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DJs: How To Mix

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Learn How To Mix for Beginner DJs

This DJ Tutorial is a step-by-step guide to learn how to mix as a DJ. Filled with great DJ mixing tips. Too many people don't learn how to DJ the correct way.

This guide will help teach you how to become a DJ. It's not easy to learn to DJ, but I'll go over the steps.

You can check out more DJ Tips too!

Learn To DJ

How to Mix for Beginners

DJs listen to and follow the drum beat of a song when trying to mix two songs or "tracks" together. Most dance music tracks have an "intro", made up of repeating musical loops usually without any vocals. Most DJ music tracks also have a "break" and/or an "outro" as well.

(For more info on these terms, scroll down and check out the section titled Typical DJ Music Song Construction)

A DJ can smoothly mix out of a song at both the break or the outro if they want to. A break is usually somewhere in the middle of the track, where the drum pattern ceases or changes. A DJ music track can have more than one break, but will have only one outro.

FIRST BASIC STEPS

Start Playing Some Music

As I'm sure a few of you are reading this to learn to DJ from scratch, I'll go over the nitty gritty basics to getting a record playing on your turntables.
  1. First thing to do is remove the rubber mat that comes with your turntable and replace it with a DJ slipmat. Don't have a pair of slipmats yet? Over the many years I've been doing this, I've found that these dj slipmats have worked the best for me. The purpose of slipmats is to let the vinyl record "slip" over the turntable's platter, so you can control the record with your hand and still let the turntable keep spinning smoothly underneath.
  2. Be sure your DJ needle and the turntable's Tone Arm are adjusted correctly. Follow the instructions that came with your DJ needles, or check out our section on How to Balance a Tonearm. Before Ortofons or Shures, DJ's glued or taped pennies on the cartridge shell to ensure that the needle stayed in place. But too much weight can damage the needles and wear out the vinyl (sometimes called "cue burn"), so don't listen to anyone that tells you to do that.
  3. Next, listen to the song you want to "cue up" (the song you want to start playing) through your headphones only. The DJ mixer volume fader should be in the down position, so that the song is only playing into your headphones, not through the stereo speakers. Start the turntable and using your hand, spin the record around until you find the first drum note or "downbeat". You should not be pushing down on the record so hard that the platter stops moving. The turntable platter should freely move underneath the slipmat. Again, the slipmat will allow the turntable to continue rotating as you hold the record.

    This is also a good reason you should own a direct drive turntable, not a belt drive. Belt drive turntables will get damaged when you push down too hard on the platter. Direct drive turntables are more resilient with their more powerful motor. You'll have an easier time learning how to mix on a direct drive turntable. Check out my DJ Turntable Reviews for more information.
  4. When you are ready to start the track, just release the vinyl at the first drum beat. While you do that, move the volume fader on your DJ Mixer to the up position in a fast smooth motion. As you get better at this, you will notice that if you slightly push the vinyl as you release it, you can drop the beat very accurately. To learn how to mix the beat correctly, you must drop the first beat exactly on the beat of the song that's ending and then adjust the speed with the turntable's pitch fader adjustment.

Calculate BPM (Beats Per Minute)

Helps You Learn How To Mix

Many of today's DJ mixers and some DJ CD players can calculate a track's BPM for you on a digital readout. If you don't have equipment that does that for you, an easy way to find the BPM of a song is as follows:

Starting with the first drum beat, start a stopwatch and count the numbers of bass drum beats that occur in one minute. If you counted 120 beats in one minute, there you go. The BMP of the track is 120. You should write this number on your record label or cd for quick reference. As a rule, most hip hop songs are under 115, most house songs are over 115, and most trance and techno songs are over 130 BPM. Drum-n-Bass and Jungle tends to be twice the BPM of hip hop tracks (160 to 200+ bpm).

Knowing how to calculate BPM will help you learn to DJ faster.

Learn To DJ 

Time to Start Mixing the 2nd Song

Next Step in Learning to DJ

While you are playing one track through the speakers (TRACK #A), get the next track ready
(TRACK #B) to mix into TRACK #A by cueing it up in your headphones. I highly recommend getting 2 copies of the same song to use when you first start out. It will make it easier for you to learn how to mix. Try and set the pitch fader for both turntables to zero for now.

Cueing up the next track means finding the first beat on the record. To do that, place your DJ needle on the outside edge of TRACK #B. (Make sure your mixer's "cue" button or switch is ON for TRACK #B, but OFF for TRACK #A).

With the turntable off, put your hand on the stopped record and move it forward (or back) until you hear that first beat in your headphones. Once you've found it, you can turn the turntable on while you continue to lightly put a few fingers on TRACK #B. The record should stay still, with the platter spinning underneath it.

Now the trick is releasing TRACK #B in time with the currently playing TRACK #A.

