5 MISTAKES TO AVOID AS A BEGINNER DJ...

Learn how to DJ and avoid the most common mistakes beginner DJs make when starting out! These tips can be applied to any DJ controller, setup or DJ software.
Equipment used in this video:
- Pioneer DDJ-400 with Rekordbox DJ
- Pioneer HDJ-CUE1 Headphones
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00:00 Low EQs
01:54 Redlining
03:34 Clashing Vocals
04:52 Phrasing
07:30 Too Many Effects!
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[@Crossfader]

More FREE Beginner DJ Lessons from our courses: bit.ly/2T4fyIj

[@justino9042]

How you can make your mix sound much louder without distording the music because I hear some mixes on the ddj 400 that are not to loud than when I hear it on ddj 1000 for example.

[@djstag2773]

what do you think we did before we had EQ's? your probably a bit too young to remember!!! my b2b buddy always drops a bass, I pretty much always keep both in, even keeping 4 bass's up playing acid techno on a big sound system!

[@sachs8809]

Can you put a track list up? Or just tell me the song on the clashing vocals bit

[@alecsoto573]

The red line is saying that “if you ain’t redlining, you ain’t headlining”

[@rcfc331]

This one made me laugh.... lightweight. ... the truth

[@boyobangerz]

Swear that’s the truth that shit was funny af 😂😂💪🏾

[@junejissle]

LMFAOOOOOOOOOOO

[@redyellowish2106]

True dat

[@Lengo46]

Additional tip: Try to never fully cut your low frequencies of a track (lower knob) always leave a few db remaining, your mixes will sound way more professional, as fully cutting low also will impact other sections beside the bass and kickdrums.

[@milanmar4218]

depens on how strong the eq works. On pioneer controller you can set how many db u want to recude max. -6 up to infinity

[@savj]

I always thought keeping the knobs at "10 and 2" is idyllic.

[@Lengo46]

@@milanmar4218 it definlty applies to the preset DJM settings.

[@ravecrab]

Don't really agree with this at all. All you're doing is increasing the risk of frequency cancellation, which is going to sound muddy and flat. Fully killing the outgoing low end allows the new bassline to hit hardest.

[@carlrowlinson2833]

Really not a problem with the 4 band EQs of A&H 92s & 96s

[@VanzSolo]

I'm a veteran dj and I approve this message, young bucks pay attention!

[@djzabber]

Same!

[@KentReynolds]

Yes I’m guilty of overdoing effects to make it look like I’m doing something !

[@400cc]

same here! been a bedroom for 9/10 years so not experienced outside but same applies! the beat grid effect is the worst I've heard from new DJ using virtual DJ, remember smooth is better, the more going on and smooth the better it sounds

[@DJTeddyJetts]

I am 6 months in and am ASTONISHED at how many DJs dont get this... I literally never made this mistake. It must be stated that if you just have ad libs on one song, you can mix those with full vocals of another song, but must be VERY careful doing that. I had a head start because I have created music for years and I understand how music works because I have always listened to music closely... just like a movie...i hate when I play a song in the car and someone starts talking through the whole thing... i am also astonished at the amount of people who want to become a DJ, but have lived their lives NOT listening CLOSELY to music... they just think they can pick good music but in reality, they dont know music very well...those people need in person mentors, not online tutorials... i was able to pick it all up by attending youtube university, because I went to hard knock music university my whole life. Becoming a DJ has been the most fulfilling decision I have ever made and my career is very much in its infancy. The view is that the world has a surplus amount of DJs...while that may be true... i find most people who call themselves DJs dont know a lick about DJing...I lost my first residency to a "veteran DJ" that I actually happen to know...the man had never touched a turntable or a dj controller... mouse and keyboard and dj software... i only lost my gig to him because he had been a dj at this bar for over a decade, the owner fired him and hired me and then sold the bar... he then went to the new bar owner and offered to DJ for half the price. It wasnt personal on his part, he loves that gig. I dont blame him... but the novice bar owners are in for some shit lol. They had 0 clue or respect for what I do... most of their guests were amazed I was so new to DJING...because I DJ like someone with 5 years experience. But that's hard to market when you dont actually have 5 years experience... guess its time to start recording and posting my mixes because I have visited the clubs in my area and my god are the DJs struggling here... but I dont want to be arrogant and try to take one of their jobs when I have no content to showcase to potential clients... i have only recorded one mix because I had a steady gig until 2 weeks ago lol. Sorry... i turned this into a therapy session. Im really just affirming what I need to do so I can get back on the saddle. I cant go back to 9 to 5 work after years of music production and now DJing... i live and bleed music.... ok now Im pumped!

