Beat matching driveing me insane!!

Lambert69

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2009
hi ive just starting DJ and beat matching is driveing me insane! i just cant merge the sounds together or keep focus ive been watching so many videos and reading so many tutorials but its not sinking in, has anyone got any tips or instructions on what i should do? it would be nice knowing how some of you all did it, also what tunes u used to learn with as well anyway hope u can help me! cheers
 
Everyone will say it but it's true, the only way is practice, if you've watched lots of tutorial etc. then it's just a matter of sticking to it.

As for tunes, if you've got any house records kicking about, the four on the floor beat is easier to decipher and match than breakbeat, but if you'll looking to mix DNB then I started off with jump up and dancefloor tunes which have a prominent beat.

Also start with a small amount of tunes, say 5 or 6, and as you progress in confidence add more and varied records, until you can more or less sync a tune the first time you put it on a turntable
 
when i was starting i found songs in the same album work well together maybe try a couple off of subfocus' album, bpm and pitch always play big parts when matching beats too maybe try using virtual dj or something to help with the basics you can see what the beats doing and its real easy to match thats howi started and im double droppin tracks all over the place now mate just keep going with it
 
Just practice mate.... I was absoloutly the same when I first started... Didn't have a clue, couldn't tell the tunes apart, pure train wrecks. You just need to keep at it, one day it will just click, and you start being able to match tunes together. Then all you have to do is practice more lol, to master it.
 
My advice would be to most definitely learn to beat match with house before you move on to any sort of beat that is "broken". I would highly suggest a deep house track that has a very prominent 4/4 kick/bass drum. Learn to just match the beats before you go on to try to blend using EQ and such.

Here's my process for if you're trying to learn beat matching:

- Get TWO copies of the same song that you know very well.

- Turn on your system and make sure both faders are at a decent level with the crossfader in the center.

- DO NOT PUT YOUR HEADPHONES ON, the idea is that you will first manage to hear both tracks at the same time over the system and manage to match them this way. You've got two copies of the same song so they are going to have the same tempo and be structured identically. Once you master this aspect try with only one copy playing over the speakers and beat mixing the other one in using your headphones this time.

- Practice makes perfect. Try beat-matching the same record in different places, to make an "extended mix version". Do this until you've got the basic mechanics of the process down.

- Recording is an optional but useful step. It not only helps you to hear your progress but also gives you a reference point to your growth from square one. (Cassette tapes are ideal for this, especially if you are working with vinyl. Analog to Analog sounds great!)

- Try mixing with different songs now that are very similar and aren't extremely varying to much in the way of tempo. This will give you a better feel for the concept.

- Lastly is to experiment, if you are ready to see how good you're skills are try to mix cross genre's, such as mixing house into breaks. Once you've got the basics down you're good to go on just about any style, but I would certainly layoff any advanced mixing technique such as EQ-blending and FX mixing until you get comfortable with basic mixing. Remember: the simple crossfade and the cut are your friends.

Also, I'd like to advise that just because two tracks are going at the same speed and are from the same style of music doesn't mean they are going to sit nicely together, the musical elements that make up a track are important too. Listening to mixes by other DJs (both Pro and otherwise) from all sorts of genres helps a great deal too, by trying to understand what they are doing during the mix, their song selection, and the quality of their mixing you will learn a great deal of how to master this ridiculously fun art form.
 
alright mate.. when i started I watched all the video tutorials under the sun.. and a lot of them are a good help not sure what vids you been watching but ellaskins aka the dj tutor on the tube is a gooden.. but just like everyone else is saying just practise as much as you can! and when you get pissed off with it just keep trying.. youll just develop your own little tricks to help yourself.. i dont think its necessary to start with a certain genre.. people say drum and bass is the hardest to beat match but i jumped straight into drum and bass and never looked back.. alsong as your passionate about the tunes and understand the elements of the tunes youll be fine.. any spare time just practise and record your mixes and be your harshest critic! and try to enjoy it =)
 
I always give this same advice but go on Chemical and learn the bpms of the tunes you have. That way if you have two tunes that are both 174 bpms then the pitch on both turntables is going to be in the same spot( more or less) Also make sure your cueing your tunes on the first downbeat of a section of music.
 
Practie my friend!

Nothing we say will make it any easier mate, you just have to put your hours in and keep practicing.
 
Yeh its all down to practice, i practically quit mixing in a fit of rage every time i tried for about 4months but just stuck at it and it payed off.
 
Practice, practice, practice. Its what I got told and believe me when i say i know how annoying it is but it does suddenly click! Learn how to count you bars and phrases, this will help your double dropping as well as matching, learn you tunes - makes it millions easier when you know your tunes. Got any mates that mix? if you have, mix with them, learn off of each other, its a laugh as well, and finally, don't give up! You'll get it soon enough and then you'll wonder why you found it so difficult, happened to me.

P.S may not be your style but a few spliffs or beers sometimes help me.

good luck mate, hope this helps :)
 
Just for a bit of inspiration. Check this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DJbFxfbx0Y

I started the same as you, did not have a clue... It took me almost a year to grasp the basics of beat matching. I can't describe my frustration and I nearly gave it all up, I felt exactly the same as you.

What I'm getting at is anythink can be achieved from dedication, do not think that I am any different than you because know I can beatmatch. Anyone can do it, im sure if your determined enough you will get there!
 
wow cheers for the all the replies and help its very much apprciated i think im firstly going to learn how to count the bars and phases so i understand the music better then progress from there nd hopefully in the upcomeing months il be on the some level of you guys! thanks again for all the advice! oh ye and very nice mix DJ COSSH
 
i feel ur pain mate, and ive been mixing for 2 years or so, i just dnt mix enough... and i need a decent sound system, have applied for some krk rp8s of djfinance direct.. fingers crossed :D
gotta keep at it, good couple of hours a day atleast if ur still learning!
 
i started m,ixing on old shitty cd decks with dnb essentiald albums and all the nightlifes.. it was easy as they were pre mixed cd's and always on the drop. Now i got vinyl iv been mixing for about 3 months now and iv noticed iv got alot better..you will still always have clangs its part of learning. but if theres one thing thats helped me its mixing about 8 pieces of vinyl only for about a month to leanr to mix them all together. iv found its also given me a good insight as to what tunes go well with eachother. which in my eyes is one of the hardest things to djing, keep at it tho man. keeps you out of trouble :)
 
Have a coffee, buy some fresh vinyl, then just get stuck in man,

if mixing is frustrating you, have a bit of a scratch for a while, then get back to it,


* remember, even professional DJs have the odd trainwreck, so don't be too hard on yourself !
 
cheers for the all replies just gone and bought a load of new viynls today so gunna have a session on the decks nd hopefully make some progress!
 
All the vidoes or tutorials in the world couldnt help you. You could never learn to ride a bike by watching videos, you need to practise practise practise. Try and develop your own technique instead of doing what the videos are telling you.
 
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