7 steps you can take right now to learn how to DJ

My girlfriend recently forwarded me an article about the seven steps to mastering any new skill. For the past several months I’ve been talking about learning Spanish so I think this was her way of giving me a kick in the butt.

As I was reading the article my mind started drifting off of Spanish and onto DJing, and I realized how many of these things applied to learning how to DJ. Here are some of the ideas that I had:

1. Embrace the fear

I guess learning any new skill, or starting out as an absolute beginner in any new pursuit, has a certain level of fear involved. Other than that though I wouldn’t call DJing a particularly scary thing to learn how to do. Sure, performing can be downright terrifying for some people, but that usually comes much later in a DJ’s career. Starting out though, I will say that learning how to DJ can be incredibly intimidating. There is so much to learn- skills, equipment, software, techniques, style, song selection, music mechanics, etc.- it’s hard to even know where to begin. Approach it like an adventure though; see the excitement in embarking on a new path.

2. Be patient

Realize that you’re not going to be the next Daft Punk overnight. Instead of putting huge expectations on yourself, tell yourself that you’re in it for the long haul. Give yourself a long timeline to learn and improve.

3. Take baby steps

This relates a lot to patience. Set small and realistic goals for yourself. Tell yourself by the end of the month I want to be comfortable with this new software. Or I want to be able to recreate this one song by my favorite artist. Or even smaller than that: I just want to be able to reproduce a certain sound I like from a popular song. By setting and reaching small and attainable goals, learning how to DJ will be incredibly fun and you’ll keep building momentum.

4. Persist

I love reading biographies of successful people and the one characteristic that I see in every single one is persistence. Stubborn, bull-headed, never-say-die, unwavering, resilient persistence. That’s the number one most important thing to finding success in life. And that’s what you need to become a DJ as well. Every day spend at least ten minutes learning something new or practicing. For example, try familiarizing yourself with a new effect, or master the ins and outs of a new software plugin. As long as you’re moving forward you’ll get to where you’re going.

5. Practice self-awareness

It might not be obvious right away but this is actually one of the most important things for DJs. You’re going to be constantly barraged with information like who is that hot artist right now, what are the popular trends, what is the must-have gear, who is doing what, etc. Don’t pay attention to any of that. Simply stay true to yourself as an artist and focus on honing your craft.

6. Don’t take things too seriously

When you throw yourself fully into any endeavor, it’s easy to lose yourself in it and let it consume your world. Don’t lose the forest for the trees though: electronic music is all about having a good time, and at the end of the day we have the pleasure of creating music that makes people feel good. Never forget that.

7. Believe in yourself

You’ve got music inside of you, all you have to do is learn how to let it out. That’s all creating music is, and you have to believe that you’ll master your ability to unleash it onto the world. After all, if you don’t who will?

I hope these seven things have given you the inspiration to begin your DJ journey today. If you’re ready to get started but aren’t entirely sure where to begin, check out our online DJ school dedicated to helping you become a master DJ. Good luck!

The biggest misconception behind learning how to DJ, and how to overcome it

I want to share what I think is probably the biggest misconception in the DJ world and learning how to DJ. But first, let me tell you an anecdote (and tell me you haven’t been in the exact same situation before…).

Over the weekend I went out with some friends to a popular spot that’s kind of a mix between a lounge, sports bar, and club. It’s usually a pretty relaxed place to play darts and throw back some beers, but being a Saturday night, this time they had turned a big section of the bar into a lively dance floor and everyone was dressed up in their best club attire.

That’s not the atmosphere my friends were looking for so they weren’t really into it. One of my friends motioned to the DJ booth and yelled over the noise “Look at this guy. He acts like he’s some hardcore musician but all he’s doing is playing iTunes! I could do that!”

I gestured to him to follow me and I led him around behind the back of the booth, so we could look over the DJ’s shoulder. Of course my friend quickly realized that instead of seeing iTunes, he saw a million different tools that the DJ was using to seamlessly blend songs together, match beats, and add in effects. Rather than simply hitting play, the DJ was actually creating something all his own. Sure, maybe he wasn’t creating brand new songs from scratch, but that’s not the point; he was creating a mood, an atmosphere, an energy.

And that is the biggest misconception in the DJ world. People who don’t understand what DJing is all about think that it’s not a real creative art and that all DJs do is hit play. They don’t truly understand what DJs are there to create.

There are two reasons why I share this anecdote.

First of all, for all beginning DJs out there who aspire to entertain crowds, you have to realize that this is a serious art form like any other. You have to practice your craft, hone your skills, and treat it very seriously. Ask yourself, would you be willing to put in the time to get good at the guitar or the piano? If the answer is no, maybe DJing isn’t for you. It’s not something that you can get good at overnight, and you have to have the passion and the discipline to put in the hours.

Secondly, for the people who are reading who have already started their DJ journey, you have to realize that you’re an ambassador for our art form. You need to recognize that many people out there don’t fully understand and appreciate what it is we do. So on behalf of DJs everywhere I beg you: be so damn good at what you do that people’s jaws drop and they say “Wow, that guy is NOT just playing iTunes! I know the songs he’s playing but that is definitely not how it sounds when I hear it on Pandora!” Every time you go perform, try to show people what real DJing is all about.

The best way to do this is by simply studying, practicing, and improving all the time. And if you’re looking for expert instruction from professional DJs right on your laptop, then you’ve come to the right place. Enroll in our online DJ school and get started today – it’s not the only way to get better, but it’s definitely a great way to speed up your learning curve and tap into a tremendous wealth of knowledge.