How do pro DJs seem to do what they do with so little effort? How do they know when to keep a loop going and when to drop the next track? How do they make it look so easy?! Anyone who’s DJed before knows that there’s a skill to it. Feel out the room and make the call. Here’s how.
Know your role
Pace yourself according to where you are in the lineup and how long your allocated set time is. Opening the floor? One set of rules. Headlining? Closing? Different approach. Maybe you’ve only got a 20-minute DJ set. Maybe you’re on for 8 hours. Over time, you’ll want to prepare different versions of your set to play these different games. Your 20-minute power set is gonna go down well when you need to hit a home run. And your extended set allows for more loop time and vibe building.
Energy changes
Here’s a good general rule for DJs and moodscapers: quick changes in the tracklist result in a more lively atmosphere, while slow changes result in a more subtle and long-term build-up. You can use both to your advantage, but know what you’re trying to do. The speed of your transitions should match the vibe you’re going for. So brush up on looping on-the-fly with the Advanced DJ Techniques II Course lesson video 9.
Adapt, improvise, overcome
Too many DJs panic when they make the wrong selection. So you switched genres and the crowd disappeared. So what? Now it’s time to double down and make sure you hit that new genre with everything you’ve got. Next step? Hit them up with a crowd-pleaser in the new genre. Then watch how many people didn’t realize they came here to dance to the style you selected! People aren’t here to judge, they’re here to laugh along with the changes. Smile through it all.
Keep your loops in multiples of 8 (so 8 bars, 16 bars, etc.) Most dance music is written to be looped in these divisions. Find the sweet spot between and drop that sounds too early and a loop that goes on too long. Read the crowd, and if there isn’t one yet, keep your transitions slow and build, build, build that energy! The Ableton Live DJ course lesson 3 is a delight for DJs who want to get more creative with their transitions.