[@BungSpoot]

Alkay

[@kleeenco]

Great tips! The one about phrasing is truly core to DJing. The real lesson though, is how to recover when you've made that mistake. A lot of DJing is about smudging the mistakes so they aren't noticeable. You can use the jog wheel to "catch up" the cue track to the start of the bar, or find another entry point ~ 4/8/16 bars away.

[@serioussmoke1123]

Agree recovering from mistakes is key to DJing confidence

[@chaz-e]

Perfectly said

[@luisdemarcos]

Creating a short loop might work as well!

[@Lar_ry]

don't panic and play it cool and no one ever knows.

[@kaleidoscopegaming7261]

Or just set cues, mostly did on perform sets. Too time costing.

[@Iceferno]

The low EQ trick is so important for seamless transitions. I've been using all three frequency levels for long transitions. It really helps smooth over the jump from once track to another if there's a difference in intensity. The two channel volumes can also act as a crossfader with a bigger range than the crossfader itself.

[@Jay-mi5dg]

Great video mate I learned all of this through trial and error back in my teenage days when I had pioneer cdj 800s and figured it out but really detailed explanation for beginners 👌 love your channel

[@kaileiginman8276]

This is super helpful, thank you! After a decade of being a DJ agent I decided to buy decks and give it a crack myself and your videos have helped me nail the basics 100%.

[@Crossfader]

Glad we could help!

[@VictorGonzalez-cw2uy]

Thank you so much for this. I am a beginner Dj and appreciate all the tips you have shown.

[@InitialDL84]

Great video! I've been DJing for a while, but it's always good to pick back up on the basics!

[@djkarlthomas]

Really comprehensive video! Beats, bars and phrases is so so important and often overlooked I think

[@johnloftus1684]

28 years as a vinyl dj and all the words you speak are true young padwan 👍👍.

[@landroveraddict2457]

People need to understand what red lining does to the equipment. It's hard to do without a picture but I'll try. Music is a sign wave, the spikey jumpy line you see in some software. If you think about one of the peaks and zoom into it you should see a sharp point at the top of the peak. Now draw a horizontal red line half way up the spike. What you have is a hill with a flat top this is called clipping. It is this flat top that does the damage. If you red line all the peaks you end up with a constant voltage, direct current (DC) Putting a DC voltage through the PA overheats the speaker coils, saturates the power transmitters in the amp and will also sound really distorted. For the best sound and long life of your PA, the red line should always be above the highest peak in the sign wave. Even a short time in the red can damage the PA. If it is peaking into the red back it off. Red line = Clipping, Clipping = DC. DC is bad news in a PA from the mixer to the speakers, it's an expensive lesson to learn.

[@Das20232]

Top notch comment

[@Crossfader]

Superb comment, well explained!

[@StepwaveMusic]

I've always found that certain songs have odd peaks in drops or buildups that enter into the red zone for very short amounts of time, but overal aren't red at all. Recently, in a mix, I left it that way, because turning it down would be noticeable since the volume of the overal mix would suddenly decrease. I'm pretty sure this is completely fine, right?

[@landroveraddict2457]

@@StepwaveMusic Occasional red peaks are inevitable, just be mindful of what is going on, sounds like you are :)

[@lifesagamesobeawinner]

@@StepwaveMusic yeah going over occasionally is inevitable, but as long as you're aiming to stay in the orange you'll be fine.

[@eberhwang23]

I think bars/sentences/phrases for a beginner is key to understanding how to DJ. For most who enter the realm of DJing they have no clue of how to read a track and how to match how a track will change and break when layered/mixing. Essential stuff

[@stephenfrancois3882]

I check subconsciously

[@stephenfrancois3882]

I get the timing though just takes some seconds longer

[@jayewalton4290]

I really like the way you teach dude, nice way of breaking it down and explaining each step :)

[@scottdouglas5567]

Great video - Absolutely has made me "go back to basics". Don't get too cocky, less is MORE!

[@_Fonck]

Thank you so very much, I always felt a gap on my mixing and I didnt know how it was called or how to recognize it, now I know it was all about the phrasing thank you so much!!!

[@AdamHojczyk]

Great bunch of tips. Thanks

[@wieszo2112]

Advice with Low eq for me was the Best thats made my mix smoother Thank You 🔥👊

[@Crossfader]

Great to hear!

[@snowdonromeo5399]

Thanks 🙏🏾 it’s the basics but we always need to be reminded, we can get carried away with thinking we’re being different when we’re actually breaking some rules.

