Laidback Luke's 10 Rules Of DJing - Free DJ Tutorial

This is a FREE sample lesson from "Laidback Luke's Creative DJing" course - find out more here: djtips.co/luke-sample
"Here they are: The 10 rules I think every DJ who wants to deliver the kind of high energy, spontaneous DJ sets that have become my trademark should - like me - consider living by. Try and incorporate them into your DJing and watch how they improve your results!" - Laidback Luke
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#LaidbackLuke #DJTips #FreeLesson #DigitalDJTips #PhilMorse

[@olafurbjornsson]

01. Command the troops. 02. Never play the same set twice. 03. Elements over key. 04. If it's in key mix long, if it's out of key mix short. 05. Grab the decks. 06. If you make a mistake own it. 07. Set to manual. 08. Always think 'What should I do next?' 09. Think in clouds. 10. Don't just show up, turn up. For more context, watch the video/course.

[@digitaldjtips]

Nice 👌

[@manny_f]

Mixing in key... well, I do it some times but I never let key constrain me. If I feel a specific track needs to be the next track, maybe I blend outro>intro as these sections are usually not very melodic or just find a way.

[@ghettobrown209]

These all come natural you figure it them as you progress as a dj

[@martyncraigbrown]

What is wrong you? You missed the most important ones 1. Do not talk about DJ school 2. ...

[@jamiec4478]

So many “superstar” DJ’s love to break rule number 2

[@vhswrestler160]

Not going to lie I went to go see my at the time favorite dj play and then said f it and saw their show 2 days later it was the exact same set and then saw them at a festival not long after and there were like 2-3 tracks different in that set and after that I was kinda just done it wasn’t fun knowing I would hear the same set over and over again at a different festival. So as it’s not a set in stone rule it totally should be their fans will know exactly what’s coming next and that’s not fun at least for me

[@ellijackson6023]

vasilious name and shame

[@dajay2k]

@@vhswrestler160 name and shame

[@DJStyles]

I’ve been spinning 30 years and agree with all of these tips. 👍🏾

[@digitaldjtips]

Awesome :)

[@clarissaglover8568]

Great

[@funkmachine1984]

Not a big fan of the music he plays but Luke seems like a really nice guy and I agree with most of he says here.

[@digitaldjtips]

Cool :) Nothing wrong with liking different things

[@perry4934]

And he’s pretty f-ing talented.

[@indiglorush]

Phil and Laidback Luke seem like they were made for giving lessons on DJ'ing! Laidback Luke is sooooo Laidback!!! Hahaha You make it easy to listen to you!

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks very much :)

[@freeminder23]

That is a really eloquent and well thought-out colleague. Respect!

[@digitaldjtips]

This is a FREE sample lesson from "Laidback Luke's Creative DJing" course - find out more here: djtips.co/luke-sample What are some of your "rules for DJing"? Let us know 👇

[@Mojo-ux9qf]

Luke you hit it on the head with the key and elements. So true!!! Always the elements over key! Why drain the dance floor energy over that perfect robotic boring sound. Keep everyone On the edge 😁 I love this real djing interview!!

[@victorgonzalez4791]

Great tips! I was djing at a small lounge over the weekend and I was pleasing small groups by the end of the night everyone was dancing. I also stopped playing songs I don’t like. Thank you from LA!

[@digitaldjtips]

Good job!

[@jessehitzroth6982]

These are great rules and this is such a great video. I love that Luke promotes DJing and shares his developed skill sets, with other DJ’s. Keep promoting the art 👌

[@digitaldjtips]

Glad you liked it Jesse!

[@rallyburnzsimracing8571]

Thankyou for this video...great help from a pro as laid-back as Luke is!!!

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks for watching!

[@Rob-en1bi]

Bloody great video! ❤🎉😮

[@djbenjie764]

When im on a set and touch my Shoulders Kungfu Moves might come out😂 Thats all i learned from this episode😂

[@digitaldjtips]

😆

[@nelsonnavarrouk]

loved this tutorial! Thanks Phil and Luke!

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks Nelson! Glad to help :)

[@ngwai3723]

Tried your 10 rules Luke and they worked perfectly for me Thanks for the tips

[@digitaldjtips]

Awesome, glad to hear it!

[@spiderweb1975]

I loved it. Thanks a lot for the video 😀

[@digitaldjtips]

No problem!

[@DjNeonLeon]

Okay I just got finished listening to laid-back Luke and his 10 tips on DJing.. excellent he had it straight from the start.. thank u laidback Luke thank digital DJ you guys get five stars..

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks, glad to hear it!

[@theaverageguy3884]

Thanks for the tips i love videoes like this. Please share more on youtube.

[@digitaldjtips]

We'll do our best!

[@mickeyj71hp]

Great advice!!!

