There will probably come a time in your DJing career when you want to expand on your skills as a selector. As fun as it is keeping the room alive, there’s so much more to DJing than track playback. Let’s check out three different ways of going beyond standard DJ practices to create more of a performance.
Live instruments
You’d be surprised how many people are still so impressed by a DJ who plays percussion along with their beats. Let’s face it, there often isn’t much else to do while waiting for the track to time out. So get a pair of bongos or some shakers, set up one extra mic and show the people you mean positive energy! If your set is planned out in advance, you could also invite a separate instrumentalist to join you at your next event. That’s an evening out worth sharing with your friends.
Controllerism
Controllerism is the art of using hardware MIDI controllers as instruments. If you’re already using stems or remix decks in your set, you’re halfway to being a controllerist. Hardcore controllerists tend to avoid any kind of continuous file playback. They prefer instead to think of their MPCs, Launchpads and APCs as pianos or drums that stop sounding when the note is released. This obviously makes for a far more difficult DJ set, but when people notice that you’re actually playing live, it changes the energy in the room. Not for everyone, but certainly a rewarding journey if you love it as much as these guys.
Mashups
Mashups are tracks or stems that blend together two or more complementary tracks to create a synthesis. One track might be the acapella from a hip hop vocal, and the other an instrumental from a pop song. The point is to blow the audience’s minds by playing two familiar but separate tracks together. Doing live mashups requires an advanced knowledge of stems or remix decks and plenty of preparation. But the results can be insane. If you’re interested in performing mashups, start with Find your own https://thehighestproducers.com/acapellas/
There’s room for everyone to develop their skills as a DJ. And generally speaking, those who have made it have succeeded by devoting time to being really good. That means being at least familiar with some of the practices. Getting good costs you time, so get busy. Go beyond track selection with the Advanced DJ Techniques course offered by DJ Courses Online today.