[@luukipuuk3537]

And that’s the moment where you need to catch your thoughts and remind yourself that in music, there are no rules. It’s only guidelines. If you think something “breaks a rule”, but you think it sounds amazing, fuck it! You’re in control. Have fun and do what you think sounds good. Always trust your ears over anything else

[@househeadspeakz]

I enjoy these videos. As a 2 year DJ, you always want to go back to see if you are following the basics. The 5 mistakes you pointed are the ones upstart DJs will make and as the saying goes practice makes perfect.

[@djluminol]

Here's something to try. You've playing long enough you may be able to do this if your ears are trained enough. This is a more advanced technique but you'll get it once your ears are trained to hear chords. Just keep in mind this ONLY works with songs that have complimentary or identical chords though. Not the songs key the songs chords. Ok so set the song about to come in at -20% bass before you play it. Start the incoming song at a smidge higher than half way up, 4 or 5 lines on your mixers channel fader graph. Drop the playing song to -5 bass the second the incoming song starts and then continue to drop the bass by 5 every line you move up with the incoming song until the incoming song is one line from the very top. Stop bringing the incoming song in 1 line before maximum channel fader volume. By this point both songs should be at -20 bass. Then when you're ready to swap the playing song for the incoming song lower the playing song 1 line and slam the incoming song all the way up to the top of the channel fader. By doing things this way you can prevent any tonal change in the audio of the songs and make it sound like there was no change in the basslines because the two will fluidly swap the places of each other. You also won't end up with too much volume since you've dropped the bass enough to lower the volume of each song so you won't clip if you're recording or using a live setup with compressors or limiters. So no more loud spot in your mix from clashing songs.

[@ibanezgomezangeldavid9649]

@@djluminol it works, but I prefer the Camelot wheel, I first started producing music and then I’m also djing so, the “music theory part” is really covered on my side

[@DJ_CJ_NL]

As a veteran dj for 12 years. This is some stuff all aspiring dj’s should take note off.

[@mukkah]

7:30 one note I'd add is OVERUSE the effects while practicing helps to get better at applying them in a mix. But aye, definitely GREAT advice here, "sparingly" for sure (helps make you think and consider more where using xfx, making for a better quality project output) Loved the vid, love music. Music is such a key part of life, keeps me here and existing. ~a random canadian viewer

[@flipper340]

Gold lesson To the begginers! Please pay atention on this! Congrats for the tips!

[@jhunixsa4462]

A really good and practical tips... many thanks.

[@jennifermedia6288]

thanks Jamie. the info is great for me whose just started with my pioneer Dj and rekordbox

[@djwalkerfemaledj]

Thank you man👍🏾👏🏾

[@andnegr]

Great video Jamie!

[@mintomax2]

great video I would say for getting started keeping vocals away from each other completely is a good idea however expert DJs are able to fit vocals into each other and do this really well I have heard top dis like Dave Clarke, Carl Craig Richie Hawtin etc do this but these guys are real masters so I think it will take a long time for people to get good enough to be able to fit vocals together

[@orlandocalvo6854]

Thanks for your work!

[@juniorsilvabroadcast]

Very good lessons. i'm still learning how to DJ. And this is very useful

[@juniorchomsky9609]

Hip-Hop DJs: do not scratch every single song that you play. (Unless you are in a DJ battle.)

[@djmarkanthonyspecialforces4983]

True 😂

[@tanuki817]

Thanks, the video was very helpful !

[@winemakercooper]

Nobody taught me about the basses clashing for years and I finally was watching another DJ in a booth and I saw it and it changed my DJing ENORMOUSLY.

[@okccitizen4400]

Better late then never haha

[@davidrowan3853]

The mixer I learned on didn't have eq on it, done my nut in hearing the double beat/ echo like noise, just had to fade in/out quickly so that you couldn't hear it.

[@harmoneyes]

thank you for teaching us!

[@elvishpaisley]

How to use effects to create an effective mix and how to use them effectively! Seriously helpful tips!

[@danisands6885]

I swear these videos always pop on my KZbin just when I need it! Beginner DJ here and always saved by Crossfader 😅

[@Crossfader]

Amazing!

[@stopsign606]

7:54 Pretty much the best way to explain what is Sound Voltex

[@Innertruth_official]

Great video, thanks!

[@FarebrothaChronicle]

Easy with that genre! Hip hop is very challenging to find a break in a track or no vocals as why a lot of DJs use drop mixing or using effects now. If your software supports Stems now that is a game changer and the process has become a whole lot easier.

[@MeltTech1111]

Excellent!!🔥🎛🔥👍🏼Thank you!!!!

