DJs: Better to be Great at One Style, or Just Good at Some?

[Mixxed]

Would you rather be at the top of the game, GREAT at one style/genre/aspect of spinning, or nothing more than good at a wider range of genres/styles?

[DJ Highline]

I think it really depends on your goals and personality. I for one am really really good at lots of different genres. But I'm not a great specialist because I like some many styles of music and I would get bored playing the same genre for hours on end.

[mrkleen]

Time will help you find your way.

If you like Techno, House and Dubstep....the genre where you get more gigs, will be the one the wins in the long run. 5 years later...it may change.

You can be good at many, but to be truly great - you have to focus on one.

[sss18734]

Would I rather be a top-of-my-game touring DJ or an average DJ that has a weekly residency or two?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

[login]

Elentronic music and hip hop requiere far more knowledge of the genre and digging IMHO to be really good at, but for me good is playing 6 hours on the fly and keep it interesting.

[propertrax]

It's not all that difficult to be good at many styles. The biggest problem with the majority of DJs these days is that they are one-trick ponies that can't go beyond their tiny little slice of sub-genre. They're scared of beatmatching, they're scared of scratching, they're scared of not being able to see the music, and they're scared of their own shitty inability to select a wide variety of music. They don't understand tension, pacing, builds, or troughs.

In other words, excelling at one particular "style" does not stop you from excelling at multiple styles, even within the same set. 99.5% of dance music, especially electronic dance music, is made with a 4/4 time signature (no, I don't mean a straight four-to-the-floor beat). If the tracks are the same tempo, it doesn't matter if one is a straight kick and the other has a broken pattern...if you know how to match with other sounds, and the tracks rhythmically and harmonically fit, then you can make it happen. And even if it is an odd time signature or changes tempo, if you're good, you can make it work.

Just excel at being a DJ, first and foremost. There's a million "prog house," "dubstep" or "techno" DJs out there, what is going to make you stand out doing the same shit as everyone else? You're "exceptional" (in your own mind) taste and selection of a relatively limited pool of tunes in that style, or your ability to cross boundaries and mix the unexpected (on top of having exceptional taste)?

Don't be a pony, be a DJ.

[Kingbob182]

I'd rather be really great at one style. I only really play one style and I love it when I'm doing it. Sometimes I wonder why I don't get bored because it doesn't seem all that exciting but when I'm actually mixing, I love it and never get bored.
I just wish I could produce

[RaySwift]

I thinks its good to know how to mix multiple genres and learn other DJ tricks.

You never know when your at a very diverse party/club and want to cater to all of them. I'll mix some house, use a transition to bring it to mid 90s, play some classic and new hip hop/R&B joints. Bring it back up and throw on some Miami Bass. Mix in some electro. When it gets to the break, Ill have a loop set up and then start busting out some fast skratches of "Ahhh" & "Freshhh" to get the "Wow" factor. Bring it back down to the 90s tempo and start beat juggling and do body tricks. End the set with some smooth/laid back R&B classic from the 90s and call it a night.

[Gazo]

I thinks its good to know how to mix multiple genres and learn other DJ tricks.

You never know when your at a very diverse party/club and want to cater to all of them.

So true, was DJing at a nightclub a few months back and all of a sudden 2 hen parties walked in and started asking for all the classics, luckily enough I had a few to cater for them before switching back to the more modern stuff, funny thing was the classics went down a treat and even the younger goers were loving them. I think that rom time to time its good to switch up style to avoid becoming predictable

[Mixxed]

I just think you become a better all-around DJ if you have familiarity and even the ability to effectively play different genres... I know for a fact that I can attribute my ability to be a good all-around DJ to my diverse musical experience growing up...