Beat-matching Techniques Discuss Beat-matching in the DJ Forum forums; How do you beatmatch? 1234, 1234, 1234, 123 *drop that **whistles** lol * Kidding aside, some find beatmatching very hard and go at it for years but can never quite ...

[Chris Powell]

How do you beatmatch?

1234, 1234, 1234, 123 *drop that **whistles** lol *

Kidding aside, some find beatmatching very hard and go at it for years but can never quite get it where as others can pick it up in like 15 minutes

Let others in on tips etc

As Recess says though

"anyone can beatmatch
only a few will become dj's"

[tOM]

it took me about 9 months of really really slowly getting better but not really 'getting it' and then one day it just clicked and i figured out what it was i was listening for. Since then it's just been a matter of tightening it up.

I firmly believe that anyone can learn how to do it as long as they put the time and practise in and it takes dedication and a lot of hours

[Reece Duncan]

dont really remember how long it took me to master but just comes naturally now really

[dj mikey]

Originally Posted by tOM

it took me about 9 months of really really slowly getting better but not really 'getting it' and then one day it just clicked and i figured out what it was i was listening for. Since then it's just been a matter of tightening it up.

I firmly believe that anyone can learn how to do it as long as they put the time and practise in and it takes dedication and a lot of hours

it was about the same for me, i find when u concentrate as hard as u can u make the best mixes

[Reece Duncan]

yeah just gotta get into the groove (how cheesy, sounds like something Tony Blackburn would say) and feel the music

[DJ JD]

it took me about a month on cdj,s to understand what i had to do.(pitch)
after i had mastered cd,s i took to beatmatching vinyl really in about 6 hours of mixing time.
i also had one of those penny drop moments. where everything starts making sense and sounding good.
i used to play drums so rhythm etc comes easy to me.
i struggle with cueing and getting back to cue if you dont drop it right but i expect after some time it will all come together.

[Paulie_p]

took me a fair while to get beatmatching down, once i learnt how to 'ride the pitch' i was much happier with myself.

[Psyfx]

took me a while, but i was learning and i didnt even have decks i was messing around with me mates, i can remember just wanted to smash my doors in cos i didnt always get it right

[pixelpro]

Took me ages to learn and i learnt on a set of belt drive turntables then moved up to direct drive and had to learn it all over again i changed to Ableton live last year and had to learn how to match the beats again. with Ableton once you learn how to match beats it only takes 10 seconds and leaves you the rest of the tune for remixing. one smart piece of software. takes you into the live remixing arena which means you can put your stamp on other peoples records I am now moving to a midi controller for ableton which means i will have to learn again but i don't think the curve will be very steep this time.

[Reece Duncan]

i use ableton loads, absolutely love it, use it for both production / remixing and live use, best piece of software i've ever brought, absolute godsend, can't wait for live 7 now

[tOM]

Originally Posted by Reece Duncan

i use ableton loads, absolutely love it, use it for both production / remixing and live use, best piece of software i've ever brought, absolute godsend, can't wait for live 7 now

6 has only just come out - what are you like??! Only thing that bugs me about about it is that there is no side chain insert on the compressors

[BritKitty]

I have been playing piano since I was 4 so when my exboyfriend showed my how to mix breakbeat on some turntables I picked it up rather fast... When I made the jump to CDJ is was even easier. Ableton Live was a pain for a month or so.

I started out spinning breaks and got into turntablism ( beat juggling, scratching etc.) for a while so I think that helped a great deal when I made the move to progressive breaks then eventually trance.

Theres no right or wrong way to mix aslong as it sounds clean...I prefer the "Jeet Kune Do" style of mixing. If I have to go thru several "styles" in a set to reach my goal I do it! Trance, breaks, ambient, Soundtracks from movies etc. Listening to a variety of diffrent types of music can really help with your mixing. I grew up having to listen to my Dad's Pink Floyd classic rock and alot of blues while in the car with him and I hated it at the time! I wanted more Ricky Martin!! shake your bon-bon!!!...haha But now I look back and see that groups like Pink Floyd it has had a huge inpack on my musical taste and mixing style. Darkside of the moon is the ultimate "Theme Mix"!

