djing help with phrases.

[chaotix]

I need some help understanding phrases better, i'm very confused. I've been djing for about 6 months now, and still can't make a fluid mix without any errors for more than 15 minutes.

I can beat match perfectly, I'm confused why some of my mixing doesn't sound good. I know there is a noticeable change at 32 beats. which is one phrase, i know the most noticeable change comes at 64 beats, then it usually repeats another 64 before going into a bridge. This isn't the same for every song, but say for example.


I'll start the last 64 beats of the incoming song with the last of the out going, so they should both end in the bridge...sometimes it sounds good, but most times not. I tried starting my incoming track at the start of the verse on the last 64 of the out going...so when the bridge comes i can slam part way into another song...still sounds weird sometimes...

I'm just wondering what are some better phrasing techniques i can use?

[ralphh]

I think you shouldn't focus too much on a "DJ formula".
for me, a nice mix is about how vivid it sounds, sometimes suddently crossing from track can sound better then letting a track come up slow etc.
It's important to keep the energy in your mix.
and know your tracks, or make a tracklist beforehand.

I am by no means a professional dj, but i can mix for a bit now.

[wub]

Patience + practice = talent

[chaotix]

Totally understandable, i guess I'm asking. what are some fail safe pointers i can take. I know mixing into the end of a track can be a good idea for safe mixing, but i usually don't like to let whole tracks play out before mixing in a new one...I feel like I'm standing around doing nothing. So i usually only like to let one verse of each track play, before mixing something new in.

[1point5]

Knowing your tracks back-to-front helps a lot, this way you can usually salvage a badly phrase-matched mix when you know exactly what's coming next in the incoming track.

Also, I find that mixing in key can make stuff like phrase matching much easier as the tracks are more likely to naturally fit together, although some DJs have some kind of intuitive knowledge of tracks that go well together without even thinking about key.

[chaotix]

Funny you mention that 1point5 cause i do use mixed in key, so i'm usually only mixing tracks in key with one another. I just have a habit of always mixing out of bridges. I don't want to be so cookie cutter with my mixing, but i don't want them to sound terrible either. I produce as well, so i have a fairly good understanding of song structure. Mixing tracks has always been tough for me though.


Another example is say i wanting to start mixing during the drop...i can never do that without some kind of clashing frequency. trying to swap bass frequencies at the end of a phrase sounds sloppy. Turning down the playing bass to drop in the incoming bass, and playing two basses at once would never work...so i usually bring the high frequencies in first and try to incorporate that into fully switching over somehow.

I just feel like I'm missing a crucial part of information or technique cause i know a handful of people that have played in clubs after only 6 months.

[wobbles]

Key can help, but honestly i think selection is most important

[1point5]

I just feel like I'm missing a crucial part of information or technique cause i know a handful of people that have played in clubs after only 6 months.

Some people are just ninjas

I was completely shit after 6 months (although I was using turntables with pretty dodgy pitch faders) and still feel like I have a long way to go after 4 years

[chaotix]

haha, yeah i guess it also factors in with how much time you put in a day! sometimes it's every 3rd day for me!

[apmje]

I DJ...I don't even know what a phrase is.

[PinUp]

I DJ...I don't even know what a phrase is.

^this

Don't worry about it too much, just keep on practising and you'll nail it eventually

[volcanogeorge]

are you still physically counting bars? gets to a stage where you just know when to start another track really.

[chaotix]

naw i don't count them, i know where phrases end by just listening. but, still i can't seem to get it to sound good. maybe it's just my mixing with the highs, mids and lows that is wrong.

[scattybeanhead]

mixing is an art not a science. dont worry about being so formulaic mate, if you practise enough then one day you'll just get it and you'll know (sounds stupid i know) but one day i was just suddenly better. know your tunes and keep at it mate and it'll click

[apmje]

You'll eventually know when a song will probably change and when to put a tune, it just becomes natural an that.

[fractal]

entire mixes in one key can seem monotonous... try some complementing and contrasting keys every now and then

[murky21]

I need some help understanding phrases better, i'm very confused. I've been djing for about 6 months now, and still can't make a fluid mix without any errors for more than 15 minutes.

I can beat match perfectly, I'm confused why some of my mixing doesn't sound good. I know there is a noticeable change at 32 beats. which is one phrase, i know the most noticeable change comes at 64 beats, then it usually repeats another 64 before going into a bridge. This isn't the same for every song, but say for example.


I'll start the last 64 beats of the incoming song with the last of the out going, so they should both end in the bridge...sometimes it sounds good, but most times not. I tried starting my incoming track at the start of the verse on the last 64 of the out going...so when the bridge comes i can slam part way into another song...still sounds weird sometimes...

I'm just wondering what are some better phrasing techniques i can use?

I wouldn't really focus on anything more than 16 bars, anything mixed in correct 16 bar phrases will sound fine...beyond that just rifle through as many mixes as possible and know your tunes

[Muncey]

Knowing your tracks and practise is really all you can do. Don't get bogged down too much in the theory. I just make sure I know where each 16 bars are.. on most of my songs i can pretty much tell where the next 16 bars are gunna start.. so i can pick and look through vinyl without worrying too much about counting.

I quite like it when i mix using 'theory' and it sounds horrible, i remember and learn not to do it again with that particular song... usually ill pull the song up and try again in a different spot.

Make mistakes and learn from them!

[bennyh]

main thing: know your songs!

[Sexual_Chocolate]

make sure you know you're tunes inside out & practice at as much as humanly possible

thats pretty much it