Page 32 - DJ Rashida Interactive Workbook Flip Book

Control the Mix
The end goal of a DJ is to maintain the mood and state of mind of the crowd, bottom line, keep the party going. There’s nothing worse than being on the dance floor, grooving to a vibe, and it abruptly changes to something completely different without warning, nothing, it-just- changed. A good DJ knows its audience and the methods to use for transitioning from song-to-song.
Learn the Math of the Music
Being able to count the beats off in a song is important to DJs. Most of the time when people hear the word math, they tense up because they feel that math is a challenge for them. Trust me, by the time we finish, you will realize that it is “all” in the way it’s being taught and what method is being used. This is just another “Adventure in Music,” and this is my chosen method.
1. Play a song
2. Count to the beat of the music – 8 count
An 8-count is a rhythmic grouping of 8 beats that repeat. Most of the music you hear every day - Western, Pop, Rock, Classical, etc. - is structured in repeating sets of 8 beats. In dance, a measure is usually “musically paired” with a second measure. These two measures equal a total of 8 counts, which is why dancers count in sets of 8. 8 counts keep track of the beat and tempo but break up the song into manageable sections. One set of 8 is like a sentence. After every 8 counts, another 8 count begins, then another, and another. It’s like sentences that string into paragraphs, telling a story through the music.
3. Listen for what happens on the 1 (first beat)
4. Listen to see what happens on the 16
THESE STEPS WILL HELP YOU TO LEARN HOW TO ANTICIPATE WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON A SONG.
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