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks!

[@DaDudeClub]

Two of the most giving teachers ever. Mad respect from a radio DJ, y'all.

[@digitaldjtips]

Glad you're enjoying these videos!

[@RyanUybengkee]

i agree on all 9 points. except for rule no. 1: As an open format DJ, playing the music i love is a natural high and makes us DJs feel better with our music. BUT, when an event comes, like a wedding, and you have TONS of different people with different tastes and age, and when a request comes in from a guest or audience, then that song is their Jam, and even if i might not feel that certain song BUT they do, i still have done my job. my taste is second to their request. last night, i did a wedding and 3 hours of mixing, and i can say that 60% of those songs were their request. i get a text message from the bride and groom and they tell me they had so much fun with the music. SO, case in point: You dont necessarily play the music you like to make money. IF i play the music i like for a certain event and persist on my taste, then i have lost the "relationship" with the crowd.

[@digitaldjtips]

Very true, obviously Laidback Luke isn't a DJ and comes from a different perspective so we've always said "don't play music you hate" to mobile DJs (if you want a long career)

[@DJMARINKOx]

this is great, one of the reasons i keep subscribed to Digital DJ Tips - tons of amazing great info to keep my on top of my game. thank you!

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks for the support!

[@keonshamlou2551]

Amazing!!

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks!

[@nattyphysicist]

Spot on!

[@digitaldjtips]

🙌

[@Edvinas01]

A good set of rules to follow! I like that watching the crowd keeps mentioned a lot of the times - something personally I don't see happening that often in clubs. The DJs just look as if they're programming something really important and never lift their eyes from the decks...

[@Silkmaster4200]

Edd or laptop too lol

[@digitaldjtips]

Yeah you've got to be watching your crowd :)

[@lms5608]

Oh yes

[@tonyteresi8130]

I've been spinning since 1975 and his explanation is on point I couldn't have said it better.

[@digitaldjtips]

He knows his stuff!

[@LyK0sa]

Totally agree with not getting overly hung up on key. Fairly early on I learned about mixing in key, and I did it obsessively. But after that I relaxed a bit, and let go of that clinical, formulaic approach, and I think the end result is often much better. At the end of the day, if it sounds right, it sounds right. I'm often playing in +/- 10-16% pitch ranges with some tracks, so I really can't rely on the displayed key. It all comes down to knowing your music library well. Obviously this depends on your style and genres, DnB and a lot of house is fairly consistent with BPM, but if you're mixing newer and older hard trance or hardstyle tracks you can be looking at a difference of over 10 bpm between tracks. As cliché as it sounds, it's all about feeling the music, no amount of data can match what you actually feel.

[@digitaldjtips]

Yes "it's a tool, not a rule" :)

[@pipsic]

I like this.

[@digitaldjtips]

Glad it helped Petar

[@suprisecypher4061]

Specially love the rule: grab the decks! Djing is not just pushing buttons. In general I‘d advise every beginner to also learn to spin vinyl, helps you to learn so much about music and also improve your skills even with digital

[@digitaldjtips]

It's a good one!

[@hattoom]

SICK SICK SICK SIIIICK 10 AWESOME ADVICES 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@hattoom]

Even if i don't agree with a little bit . Still ON POINT and 100% valuable

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks for watching!

[@kevinoriol]

Thank you for the great content.

[@digitaldjtips]

No problem, thanks for watching!

[@NexuJin]

I'm already thinking about which DJ video to watch next.

[@digitaldjtips]

A great time to watch and learn :)

[@NexuJin]

@@digitaldjtips Even better consider that i received my DJ controller and monitors 2 weeks ago. Time to practice!

[@jaysondjxtremevaldez5600]

I would love to see that at the back of my shirt when I DJ, " Do Not Tap My Shoulder Or Kung Fu Moves Might Come Out" Lol!

[@digitaldjtips]

😆

[@partycity55]

Wow very very cool! Thought number 4 was my best rule but they kept getting better and better, Thank You Awesome .

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks for watching :)

[@OtherWayDJSchoolUA]

Luke is a great and clever Dj!

[@digitaldjtips]

Yep!

[@doowopshopgal]

Yes, the last rule! Enjoy the ride as well.

[@clarissaglover8568]

Awesome

[@EmanueleMele]

Great! 🔥

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks for watching!

[@EmanueleMele]

Digital DJ Tips Thanks of you for these important lessons

[@digitaldjtips]

No problem!

[@bigdaz7272]

You certainly 'made it' as a DJ if you can earn a decent living and never have to play music you don't like :)

[@digitaldjtips]

Sure :)

[@djspellyspell8125]

Sooo tru

[@memberofc1205]

i am very shy on my gigs haha but these tips would help me

[@digitaldjtips]

Awesome :)

[@SherwinBajao]

Rule #6 is why I started posting all my mixes even the ones with mistakes. :-D

[@digitaldjtips]

Yeah chasing perfection can leave you standing still!

