What if your soul gravitates towards music, and you can't play any instruments, your indie rock band broke up without recording a single track, and your experiments with Fruity Loops and Cubase failed? Right. You have to go to DJs. Simple technical skills and good musical taste are enough for this.

And now D-Day is coming, which is your first DJ set; it's time to start preparing for it and soberly assess what pitfalls await you. In the previous article, we looked at the technical aspects of mixing tracks and creating a mix , but now we understand other intricacies of this profession, relying on the opinions of our experts.

Training

You should not rely on chance, trusting a lucky coincidence of circumstances and thinking that everything will work out by itself. Start preparing for your DJ set at least three days in advance to practice and plan everything. If you leave everything to the last minute, you will definitely screw up.

Many inexperienced DJs make the mistake of thinking they can handle whatever event they are asked to play at. In fact, it is better to be more selective and only take on what you can handle. It's one thing to screw up your good friend at a birthday party, and it's another to ruin your reputation on a crowded dance floor in a club.

Use only equipment with which you are familiar. If you suddenly decide at the last moment to take a laptop more powerful from your friend, or buy a new controller the day before the DJ set, then at least take the trouble to learn how to correctly connect the wires, otherwise you will not be able to extract a sound from your device.

If the only place you are used to DJing is in your room, then the most important thing to be aware of when playing in public for the first time is that the tastes of the dance floor may differ from yours. Learn to listen to and accept criticism and suggestions from others, but do not be led by the public. Being able to communicate diplomatically with the audience is an important quality of a DJ. If an unfamiliar drunk sir asks to put on some kind of Boombox group that you have not even heard of, say without any rudeness and arrogance that you are mixing with the song of another, no less wonderful group, and Boombox will definitely be next time.

As an aspiring DJ, you probably didn't have to experience hardware failure. But experienced colleagues will tell you: they happen and will happen at the most crucial moment. Whether it's a worn-out cable, a disc that doesn't want to play, or a booze-drenched mixer - all this leads to one thing: the music won't sound, and this is the biggest mistake a DJ makes. In general, always have Plan B ready in case your Plan A doesn't work.

NOIZAR

DJ

And although I myself am not the most responsible in terms of mixing, I can advise for the first time to choose tracks that at least start with an even beat. Seth start with something unusual, strange. It could be a snippet from an old movie or your favorite ambient hit. Then there is a good model: two or three famous tracks or just classic hits (only without Haddaway) and one more eclectic, which, perhaps, is understandable only to you. This will at least show your musical taste. Don't be afraid to make a mistake, twist or miss the square. Don't worry that someone might not like your music or your mixing skills - there are always haters, no matter how cool the DJ is. And yes, no matter what happens, in no way, in any case, do not get angry! Smile and dance, even if things don't go according to plan - I personally always do that.

Do not forget to invite all your friends and acquaintances to your first set. Share your performance on social media. Nothing sets the right mood like the support of a good company and a full dance floor. Also, it's worth remembering that the more people come, the more likely it is that the promoters will invite you to play again.

Take care of your records, cables, headphones, and other devices. At the very beginning, make a list of everything that you take with you and should then take away, and control all its items. A common mistake of novice DJs is that as soon as they acquire some kind of equipment, after the first live it is lost.

Don't get too drunk. Of course, a party is always very conducive to this and a glass of beer will only help you to be less nervous, relax and catch the right courage, but do not get carried away. Otherwise, only you will get pleasure from your set.