Hello my name is Yoshida Keiji, from Japan

[Yoshida Keiji]

Hello guys:

I'm starting to practice beat-matching...

I am both self-driven and also like being tutored. So I signed up to a DJ school, one hour sessions per time. I like electronic music the most. I have been to Gothic parties and enjoyed Synth Pop/EBM/ Future Pop and Industrial and then during the course of my life I switched to Trance. But my first memory of loving remixes came in the 90s when I heard Everything But The Girl (Todd Terry remix). I still recall I was on a summer vacation and a local station at a turistical beach city used to play it around 2.00am. My parents used to send me to bed around 10pm (yeah...bummer) but I took my walkman which also had radio and after I first listened to that track, I always remained awaken until that tune would be played and only then really fall asleep.

The thing is that my DJ teacher has instructed me to follow the Billboard charts and select some tracks to practice...and of course it sucks that I'm not into mainstream and my very same purpose to become a DJ is to play/organise underground scene parties.

So far, I have no trouble to beatmatch while playing both decks on the head phones...but my teacher told me that I should do one on the speakers (dancefloor) and another on the headphones (incoming track)...and here is where Im currently stuck!!!

The tracks that I'm using are Rihanna songs: This is what you came for and We Found Love. I could have chosen different artists but since I don't really like EDM, I didnt had much knowledge to search a bigger pool and I just needed two tracks to start practicing. I feel that these two are not "ideal" to start practicing but this is what we set for, the teacher and myself.

I have the Serato DJ software and I peaked at their BPM one day when I was getting frustrated so I know them, but still trying to beat match unsuccessfully, note than Im using the very old Pioneer CDS 100 so I don't get a BPM display which is good for training. And I currently don't poses the device that allows my Mac Book Pro to use 2 decks in Serato DJ, so Im not using the computer software for my training.

So while beat matching by ear, I keep adjusting the volumes from both sides so I can level the sounds of both but while attempting, I confuse which beat belongs to which track...

So I need to most basic start level help, please shower me with hints because Im losing faith...

[pete]

Konichiwa.

Beat matching is very difficult when starting.
These days things are easier with Serato and such software that shows the beats and the BPM.
However, if you master your CDJ100 devices then you can mix easily on mmost equipment.
The CDJ100 does not have great pitch resolution, so you will be constantly needing to use the pitch control and jog wheel too keep the beats in time and avoid them slipping out.
They are not ideal for learning, but use what you have. As a bonus, learning on poor equipment means you will appreciate good equipment more when you finally get to use it.

A good way to learn is to use the same track on both decks and use your ears to understand where the tracks mix, and listen how they mix.
You should probably not keep two basslines/bassdrums mixing together because they will clash sonically and sound strange, so use the EQ.

Check out this guy's videos:


Your teacher is right that you should get used to mixing with monitor speakers as well as mastering headphones.

Feel free to get music you like, and don't limit yourself to music you do not like just to practice.

ganbatte.