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Topic: How to be a creative DJ ??

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I believe that djing isn't just about scratching or beatmatching, it is also about creativity. so how to be a creative dj ???
 
Posted Mon 09 May 11 @ 6:50 am
its all about practice, practice, practice ... You'll find your creativity after some time if you have tried different matchings of songs.
 


"More than mere sum of its parts must your DJ set be, young padawan."
 
I've learn to be creative as I go. Some of my best tricks come in the middle of making my mixes. I've done some I have never been able to do again.

The only thing I truly hate about DJing is the party ending. Not only do I not want to stop, I don't want to break down.
 
Being creative depends on you. You can be creative by sampling parts of a song, using acapellas, Loopping, scratching, instrumentals etc. If you have an open mind and like to try different things, Creativity can be endless.
 
I think there is a fine line between being creative and being indulgent.

As for ending a show - I always like to end my set with the Ray Charles version of "Hit the road Jack." It's a clear message to the regulars and everyone sings and dances it out loud no matter where I'm playing, and they all get the message. :)~
More often than not - you'll see people hours later still singing it down the street.
 
Ending an event with an older crowd I use "Goodnight Sweetheart" by the Spaniels.
 
We have a long-standing tradition at all AuralCandy.Net live events: we play Sir Mix-A-Lot - Baby Got Back as the last track of the night :)
 
A creative DJ is one who trust in their instincts and goes for it! We all imagine ourselves doing something and those that takes the time to practice the things we imagine, eventually do those things! Remember your song selection is a major key to your success, knowing what to play, when to play it and how to play it! For years, I've been able to create on the fly in the middle of a set from just the vibe I get from my crowds alone. Yet it took me years to be confident in my skills from hours of practice on end by myself, then hands on training at all of my gigs.

Young DJ's take this advice right here, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! Learn the BASIC FUNDAMENTALS of being a DJ! Avoid the bad habits of some DJ's (over mixing, over scratching, using too many sound effects to over compensate for your skills, etc.); remember you play to cater to the crowd, not to cater to your taste, so don't play 50 cent when your crowd wants Garth Brooks! In other words, don't just play one genre of music, learn to play more than one genre, because your pockets will thank you in the end. Lose the ego you're the best DJ in the world until you earn that title, if you ever do! More importantly don't call yourself a REAL DJ because you got all the bells & whistles, get in the lab and do all the above! Then once you built enough confidence, read this article http://www.virtualdj.com/forums/122131/Mix_lessons/Don_t_fear_the_mixer_.html and run wild with your imagination!

I don't play a night ending song, rather I mixed up a nice way to say good night with some of my favorite tv shows and movies, like Martin's- "Get to stepping" and New Jack City when Nino Brown says "See ya and I wouldn't want to be ya" just to name a few of them and throw in a instrumental of my choice! It's gets a few laughs and the drunks for the night certainly get the message! (The vets know what I'm talking about when it comes to the DRUNKS!)
 
im a new dj and i practice ALOT... AND still catch myself over mixing at times... its hard for me to really practice alone i need to feel my crowd because the vibe helps my creativity. save and listen to your own mixing it helps.
 
If you give the crowd what they want then you can never go wrong. I think the best thing any Dj can do is learn how to read a crowd. Sometimes less is better. I have heard DJs mash up and quickly mix in and out of song where I would appreciate something like that, as a Dj I know that takes skill but the crowd sometimes doesn't. They would complain that they wanted to hear more of the song or why didn't the Dj play the orignal version?

i do agree that sometime i do get creative because i am bored. I might do 1 or 2 things differently but if you do it through out the whole set then really you are not djing for the crowd any more you are dj for yourself or the other djs around you.

regards, Dj VooDoo.
 
djymp wrote :
im a new dj and i practice ALOT... AND still catch myself over mixing at times... its hard for me to really practice alone i need to feel my crowd because the vibe helps my creativity. save and listen to your own mixing it helps.


If you're over mixing, time to discipline yourself for one reason, "FEMALES!" Understand me good here, they hate DJ's who over do it and will leave the dance floor. So if they leave, the fellas follow and that won't look good on your part! There's nothing with mixing, but learn the art when to transition and like DJ Voodoo said, "Most of the time, they prefer you play the original."

I once watched a DJ get on the set, only to over mixed almost every song and the crowd was gone with in a half hour! I felt bad for him because he wasn't that bad, but reading the crowd is something he knew nothing about!

Just keep practicing weather in front of a crowd or by yourself! If you still need a crowd, then by all means have your friends over for some of your practice sessions.

Just keep PRACTICING!!!
 
djymp wrote :
its hard for me to really practice alone


Not to be dis-respectful but, that is a cop out. Practice IS alone. Do you think every basket Micheal Jordan tossed up was on camera? Do you think every drive Tiger Woods hit was on camera? There is only one way TO practice. Alone. We all enjoy a crowd but, that is not practice, it's work. Trust me when I say this. No one wants to see you practicing live. Learning, yes, practicing....no
 
Yes, I agree, being a creative DJ is alot like making love, you need to practice alone alot, but it's really much more fun doing it in front of a large crowd.. umm... ok.... wait... bad analogy.
 
mixing genres,although not everyone will like every track,enough variety and everyone can hear their sound
 


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