DJ course?

madmandaniel

Hey lads... i live in Portmarnock im 17 and im big into hip hop and rap mostly, but also a lot of other tpes of music
id love to get into Djing... but i have no equipment and no knowledge on the subject... is there any courses that help teach you from scratch?
I wanna learn proper hip hop Djing, not just using a laptop to select songs, u know what i mean
cheers!

tossy

Teach yourself that is the way i and most scratch DJs would have learned,first you are going to need some decent direct drive turntables and and decent 2 channel mixer,stanton do some decent starter turntables and great budget mixers using the "alps" faders that vestax use.

Next you are gonig to need soem decent vinyl as a starter a few good scratch records would be fine,scratch records are just pieces of vinyl with loads of beats and scratch sounds on them so you would have a beat going on one turntable and you would havea nice sound to play with on the other.

the internet is a great training ground (one i didnt have the benefit of) search youtube for hip hop dj's there are many many great exhibitions of DJing on youtube some easier to mimic than others,there are also plenty of tutorials out there.

Start simple don't pressure yourself the first thing you need to do is master the fader action i.e on and off and where your other hand i.e the one controlling the record is in relation to the fader position,so i would start with a sample of a guy saying YO (for example) and just play a beat and then try to get the yo to come in perfect with the fader position so you would make a simple scratch routine going YO YO YO YO then you can get a little cocky and start going YO Y.. YO..Y...YO YO..Y...Y...Y...Y.Y.YO

Obviously all this is very hard to describe by typing if you are serious about it get yourself some turntables and a mixer and start playing around,if you need anymore help give me a shout.

madmandaniel

thanks a lot yeah, i would like to learn by myself as i think its the most rewarding way and also you can do whatever YOU want to, which is good..
could you tell me where in dublin i could get some beginner cheap equipment and how much € am i looking at?

tossy

Im not really up on what is good in the budget turntable world right now,but i imagine something like this would be adequate

http://www.decks.co.uk/products/stanton/T62

As for mixers,a mixer like this is cheap to start out with and will last you a very long time if you decide to keep it up.

http://www.decks.co.uk/products/vestax/pmc06pro_black


What ever turntable you go for if you plan on cutting and scratching these are the only needles to buy,the are cheaper than most of the fancy stanton ones and are virtually skip proof if set up right.

http://www.decks.co.uk/products/carts_styli/shure/m447

I would advise buying on line also most places in Ireland have limited stock and are too expensive.

Boom_Bap

Q-Bert is supposed to have a really good DVD that teaches the basics up to advanced stuff, might be a good reference point for you.

tossy

Good call boom bap,Q bert is a great teacher too.

I still say get yourself some equipment first and go from there,if you buy decent gear like the Vestax mixer above you will never have any trouble selling it if you find you don't like it.

The choice and price of gear these days is great,my first turntables were like so...

BLITZ_Molloy

I went on a course in Viva studios in Limerick two or three years ago. It cost maybe 250 euro for four 3 hour classes.

As the lads say you have to just get the equipment. Classes are fine but the only way you get a proper handle on it is by putting in lots of hours. You just don't have the time in classes to get anywhere unless you can practice at home.

Your talking a fair bit of money for the equipment between two decks and a mixer, but it's the only way unless you've a buddy who has them already.

WalkOn

DIY all the way - Thats how i started, when you get used to beat matching and chopping you get addicted. I have myself a pair of 1210s and a gemini mixer and a stack of vinal.

Its all about the BPM for hip-hop not like these rave DJ's that can just slow the BPM for mixing or create lots of samples!!!

Dont do gigs anymore but when I used to the buzz that you get from a good mix or a solo is the best!!

Executive Steve

WalkOn wrote: »

Its all about the BPM for hip-hop not like these rave DJ's that can just slow the BPM for mixing or create lots of samples!!!

wat

clio_16v

madmandaniel wrote: »

Hey lads... i live in Portmarnock im 17 and im big into hip hop and rap mostly, but also a lot of other tpes of music
id love to get into Djing... but i have no equipment and no knowledge on the subject... is there any courses that help teach you from scratch?
I wanna learn proper hip hop Djing, not just using a laptop to select songs, u know what i mean
cheers!

