Dj Wk.1

Today was the first day of DJ and we were introduced to the equipment and the teachers. We were learning the DJ course from Point Blank and our experienced DJ tutors were Nigel and Ian. They told us the name of all the equipment used and what they do and what all the buttons are there for. Nigel told us what we would be learning over the weeks and he also gave us booklets on DJing-from everything to what we're using to how to use it effectively. Nigel said to us that we would be learning how to drop-mix, beatmatching, and an acapella mix. They then demonstrated and explained how to set-up the decks. After they showed us they made us do it. When the first part was over they explained how to drop-mix. Drop-mixing is when you are playing two different songs and while one song is playing out to audience you are counting the rythym to the other song that should be playing in your headphones (along with the song playing out) and when the time is right you flick over the crossfader to play the other song (they advised us not to do this while the artist is in the middle of a verse). Nigel and Ian then made everyone go up in front of the class and try it for ourselves. After we got the hang of that, they taught us how to do beatmatching. To do beatmatching effectively you have to have song playing out into the crowd and in your headphones have another song playing, and count the beats of both songs to see what beat they are on and try to match them together. Lets say the song you are playing out is slower than the one you have in your headphones, you would then have to slow it down (or speed it up, depending if the one in your headphones are slower than the that is playing out). To slow it down you have to lightly rub your finger on the side of the record. To speed it up you have to gently push the record forward. You could use that method or you could use a more technical one. The technical way is when you use the pitch adjuster and move it left or right depending on whether you have to speed it up or slow it down. Once you have the beats aligned with each other then you slowly push over the crossfader to bring out the other song. Ian and Nigel both did it themselves then they asked everyone to try it. This was harder than the drop-mix and after the last person we spilt up into small groups and then got on separate decks and practised so more. They assured us that it would be very hard to get it in one day seeing as how the average DJ takes six months to perfect it so don't beat yourself up about it. At the end of the day we went to the front of the class and did it again for ourselves but it was still quite hard to grasp but they told us not to worry as we would be doing this every week.