You want to line up the drum beats so they are in time with each other. Because hopefully you are using two of the same song, you shouldn't have to adjust the pitch fader for now. If the songs are falling out of line, it means you didn't release the track at the right time. Keep practicing until you get it right. Learning to DJ isn't easy. I can take a lot of practice to learn to mix.

When the beats are matched, place the other hand on the mixer and gradually slide the crossfader so that Track #A's volume declines and Track #B's volume increases. When the mix is finished and Track #B is now the only song playing through the main speakers, be sure that the new song's volume is exactly at the volume of the previous song.

If you don't want to use the same 2 copies when learning how to mix, try and find two tracks that have a BPM (beats per minute) value that are similar. Like within 5 BPM of each other. For an example, that's like a 120 BPM track and a 125 BPM track. As you get better at beatmatching, you can experiment with a larger difference in BPMs.

Other Helpful Stuff:

DJ Tips
Advanced DJ Tips & Tricks
DJ Equipment Guide
DJ Equipment reviews from the Pros.
DJ Gigs
Learn how to land more DJ gigs.
Party Promotions
Start to promote and throw your own events.
DJ Videos
Great DJ videos.
DJ Books
Learn to DJ with good DJ books.

TYPICAL SONG CONSTRUCTION

Important for Learning To DJ

INTRO The Intro may begin with drum beats and gradually progress as instruments are added and the melody may be introduced. Begin mixing into the song here by cueing on the first down-beat (typically the first note of a 32-beat segment).

POST The "post" is a radio term. It's usually the part of the song where the vocals kick-in the first verse. It's where you want to end your mix (and be completely out of the last song).

VERSE 1 The first verse is the first vocal segment. It may be 64, 96, or 128 beats long. Do not mix (or scratch) over this segment.

CHORUS (aka the "hook") Includes the melody (the part you hum along to). It usually is the subject of the song (like love, a girl's name, the name of a dance, etc.). Like the verse, DJ's generally do not mix (or scratch) over this segment.

VERSE 2 The second verse is the second vocal segment. It will most likely be the same length as the first verse.

CHORUS Repeats the same exact melody and lyrics as the first chorus.

SOLO/EFFECT It may be a vocal solo, keyboard solo, break down/drop, or nothing at all. In the 70's, a guitar solo would go here. DJ's generally do not mix out of the song here.

VERSE 3 The third verse is the third vocal segment (In many cases, the words are more intense than the other verses).

CHORUS Repeats the same exact melody and lyrics as the first chorus.

BREAK TO END/OUTRO The outro segment is when the song breaks down into simple beats so that you can begin mixing out of the song. It will most likely resemble the length of the intro. As the outro breaks down, it can be characterized as a reverse copy of the intro. Unlike the "break," the "outro" is the last opportunity to beat mix out of a song.

Learn to DJ: DJ Tips & Tricks

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  • David Cole Nov 14, 2011 @ 12:03 am | delete
    The internet is another place to start looking around for DJ lessons. While in pursuit of a tutor it is easy to stumble across a wealth of information that DJs and others have posted on the net. One such instance is DJtutorial dot com, a website created by a single DJ with all of the information he has accumulated over the course of his career.
    Fog Machine
  • CentreFix Aug 3, 2011 @ 4:36 am | delete
    Really cool stuff.. Well done! Must have taken a while to put together but got a lot out of reading it!!
  • alexkazam Mar 26, 2010 @ 11:34 am | delete
    Great lens- clearly explained advice- now, to get me some decks!
  • Stephen G Mar 3, 2010 @ 9:27 pm | delete
    Nice and informative tips. I have been a fan of electronic music (and more) for many years. My wife surprised me with a 2-port CD/i-pod mixer and a USB turntable for Valentines Day to get me started. I have played with it a little, and am now looking in to additional information to help me along. I appreciate the help!
  • DJMaster24 Nov 7, 2009 @ 11:46 pm | delete
    Great lense! Some great links embedded also, so great share :-)
  • CastleRoy Sep 2, 2009 @ 3:37 pm | delete
    great lens you did an awesome job 5 stars my cuz is a DJ and radio host in NH enjoyed the times I helped him out 5 *s again great Lens
  • papawu Apr 5, 2009 @ 1:27 pm | delete
    Great job babe. I had a mobile dj business way back in high school. My buddies and I had a party crew called UC (United Colors). I really miss my Technics sometimes along with my 12 milk crates of vinyls. I sold them all off during college and truly regret it.
  • Rock_The_Ice Sep 24, 2008 @ 8:18 pm | delete
    Great lens! 5* =]
  • nytclubber Sep 14, 2008 @ 5:54 pm | delete
    awesome lens! it's very informative for every DJ wannabe! lol. keep it up!
  • RyanRE Mar 22, 2008 @ 12:41 am | delete
    Sweet DJ Lens Amber. I clearly qualify and a beginner. I play bass guitar and love music, but I am no DJ. Nice work on this lens ***** to ya!
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