[@Crossfader]

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[@clubxanthus3815]

Great video thank you!

[@ChADD_MusicMixes]

Great tips, really helpful for beginners like me. Cheers!

[@shaolinslumz]

thanks for all these tips man!

[@behindtheglosss]

Thank You, very helpful :)

[@eddie918]

Wow I was not aware of any of this. Nice info!

[@dj_tarax]

Very useful video, thank you so much.

[@alandilehill8902]

Great tips and I love the channel. What's the track playing on your transitions cause it's 🔥🔥🔥

[@rollforever_85]

All points absolutely spot on 👌👌

[@fyahchuck4737]

Beginner DJ & thanks for the tips

[@Shabazza84]

For tip 1: Not sure which DJ said it (maybe even you yourself?), but one thing I remember was: "Make sure to create sonic space before mixing", which is exactly what you demonstrated here with the EQs.

[@jasonarnold7897]

ive had that problem of red lining with virtual dj using a numark party mix great tip to avoid it as i use the master to get out the red :)

[@ChADD_MusicMixes]

Helpful tips! 👍🏼

[@krmarlo]

Amused to find not a single person saying “If you’re not redlining, you’re not headlining” in a single headline. 🤣👍🏻 Great stuff, gang. Thank you for these key and professional tips. Can’t wait to truly dig into the real meat & potatoes of learning my way around this art. Keep ‘em coming!

[@Crossfader]

Thanks!

[@mainawathiongo9527]

How is it going? Just beginning

[@Party-with-Djshiv]

Simple and very helpful specially for beginner's

[@rossiterl]

Great video 👍🏻

[@jaxrebel007]

Good explanation thank you :)

[@sapporjamesmawuli3787]

Great Tips

[@alvinntare848]

Great video ☺️

[@pulaski7621]

great vid

[@FishFreddy]

Thanks. Just started beginning yesterday with DDJ1000 and really can use this

[@bigdaz7272]

Dude your in for some real fun times :)

[@yell0w989]

i wish i could afford a ddj 1000, I'm here using a Hercules DJControl Inpulse 500

[@bigdaz7272]

@@yell0w989 I ordered one a few weeks back and had to send it back cause the Fader Cut Lag was offset, left side sharp cuts, right side noticeably less so sadly. Great controllers for sure but 90% of it is the functionality of the Software they are controlling

[@dantebouwmeister6936]

@@yell0w989 I had an Hercules dj control instinct p8 😳 now a upgrade to my ddj400 but there not much difference between ddj 1000 it just bigger still a cool controller doe ngl

[@alieujallow1920]

@@yell0w989 500 is a Solid piece I love every feature it has 😍

[@trevormalcolmson2002]

for whatever reason, straight bass swaps don’t work and sound off on certain tracks. DJ Sneak is worth a watch as he does have both sets of drums in at the same time, not at full but at 10 O clock or 9 O clock on one track and 12 O clock on the other. just comes down to preference and have fun finding out.

[@DJMixxwell]

Phrasing is the most important. 1 thing I would add (which was pretty much explained) is if you missed the drop, knowing your bar counts where to come in next and not just any spot. Knowing my bar counts and being able to read wave forms was game changing for me.

[@jackedkerouac4414]

Avoiding clashing vocals is why hip hop remains the hardest genre to mix for me

[@AnthonyVirb]

Same! I’ve started looping the intro of the next track before the vocal kicks in to help mix hip-hop.

[@colddiamondz8642]

@Anthony Zvirblis looping hip hop intro beats is a pretty decent method to allow for mixing in, I do it for edm at times.

[@martin_arevalo__]

Thanks great video!

[@Crossfader]

Glad you liked it!

[@carlwinslow5905]

May I add, learning the differences between gain, trim, level and fader and how to set signal properly for optimal sound quality.

[@winstonmars702]

Great video

[@AlcatrazCrylake]

Really nice video! Learned most of this myself just with VirtualDj and I'm happy about it. Gives me a little more confidence and the will do keep on learning.^^ But damn I need to get my self a real DJ mixer. Just using the EQ on both channels is not possible with software. Sure I can make it work as well but not as clean an nice as just with two physical "buttons".

[@savj]

VirtualDJ is the equivalent of mixing one-handed. You're limited to the mouse cursor only. Although, the software itself is still excellent.

[@timeless8089]

back then I did a mix set with FL Studio, using automated knobs for eq and volume, chopping the tracks as cue points. btw VDJ is a great software, just get a controller, I recently bought an SB3 and I'm having fun.