[@jamesoutlaw4459]

Mistakes definitely add character. I find myself when listening to a mix trying to find errors within it.

[@cosmicbaggy]

Fully agree with elements over key. Nice video, some great insights 👍

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks for watching :)

[@samuelhamilton5245]

Rule 2: Never play the same set twice *Tiesto laughs in $$*

[@digitaldjtips]

😅

[@FiSHY4D]

*cough cough* Rezz *cough cough*

[@homehealthphysicaltherapy]

I just bought the course because of this content.

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks Peter, hope you love it!

[@drewbeholy9760]

How about "elements" over bpm AND key. As a DJ myself I feel like this is one of the hardest to get over. I think what it really comes down to is experience and knowing when to drop which song at the right time regardless of the genre, bpm, key etc...

[@digitaldjtips]

Elements is a very useful thing to thing about as well, we love the tagging features in Rekordbox for that reason

[@TheStaubzauger]

LL from the NL

[@mgent3rtainment]

Luke Rules 👍🏻

[@digitaldjtips]

Agreed!

[@danwest2858]

Possibly two of the best DJ teachers on yt! I have my first club gig this month and first bar gig also, have you got any advice?

[@digitaldjtips]

Get the music and the order right, don't worry about showing off your mixing. Watch the crowd closely. Make a playlist for each event that is about double the length of the time you have to play - it will give you "somewhere to go" (so the set won't come across as pre-planned), but means you won't be staring at your whole collection wondering what to play next every 2:30 mins!

[@danwest2858]

Digital DJ Tips okay thank you so much!! Fingers crossed it goes okay 🤞🏻🤞🏻

[@lightcrisp374]

@@danwest2858 good luck

[@puffdragon26]

Dan West how did it go ?

[@danwest2858]

puffdragon26 well for 1 the equipment was broken so the effects knob didn’t really work, the headphone port didn’t really work without me moving it about 😂. And then my hot cues weren’t working unless I re done them on the mixers and at the same time I was worried about my stuff getting nicked 😂 so considering about that the performance was actually okay and it was heaving in there so that was good but I’ve said to myself that in the future with gigs I’m gonna use my own equipment cause at least my stuff is reliable

[@keithchegwin1222]

One of the few big DJ'S that can actually DJ really well.

[@digitaldjtips]

Glad you enjoyed this Alan!

[@Jtweezy4shez]

I’m gonna apply these tips to my Djing!!

[@digitaldjtips]

Glad to hear it!

[@dj_paultuk7052]

Switch to manual. Oh Yes !!. Can honestly say in the whole time ive owned my controller, ive never turned Sync on once.

[@digitaldjtips]

Cool :)

[@KogetoMusic]

Very good info, spitting facts here. However the point about the sync button keeps showing up with the older DJ,s. Its definitely not true. Get the skillset to mix/train without it yes. But as soon as you mastered it, use sync to your advantage. You'll have more time working on the track playing, engaging the crowd, mixing the next track. Long story short; Sync frees up valueble time for creative mixing.

[@digitaldjtips]

Yeah it sure does :)

[@zjdaxx]

0:29 ❤ 10:37 12:51

[@touristinfo6947]

Way bigger than just the Key is so right.Plus one does not have to blend the separate keys together.Ways around that.Not always have to blend long in mixes.

[@digitaldjtips]

Yep, 100% :)

[@djish3223]

I already do all this

[@digitaldjtips]

Well done! :)

[@lioncohen8586]

this was actually pretty good..

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@DJSTOEK]

💘

[@cmullenmusic]

👍

[@IanDeVos]

About sync: Most entry level controllers have way too small pitch faders and jogwheels to have fun beatmatching manuallly. I use sync on my DDJ-SR. Coming from vinyl & CDJ's the pitchfaders are just too small to use them all the time.

[@digitaldjtips]

Fair point, they can be a bit of a pain

[@djflakoelmonstruo9908]

Thats how i dj i look at the crowd and play what i like

[@digitaldjtips]

Cool :)

[@manny_f]

The golden rule to never play anything you don't like hasn't always worked for me though. I recently played a tune which I personally thought was meh to tone things down between bangers and all the girls got on the dancefloor and the guys followed, so you never know. I think some DJs are lucky that what they personally like is what their audience also likes. This sort of thing has happened to me several times so I often drop tracks which I think might do well but which I don't necessarily love. For me this is part of the fun of DJing, the element of surprise, which both works ways: some times I am surprised, some times I surprise the crowd.

