uses for it outlined in this video. I recently picked up DJing myself for about a year now. I haven't been fully dedicated to it, however its not an easy thing to do but I have definitely greatly improved. Although I still wouldn't dare play in front of crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLASSJAW Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 You're mixing up DJing with producing. They're actually two different things. Real DJs, as you say, don't just push a button and "make themselves look busy". There's all kinds of equipment that change the experience entirely. When you're mixing, you need to beatmatch and I don't need to tell you how difficult must be to do it ON STAGE. Your timing has to be absolutely ON TOP otherwise you'll ruin it. It's very risky and I don't think the amateur DJ will risk his rep for that. The pros do it like it's nothing. i don't buy it. deadmau5 says that the knobs he turns don't do anything, he says the timing is extremely simple (which makes sense, because the song structures are generally simple and extremely repetitive). he reduced it to "count to 4" more specifically, he wrote that: "Ableton syncs the sh* up for me… so no beatmatching skill required. "beatmatching" isn't even a f*cking skill as far as I'm concered anyway. So what, you can count to 4. Cool. I had that skill down when i was 3, so don't give me that argument please." to this, people say Deadmau5 sucks anyway. the "he's not a real DJ" argument. or his supporters say that he's a genius for being one of the few EDM musicians to take the live experience to a new level with improvisation. who knows what to believe? not me! but watching videos of DJ's twist pitch shifting nobs every five seconds is pretty funny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted October 19, 2014 Author Share Posted October 19, 2014 Thanks for asking, I've been DJing for over 13 years, everything from clubs, Wedding receptions/engagements, Ballroom parties, Graduations, Boat cruises, ...you name it...I've also had the privilege to open up for many well knows artists..also got to 'play' a long with many. What makes a good DJ? These days it seems like a lost art, you have a music library and controller and people automatically consider themselves a dj..with the help of software anyone can beat match (cheating) with out actually learning the craft by ear. I've spent hrs upon hrs blending tracks (mostly back in the day) experimenting to find the right transitions...and it pisses me off how so many dj's think they're 'dj's' with out any ear training and couldn't blend a song in key if their life depended on it without the 'auto' bpm match on. The problem these days is that no one really cares about talent, sad but true...you play whatever the 'hot' stuff is and people will dance weather you suck at mixing or not... To me, what makes a good DJ is , Original music selection, controlling a crowd, reading the crowd and always being 2 steps ahead. Learning when to up/down the 'tempo' to create energy but not wear your crowd out. But to be perfectly honest, to me what makes a good DJ is SKILL...understanding the songs structure, knowing how and when to mix, mixing seamlessly, knowing when to bring the next track in, breakdowns, tricks like beat-juggling, scratching..... But all the above seems like a lost art, which has kind of turned me off of Djing because the general people will hire anyone these days as long the can 'just play music'. Sweet response. I immediately started to think of the The Beastie boys when I started to read your response. Is it Mix Master Mike? Anyway, where a guy actually has to mix by ear, and have technical work going into his performance is something I'd consider an art, that requires talent. I'm having a hard time grasping paying a lot of money to watch someone put their hands in the air and jump around a bunch, sort of like what the guy who posted the Russel Peters video. by the way, not to derail this or anything... but who the hell ranks slash and tom morello among hendrix? Well, they're all very different guitarists, but to deny Slash's technical ability, and Morello's awesomeness is pretty bold... I also know a couple DJs (Big surprise, I'm sure everyone does), and one says that all he literally has to do is raise his arm every once in a while and yell into the mic. I don't deny the amount of work he puts into his craft at home, and the work put into marketing, but as far as performing goes, the guy said so himself... Not a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nux4lyfe Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 The Sync Button being used as a way to "cheat" is a common misconception in the world of DJing. A lot of the old school dj's especially frown upon those who use it. However, there's a lot of valid reasons and proper uses for it outlined in this video. I recently picked up DJing myself for about a year now. I haven't been fully dedicated to it, however its not an easy thing to do but I have definitely greatly improved. Although I still wouldn't dare play in front of crowd. The only time I'll give credit to someone for using the sync button is if they have like 5 controllers attached to your rig such as drum pads and keyboards and are performing live, for example; at least triggering live drums on the spot...or at least playing something live, If you are mixing between 2 decks all night using sync and have you hands in the air like a douche bag you get no credit. learn to use pitch and respect the craft. Btw I did not watch the video because 'sync' does not exist in my vocab...No disrespect, just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tortorella's Rant Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Understanding and applying what makes Pauly D so great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bookie Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Even more important than perfect beat matching for me is the basic ability to take something old and transform it into something new and original. (the look on the girl's face @ 2:30 says it all; also Bryzgalov shows up around 3:30) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyLuciano Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Good consistent music and stage presence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzle Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Even more important than perfect beat matching for me is the basic ability to take something old and transform it into something new and original. (the look on the girl's face @ 2:30 says it all; also Bryzgalov shows up around 3:30) Creative, for sure. But what the hell is he doing playing it in a club? 3 mins is far too long to be playing a song like that, let alone 6. Maybe if he played small patches of it, taking aspects of it and blending it with something else that he's playing? Song choice is very very important and while he is creative and talented, where are you going with the song? It should transition into something. Plus it doesn't seem like the end of a set. Anyway, I'm not hating - I just think it has limited to no application for use in a set, except maybe at the very end of a set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bookie Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Creative, for sure. But what the hell is he doing playing it in a club? 3 mins is far too long to be playing a song like that, let alone 6. Maybe if he played small patches of it, taking aspects of it and blending it with something else that he's playing? Song choice is very very important and while he is creative and talented, where are you going with the song? It should transition into something. Plus it doesn't seem like the end of a set. Anyway, I'm not hating - I just think it has limited to no application for use in a set, except maybe at the very end of a set. He tends to use it in the middle of the set so it acts as a little interlude, people can catch their breath or hit the bathroom/bar. But I doubt most who pay for a Kid Koala set are expecting a three hour dance marathon since it's mostly breakbeat, hip hop and jazz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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