Last Night a DJ Saved Your Life
Cause DJ's Got Mad Skills
Millions of DJs, or Disc Jockeys, work hard every day and night around the world in a variety of situations to bring you seamlessly spun together music to keep the atmosphere and the party going into the small hours. But how many people really appreciate the skill and research that goes into this art form. You may well have 'air DJ'd' at some point, mimicking the scratching performed by some DJs, but aside from that there is much more that goes into it. <br/><br/> Equipment <br/><br/> Of course the classic image of a DJ is of one playing records on turntables. While many DJs still use records, and many also argue that this is the only pure form of DJing, it is now possible thanks to advances in technology, to use CD turntables, minidisc turntables and even virtual turntables on a computer which can be hooked up to record turntables and scratched and mixed as if the mp3 were a record. As well as decks, and of course speakers and an amplifier, a DJ uses a mixer which is a device which accepts the audio input from the decks and transfers them to the amplifier and speakers. This key bit of gear allows the DJ to adjust the sound frequency levels and swap between outputs from the decks with a slider which when coupled with scratching creates some astonishing effects. <br/><br/> Skill <br/><br/> The skill is to use a combination of music selection, the equipment and, put simply, knowing what song or beat sounds good played next to which other song. BPM (beats per minute) is a measure of how fast a song is, one way a DJs talent can be heard is by getting two songs with differing BPM to meld seamlessly together so that the rhythm people are dancing to never lets up. Also, a sudden shift in BPM can have a different, yet no less impressive effect, best done when changing styles of music. <br/><br/> Know Your Audience <br/><br/> The most crucial fundamental job of a DJ is to know what sort of event and what sort of audience they will be playing for. A wedding reception DJ probably wouldn't play hard jungle music or death metal, but I suppose it depends on the wedding. Deciding what music you are going to play before hand, making sure you have enough of it and that it is as up to date as possible, depending on the type of music it is, is an important step. A Corporate DJ could also provide a very different style for the event. <br/><br/> In the end, the goal of the DJ is to keep everyone on the dance floor having fun for as long as possible. Ask any DJ and they will certainly agree, that if they can do that they will know they have done a good job. <br/><br/> <br/><br/>
About the Author
Sam Qam knows from experience that there is often a big difference in the music and styles that a wedding reception DJ and a Corporate DJ provide.
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