I have not invented a "new style," composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from "this" method or "that" method. On the contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see "ourselves". . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you don't, and that is that. There is no mystery about my style. My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinary part of it lies in its simplicity. Every movement in Jeet Kune-Do is being so of itself. There is nothing artificial about it. I always believe that the easy way is the right way. Jeet Kune-Do is simply the direct expression of one's feelings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kung Fu, the less wastage of expression there is. Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive. Again let me remind you Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one's back.– Bruce Lee

- The usefulness of a cup is its emptiness.- Be prepared to accept new knowledge and not be hindered or biased by old knowledge.

- Using no way as way. - Don't have preconceived notions about anything. This statement is embedded in the Jeet Kune Do logo.

- Having no limitation as limitation". - Don't be confined by anything, achieve true freedom. This statement is embedded in the Jeet Kune Do logo.

- From form to formless and from finite to infinite. - Don't be confined by limitations and forms. By not having specific form all forms can be included.

- The consciousness of "self" is the greatest hindrance to the proper execution of all physical action - This is actually a Zen or Chan maxim which means to "be in the moment" and NOT be distracted by your own thought process. The Zen quote is: "If you seek it, you will NOT find it". The "Western" counterpart to this is the term "Being in the Zone".

- If people say Jeet Kune Do is different from "this" or from "that," then let the name of Jeet Kune Do be wiped out, for that is what it is, just a name. Please don't fuss over it. - Don't get hung up on labels and parameters. JKD is alive and therefore always changing; don't try to box it in.

[Chris Powell]

[DJShades]

I learnt to beat match with vinyl live in a club, so as you can imagine, I had to learn pretty damn fast! I learnt with Technics 1210's, non of this belt-driven shite. I appreciate that not everyone can afford Technics (to learn with at home) however belt driven decks are probably better to learn with as you have to be far more sensitive... you can hammer Technics and they just carry on regardless. I guess I was spoilt a little! Well, I say spoilt... Sometimes one of the decks wouldn't hold it's pitch (so you had to constantly keep it in time with your finger!) and occasionally one of the amps would cut out... which a good kick soon sorted! It was bit of a crappy club but still, nothing like a good ol' baptism of fire!!

If you can mix with Vinyl mixing with CD/mp3 should be no problem what-so-ever. Well, it wasn't for me at least. The only problem is learning what all those lovely glowing buttons do as new models of CD players come out!

Strangely I've never had any decks (vinyl or CD) at home to practice with.

[DJ Muted]

Well i learnt with BELT DRIVE turntables & yes it was hard yes it was frustrating, but back in the day when i would just mix uk garage (not the grime shit) it was not too hard to get to gist with it really, you had to learn your tunes even if that involved playing your favorite tunes to death! that will always apply to any starter or noob DJs! Starting with belt drives is the way to start because when you improve jump onto some 1210s or Stanton's & you will find you can mix with no problem & show up the fools that think "i got 1210s" & cant mix for shit! also dont forget if you love the music you play (& you should) stick with it dont just go for mixing any old crap just because everybody else does!

[Ian_k]

anyone wanting to learn beatmatching should check out Recess.co.uk = DJing for Dummies - The Resource - Learn How To Be A DJ
some really good info and tutorials on there

[Chris Powell]

Originally Posted by Ian_k

anyone wanting to learn beatmatching should check out Recess.co.uk = DJing for Dummies - The Resource - Learn How To Be A DJ
some really good info and tutorials on there

[Reece Duncan]

Originally Posted by Chris Powell

I second that

[deejaydee78]

Originally Posted by Ian_k

anyone wanting to learn beatmatching should check out Recess.co.uk = DJing for Dummies - The Resource - Learn How To Be A DJ
some really good info and tutorials on there

I agree, though like any good DJ - I'm always learning - even after 10yrs - music changes, software changes, hardware changes.

When Microsoft surface is released - DJ'ing will change dramatically.

Think Tom Cruise in minority report

[tOM]

Originally Posted by deejaydee78

I agree, though like any good DJ - I
When Microsoft surface is released - DJ'ing will change dramatically.

Bit off topic this but - do you really think so?, people said that when cdj's, final scratch, traktor, ableton etc came out and to be honest it hasn't made much difference - there is still a fair whack of people using vinyl. Some people will always take on new technology but a lot won't.

In fact it seems to me that now people are getting a bit fed up of seeing people dj off laptops, if a laptop is involved they'd rather it was a proper 'live' set - and i don't see any reason why it shouldn't be

My final point it's made by microsoft - what do they know about music?? We all know that macs have had the edge on pc's for donkeys years.........