How to Become a House DJ
House music is high-tempo, digitally produced dance music that evolved from disco. With roots steeped in Chicago, Illinois and music from the 1970s, house music was first thought to be another club culture fad that would soon die out. But from its early days, house music is still going strong today, providing another genre for disk jockeys to experiment with. After branching out into Latin, jazz, hip hop, disco, and other subgenres, house music has not only survived its pretentious fad title but has become a part of dance and club culture.
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Instructions
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Buy equipment you are comfortable using. There is a myriad of equipment to choose from but if you are just starting out, getting the most expensive or complex turntables, speakers, software, and mixers may not be best. Most places you purchase DJ equipment from will allow you to test it out first. Comfort when using your equipment will help match your skill set with materials you are accustomed to. As house music is mostly digitally produced, you should make sure you get software you are comfortable using, since software is an integral part of the creation process.
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Perfect your mixing skills. Mixing is the methodical and timely blend of two or more songs. Typically you will fade out one song entirely or bring it back intermittently while a new song is playing. Ensure that you match tempo and beats per minute as well as possible for smooth transition. This is a staple in most fields of disk jockeying and will define your success in your pursuit to be a house DJ. Moreover, mixing transitions smoothly will be what your skills are judged upon rather than the effect of scratching a record in hip hop disk jockeying.
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Expand your music collection. Since you're focused solely on house music, you will need to ensure you keep your musical collection current with new songs. Stay informed on release dates of compact discs of popular artists that will hit the market and purchase them as soon as possible.
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Show off your talent. Getting a gig will give you the necessary experience you will need to continue to hone your craft. An easy way to do this is to network with a promoter who knows club owners in the area that will let you play or to talk to club owners directly. Try to go to places that will be the most appropriate for the house music you be playing--for instance, a club for 30-year-olds and older will not typically be an optimal target.
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Tips & Warnings
Networking with other disk jockeys, promoters, and radio stations can help to open doors for you to explore larger venues when you are ready to expand. Join up with others on social websites or go to radio stations that play house music in person. Ensure you keep spare copies of your demonstration mixes on hand to give to others as you meet them.
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Resources
- Photo Credit DJ at work image by Barlev from Fotolia.com
