[CJ_W]

(06-18-2012 10:18 PM)kosko Wrote:  

Naw fuck DJ school. Shits a scam. Why pay 800 bucks to learn something on your own with some practice and some help fourms.

To be a legit DJ just pick your tools + method

and ..

practice

That's really it.

depending if your just using itunes to having to tables with some trigger pads and shit. Its just a matter of picking whats good and practicing. Its best to at least have some blending experience because then you can weasel more gigs.

edit: sorry for the weird grammar. . .stream of consciousness writing and all


This. You don't need DJ school. . .that's like going to school to get potty trained. Really. I learned how to DJ in about 3 days (out of neccesity but still) Here's how to do it.

remember the name of the game is connections. Once you learn the basics, then you gotta meet people/venues.

so if you don't know how to dj, you can do it the cheap way:

first, befriend a DJ. The best way to do this is to become a promoter for a club/event. You can get paid for this too. While you're promoting, make sure you get in good with the resident DJs.

Eventually. . .ask them to show you how to DJ, The basics are really easy, and in fact, you can just look them up on youtube.

oh its good to know how to DJ with CDJ's at least before you go all "laptop jukebox warrior." There was a guy who didn't know what the pitch bend button was so that the pitch would go all over the crazy when ever he sped/slowed a song down. . .he didn't believe me when I told him about the button. . .until I pressed it. he was shocked. Now being that this is the basic of the basic. . .that was pretty sad. (don't be that guy)

Anyway, after you learn the basics, get about 6 CDs worth of music and write the names of the songs on them (or you can just put them on two USBs, but some clubs dont have CDJs that you can put USBs in and have them work reliably) so make sure you put them onto CDs just to make sure you don't bone yourself.

Oh yeah, make sure you have decent DJ headphones. they cost about 100-150. the higher end ones about 300 or so.

anyway, basically just DJ at small venues to practice. once your set is over, you need to be mingling with people, letting them know that "you are a DJ" and offer to get them in on a discount next time you come etc etc.

the Top Dj's get to the top by getting REALLY good at this and DJing well, making awesome mashups etc etc.

Or producing their own stuff and getting signed to a record company etc etc.

the latter is pretty much the norm now. . .but producing is such a large topic that you're going to have to look at that on your own.

In fact, the only DJs that I know of that don't produce are James Zibelia, and Tommy Trash... But those guys are ridiculously good

anyway you're not really aiming for all that when you start. pretty much keep networking, expand your mailing list, promote yourself and the shows you do(skills you learn while being a promoter if you go that route)

You'll probably get pussy just from being a promoter . . .I had sex with a 9.9 in the VIP room of a club(got to find that picture, someone took of that if you want to see it ). . .just because I was there and had some sort of "power"(I was keeping the schedule of the dancers and telling them when to go, and bringing them back etc etc. . .apparently no one else wanted to do it because they were lazy. . . but I'm not retarded like that

but I digress, you will get pussy as a promoter/host, and most times it'll be a breeze (I also banged some of the dancers too Being a DJis just the next step up. But you got to remember.

DON"T BE A DOUCHEBAG.

DJ's (who are not big name, up and comers etc etc) are NOTORIOUS for being a huge pain in the ass to deal with. . .(from experience dealing with them) if you are cool, do what you say you'll do, don't get fucked up at every event (you shouldn't be drinking unless its with your customers that you brought who will eventually buy you drinks anyway) stay away from the Drugs, have a great attitude, dodo what needs to be done. bring lots of people. you WILL be a commodity.

Basically. . .common sense.

eventually Women will just come to you without you doing much work outside of what you're already doing.

later on once you get money from gigs, use that money and buy the equipment you need to DJ on a laptop, and learn how to do mashups, and advanced DJing techniques.

But really you don't need to learn all that untill about a couple years down the line. Most producers suck at DJing, even at the basics.

all you need as a DJ is the basics (beat matching especially), some USBs and CDs, and some decent headphones. You can practice at small venues on your way up. just offer to do it for free. You can also ask to practice at the clubs you promote at.

I DJed at this nice trendy restaurant I went to on weeknights for like 3-4 hours a week for about 6 months(it was the dead time and I helped bring people in who were walking buy and heard the music so the manager gave me free drinks since I was doing it for free.). during that time, I got two people offer me really nice gigs which PACKED the place out and I was the center of attention. . .those were awesome nights.

oh one more thing. If you play music that you find really sounds great, people will react to that and love it too.

P.S. on the drinking thing, I made a point not to drink mostly because I wanted to be sober enough to a) meet women and b) get fans/friends/expand network etc etc. of course this was like a CHALLENGE to the people I met and or fans I brought as they were like "ok, YOU ARE DRINKING" and bought me drinks. -.-

Anyway, you can take it as far as you want to go. I've met Big name DJs (only took a picture with one though. . .that was stupid as I should have done it with all of them. . .) been involved in events(to the extent I can't say on the forums) at some of the largest clubs on the planet (at least two on the top 100 clubs list of DJ mag) made tons of great friends with up and coming producers and DJs(musician friends are the best seriously.) met lots of hot women easily(I was doing that before anyway but still.) Ive gotten into large festivals for free, multiple times, got free entry to other venues and events, free VIP to venues and events, I even shared the last two bottles of Don Perignon with two other people after a successful event in ADDITION to getting paid. . .
I don't abuse that privilage though as most of my friend's lively hoods rely on paying customer so I try to pay wherever I can. but every once in a while Ill get offered some sweet freebies.

It is a bit of work, especially if you already have a job. . . but if you put in the work, you'll go on a crazy adventure.

It was a LOT of work after a certain point. . .but that's another story.