Check out the dj course in Bray Institute of Further Education. Very good course, some of the best djs in the country as tutors, and its nice and laid back. You also do production, sound engineering, production and a few other things. If you want anymore info PM me

Boom_Bap

Just stumbled accross this:

DJ Q-Bert Launches "Skratch University" Online Scratch Deejay School Imagine if we had a chance, as aspiring MCs, to meet face to face, learn one on one, with the likes of Eric B and Rakim or Jay Z. To be able to ask them how they execute their lyrics flawlessly and where they get their inspiration for such sophisticated metaphors. To immediately converse with them and cut the lag time of learning a specific skill exponentially.
Today DJ Qbert presides over the groundbreaking online DJ school, Qbert Skratch University, which uses the most advanced technology available for learning on the fly and on your own home computer. Simple Internet video technology has instantly allowed aspiring DJs and producers to participate in Qbert's comprehensive video curriculum, call and response skratch sessions, and to interact with other students worldwide via forums, chat, and the Student Center. The QSkratchU is now the most comprehensive and influential Skratch education program available to DJs today and clearly maintains DJ Qbert's 20 year, leading edge prominence in the field of skratching, DJ competitions and musical skratch advancement. He stands as one of the World's best DJs and he is now leaving his legacy through the Qbert Skratch University.
Enrollment is limited and is $60 for 3 months.

How it works: Thoroughly explained by DJ Qbert himself are the basics of setting up your gear to the advanced "battle tactics" that made him a DMC Champion for 3 years straight. As well, for the digital enthusiast, Scratch Live and Traktor, the leading digital DJ programs are also taught in the curriculum. QSkratchU members use ArtistWork's proprietary VMS (Video/Media Management System) to send DJ Qbert a video of their practice session that he reviews and then posts a response video on the site. The Student Video and Qbert's response are uniquely paired on QSkratchU as "Master Classes" for the entire community to learn from. Qbert invites multiple Guest DJs and related professionals to share their insights and techniques with the student body. Most recently, filming has also begun of "Secrets of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz". For the first time in over 10+ years since their retirement, the members of the ISP have come together ONLY through the QSU. Their knowledge and insight into the DJ experience will be a special feature and they will be diving into beat juggling, turntable drumming, tones, team routines, trick mixing, musical selection, and the path to a successful dj career.
DJ Qbert and ArtistWork's collaboration firmly reaches beyond the technology to unify the field of Skratch DJs to one central place, the QbertSkratchUniversity.com.

ksri

For Hip-Hop/RnB then I would recommend Rap Ireland DJ School. For Dance/Electro I would look into Bray or the Temple Bar music centre.

Best thing is to mess around with it yourself, then maybe do a short course to get the difficult stuff learned, then just practice practice practice

colin29

WalkOn wrote: »

DIY all the way - Thats how i started, when you get used to beat matching and chopping you get addicted. I have myself a pair of 1210s and a gemini mixer and a stack of vinal.

Its all about the BPM for hip-hop not like these rave DJ's that can just slow the BPM for mixing or create lots of samples!!!

Dont do gigs anymore but when I used to the buzz that you get from a good mix or a solo is the best!!

You have this backwards, hip hop DJs rarely care about the BPM as they do alot of drop mixes from one BPM to the next, "RAVE" DJs need to take BPM into consideration in order to keep transitions smooth and if possible unnoticeable.

Jay Ru

u both have it wrong guys all GOOD dj's take BPM into consideration. it doesnt matter whether ur playing hip hop, house or trance, u have to be aware of your bpms.

to the authur of the thread, theres a book out called how to dj properly which although sounds cheesey as **** is a pretty handy guide if ur starting out.

DrGreenthumb

I agree with Jay Ru, I got that book at the start very usefull info for beginners, then got the qbert dvd and you just have to put in the hard work after that.

Your better off spending money on the gear rather than a course as you only really pick it up from practicing.