[@AlcatrazCrylake]

@@timeless8089 Got myself an Pioneer XDJ XZ now and well it is something really different to work with actual hardware.^^ Way more possibilities and more fun. I think I will spend the extra money for VDj cause it just seems so much better than RekordboxDj and Serato at least for my taste.^^

[@dagmantv]

Nice video... 👍🏿

[@keano7165]

Very good 👍🏻

[@cristianangheluta9643]

Thanks ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ you are THE 👌 BEST

[@mariadelpilardelgadogarcia8062]

Thanks!!

[@djnikkyromeovevotv5006]

Nice one 👍👍👍✔️✔️💯

[@grantcook1]

On point. I enjoy ya watching, even as an intermediate DJ I learn so much every time . Thank you 🤛

[@avishkadananjaya8775]

Thank you

[@Michael-ih1it]

Just my two cents worth; “Practice, make mistakes, learn and correct them, then hone your skills at home as much as possible. This’ll minimize mistakes on your actual live gigs or performances.” Your sets will never be perfect as there will always be something new to learn every single time you play but they’ll be better. Lastly, get to know your tracks -by heart if you will, that way you won’t have to guess on your transitions. Each of your sets will sound like one long amazing track as opposed to one that’s just filled with mixed nuts. Yes, people do notice! ✌🏼

[@jasonparker1454]

in the battle of live creativity there can always be mistakes. you can do perfect mixes always only if you script them before and then play down your set. but if you really get new ideas during ur sets and create new life mashups whatever i think its close to impossible to be always perfect.

[@akash730]

Thanks 🌹

[@SucreBigT]

Thanks ❤️

[@Strafuzz]

Sometimes you can get lucky with the phrasing; if bass sounds that occupy the same frequency don’t hit at the same there’s no need to cut the eq

[@RealBigLou]

in jump up DnB mixing i find myself breaking this rule quite often if it find two tracks that fit together perfectly, not really beacuase the low ends fit but the low ends drop out at perfect times so i dont have to worry about it

[@Sweep_The_Leg_Johnny]

DnB can be very forgiving due to it's chaotic nature (also a lot more fun to mix if you have ADHD...it is the favored music of the Brain Squirrels, after all).

[@2high2die]

that's killer, dude

[@IIMANIXII]

you can cut the mids to avoid vocal clash also temp fix

[@djsadra5935]

thank you for evrything

[@hayieeban3339]

Nicely explained 👍👍 You are really a great teacher 🙂

[@theaverageguy3884]

To be honest i love to mix with both up. I use the eq but not mind at all using bot together.

[@xXxLYnXxXx]

learned all that problems on the hard way :D

[@Gussief1]

I use all these mistakes on a daily basis and I think they make them great!

[@Gussief1]

YES I RED LINE, BUT I JUST TURN IT DOW IN POST

[@QUK_DDCT]

Menace

[@shiker014]

Redlining is probably the most common issue that i see in djs, including beginners and veterans. Even they don't know what redline means and that's why some djs burn speakers

[@000SilaS000]

Vewy beautiful important tips. I wus wondering what do you do when you miss the cue. Do you just wait 4 bars till the first change or....what? Thanks

[@t.g8441]

Thanks allot ❤️ e

[@jogalong]

As a beginner I made a mistake watching all those boiler room sets and thinking people would react the same. When I got the first gig, all hyped up, I saw the crowd leaving the dancefloor. You have to play in front of people to really understand of what works when.

[@lucianananas7999]

I wish I had found this earlier. Would have saved a lot of time. All these Mistakes I figured out by just trial and error :D But to be honest, that's also good. I like learning by doing

[@jahmikey_selection]

Best way to find your own style

[@djghera]

Hey Guys @Crossfader , will you ever do a review on the new Reloop Ready by any chance??

[@sleepy9875]

how does he get that blue background, and how to set up the camera + how to show the track waveforms above the vertical image of the controller? is this done with the OBS program? i don't see the above camera

[@wilfredmuranjatharao5279]

Hey have you ever reviewed edjing app...please do i wanna know some tricks

[@00wrongun]

Gone for the old skool, vinyl turntables, I'm scared of technology lol, need help lost my ability to mix at the moment, been out the game for 6yrs

[@Ash-pn2lb]

I haven't got the software to use headphones at the same time so iv learned how to read the scrolling beats haha.

[@gregoire5410]

hey thanks for video ! it might be a stupid question but... for the phrasing part, the calm moment of the song don't always happend at the same moment no?

[@xxjabarri2xx]

is there a purpose to keeping one track 2 bpm lower instead of just matching?