I plan to update it roughly every two weeks so if you enjoy this post please subscribe to be kept up to date with new posts. In future posts I will be going into detail on such topics as choosing equipment, beatmatching and mixing, scratching, getting yourself out there, selecting tunes and any other things I think of as time goes on...
In this post I will give you a small overview on my philosophy towards DJing in general...
Philosohy
I first started DJing at 15, when i came across the oportunity to buy a second hand pair of decks from a friends older brother. I had absolutly no idea what to do with them but thought they looked cool, and also allowed me to get a load of 2-step garage tunes on vinyl that i couldnt find on CDs (in the pre-napster days!) Although I didn't really know it at the time, I actually had all the knowledge I needed to start DJing.
It took me ages to realise that the primary job of a DJ is to select tunes that they think other people will enjoy listening to, no more and no less, and all this takes is passion and a knowledge of music, whatever genre you're playing. Every other aspect of DJing is merely to complement this basic principal.
For me this was an excellent focus as it meant I stopped worrying about how good my scratching was, and whether my beatmatching was better than the next man. I also realised that often people wouldn't notice if I didn't do loads of technical tricks, but would notice if I tried to show off and ruined the flow with a dodgy scratch! That's not to say that you shouldn't try new things, but to highlight the fact that trying to show off your skill too much can detract from the overall experience for the un-informed listener (most people).
Another core principal for me is confidence in the music you play. No matter how many technical skills you learn, or how dope your equipment is, it will never make you into a good DJ unless you enjoy the music you play and play it with confidence.
This is all you need to know to start DJing, so if you've recently picked up the gear, dont keep it in your bedroom, get it round to the next party at your mates house and bring a bag of heavy tunes to spin! Not only will people like the fact that there is a live DJ, but you'll get a real buzz and confidence boost from watching people enjoy
the tunes you've chosen!
