Came across these technique about phrases and mixing, thought I would share it you guys.
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A DJ should know about proper phrasing long before playing around with loops but I appreciate the post.
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So true. Itâs like Preaching to a Preacher.
However my any new djs who only ever used controllers and never used vinyl\cd in a blind way (i.e no waveforms) or even able feel the rhythm of music donât know much about this.
Think of itâs for them 
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Totally agree with the above two comments. HOWEVER⌠New djs seem to rely to much on software and bells and whistles on the controller rather than using the best dj tool out there; the mark one ear. Back in the day there was no laptop with pretty waveforms and the latest softwareâs and just big heavy crates of vinyl. No sync button. No loop button. If you had a problem then it was probably fluff on the stylus OR the 1210s bouncing where people were jumping round. Controllers make djs lazy
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Hello @Dj-alzy, Welcome to the forum.
I totally agree with this. Modern tech made djs so lazy. I learned to play on vinyl and cd decks in the times, where a cdj1000 waveform overview was a luxury new thing. I just used my ears and had fun. Now I can use the tech but I donât have to be dependent on it. New kids donât understand the art of djing as it was back in the daysâŚ
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Elders like me donât understand the new kids either, but thatâs okay.
I try to teach my kids to use common sense more often, but they still grab a calculator to answer 15x3. It is what it isâŚ
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I just want to chime in and add that sometimes having a loop out of time with the phrase (when both tracks are in the mix) works extremely well, especially if you have done a short loop that is chopping a vocal up⌠phrasing is important for basic beatmatching and ensuring a smooth mix, but donât be afraid to break the rules if it creates a nice groove.
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For me personally, I like to try out new things, for whatever sounds good to the, as @Dj-alzy said, mark one ear.
I donât rely on the software that much, because there are some beat grid issues here and there. There are some artists as well, who will keep the phrase to an odd number like 9 bars instead of 8. But, as a homework, I like to count the beats/bars and mix accordingly. When two tracks share the same drop point, itâs the most satisfying feeling for me 
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Couldnât agree more Stu. Tools are just that tools. You canât use a circular saw to cut a piece of wood until you can do it with a hand saw. That way if circular saw breaks you can just use old skool methods. The art of bring a dj is to give a musical journey to those listening. How you get there is what makes you stand out
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Fully agree, I DJ at home purely to mess around (way beyond the point of âpractisingâ as such) and I often go mad with loops etc⌠as recent example from a couple of weeks back, I mistimed a loop so beat one of the bar was looping onto beat 2 of the main track. A complete mess as far as âproperâ mixing goes, but it was absolutely rollin, sounded great.
The biggest problem I have now, I have no idea which 2 tracks it was because I never wrote it down 
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Not sure how long you have been mixing for so donât want to sound like im preaching to the choir (telling the experts what they already know) but a habit I got into that helps with rhythm is to do literally everything âon the beatâ, whether its clicking the headphone cue or whatever, that way you get into auto pilot of being able to activate things right on the beat, and over time it becomes 2nd nature, coupled with beat counting for phrases it pretty much completely negates mistakes.
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Agreed as, It is all about rhyming with the beat, and this is actually what got me into music in the first place.
I just remembered a dialogue from the movie, âWe are your Friendsâ
Itâs the DJâs job to get the crowd out of their heads and into their bodies. I like to start them off at about 125 beats per minute. Once youâve locked onto their heart rate, you start bringing them up song by song. 128 beats per minute, thatâs the magic number.
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I love BPM building, quite often at our residency we play for 5/6hrs solid so I often start at about 95bpm (breakbeats, funk etc) and sometimes push 140 later in the night (techno), makes the night far more interesting and allows the crowd to build.
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Stu check the history lol (sometimes technology is good). I get in beat by tapping next to play button then When i want it to start just move finger over. Pretty close 9.5%of time then nudge into best using ears to hear it and jog wheel to nudge it. For those starting out using ears the way I learnt was only one headphone on ear (you will soon work out which of your ears is best) the other is listening to the speakers. You should âfeelâ the beat hit your ears at same time if you âfeelâ headphone first nudge back if you feel âspeakerâ first nudge forwards. Also cover the screen over to make you use ears. Then when you can do it by ear the pretty waveforms just distract you from eyeing up the dance floor, you also donât really care that grid isnât 100% on beat thus you save a shed load of time grinding everything only to moan that software has let you down and you canât dj without looking at screen or having a perfect grid. As Stu says sometimes mistakes sound better than a perfect set . Most crowds wonât notice if youâre out of phrase unless you completely train wreck it. Then just put hands up laugh and blame software (works for me lol). It shows you human and doing it live not miming through a pre recorded set As wise man once said sometimes when things go wrong itâs because they would have been worse if they had gone right
Likewise, when I am doing a longer set, I start it from Downtempo gradually making my way up to a 128 and then the highs and lows based on the response you get from the crowd.
It might be different for everyone on how they judge the crowd, but I personally believe, the easiest way is to see the number of people on the dance floor.
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Yeah thats exactly it⌠its always packed where I play so you have to really keep an eye out for reactions and what does/doesnt work too, I always say donât be afraid to completely switch the tempo if the night calls for it, like echo out the house track and drop some hip hop if its gonna work, ive found usually later on when the stragglers are left you can do that kind of thing.
Playing at a micro brewery tonight so its laid back tracks all night, my favourite kind of set and one for listening over dancing.
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Love it, and I have a faith on that as well. 
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Yup exactly that. Thirty minutes of running genres and decades can tell you a hell of a lot about a dance floor.
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Donât forget too, kids donât dance these days either lol⌠its all about staying cool now, nightmare for DJs who are trying to work out if they are enjoying it or not, poker face people head nodding, was easier years ago when everyone just went nuts.
Well good luck to you. Enjoy!
Ultimately it is the crowd, that feeds us DJs off. Very addictive.
Cheers!
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