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks for sharing Scoox, never know when a risk is going to pay off :)

[@NoZAutonomy]

Great tips however I disagree with nr. 8. Thinking about what to do next constantly can take you out of the moment. Sometimes you can let a track play for 1 or two minutes if it's a good one. You can enjoy yourself and interact with the crowd for a bit, more fun for everyone!

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks for watching Russell :)

[@kereamohau]

Own your mistakes. Unless you accidentally stop the wrong deck on a busy night and have to start it again cause the next track wasn't prepared. Happened to me last week. Luckily I had a Hot cue set up and managed to get it back to the chorus pretty quick. But damn I felt like Ant-Man after that

[@digitaldjtips]

Good work on the recovery though!

[@MrPrice-bb2gn]

Okay that OH YIEH song between every rule is really starting to get on my nerves

[@NexuJin]

OOWWW YEAH!

[@krissymarklewis1793]

I kinda put myself on edge, I get scared every night...I do this 3-4 nights a week.. You get to a certain part of the night where everything clicks and it all falls into place and after that, you can do no wrong as you have the crowd at your fingertips. Sometimes it takes longer than other times but you are there to entertain, you are a performer.

[@digitaldjtips]

Sounds familiar Krissy!

[@leominatimusic7729]

Kung fu moves might come out 🤣💪🏼🤟🏼

[@Fran-pg2wy]

"Never play music you don't like" nice one i'll tell the bar manager that when i'm asked to spin mr brightside for the 20th time

[@digitaldjtips]

It stands to reason that the advice is for DJs trying to get into his position, not those playing open format bar gigs :)

[@Fran-pg2wy]

@@digitaldjtips i literally mean that lukes advice is a great excuse to not play music that u dont enjoy. in EVERY SETTING

[@digitaldjtips]

Nice one :)

[@ntokozohlatshwayo165]

Rule number 10! Don't just DJ, people want a showman and also the crowd is more likely to enjoy the DJing if you are as well.

[@digitaldjtips]

100%!

[@13bcoffee]

Those are good rules to go by. Mine are different but I do like his. I judge a successful DJ career on two fronts. #1 How long have you lasted? I see too many DJs that come and go. Playing for just two years does not cut it in my book. I meet DJs all the time that tell me that they used to be a DJ, then wait for my response and not get one. Hmm... You're 30 years old and out of the game already? #2 Did you or have you made a lot of money? Man, there are just too many broke DJ's out there. I say that the top 10% in any field should make a lot of money. I meet broke DJs that can't even afford their gear. If you are that good, why are you playing for chump change I ask many DJs.

[@digitaldjtips]

Fair points Brian!

[@elwinjohan]

Kung fu moves might come up 🤣💪🏽🙌🏽

[@digitaldjtips]

😎

[@lasa6619]

LUKE please ask them to release Prime 5 soon with big wheels 🙏🏼😎

[@digitaldjtips]

Would be nice! Would make it massive though :)

[@lasa6619]

Digital DJ Tips wow can't wait 😊🤞

[@sonboogie]

Those denons are gorgeous 👀

[@digitaldjtips]

Agreed 👌

[@parhessler9518]

That was funny to see that I have the exact same rules all 10 checked so this course is not needed for me then :-)

[@digitaldjtips]

Awesome! Killing it already then :)

[@DarrenWinston]

I will LATE to school and come BACK to home because of watching this, so my name is Lateback Darren😉

[@digitaldjtips]

Nice 😄

[@DJEllEss]

Yo I swear I've wanted to bring out my karate moves at times lol.

[@digitaldjtips]

Haha I think most of us have been there ;)

[@amygdalos96]

Rule nr 7 is so important. Sync still leaves so many room for mistakes. your library has to be perfect (grids, bpm, cues...) and you won't have that all the time. You must be the one in control and sync can backfire badly if it won't work properly.

[@digitaldjtips]

Yep, fine to use in our opinion but know how to DJ without it!

[@yrureadingthisname]

Honestly I always leave sync on because it just gives me the dead on BPM right off the bat when I load in a track, instead of having to use the pitch fader to match it perfectly which is a pain in the ass if you want to get it dead on exactly. After that everything involving queuing the track and actually matching the down beats I do manually which is relatively simple as long as you have the right tempo. It doesn’t matter if the beat grids are correct. So really, all you need is a proper bpm analysis, which is why I think the most important thing is maintaining your library. This means the only time I am ever touching the pitch faders is if I manually want to alter the tempo of the track playing. I’ll say I have never once encountered any issues with sync, at least in the way I use it, so not using it seems... idk, pointless?

[@joekuschnick9241]

luke called us all deckheads lmao

[@digitaldjtips]

😅

[@knsmadness5801]

Isn’t he Detective Dan “Douche” Decker from Lucifer??

[@lasa6619]

Kung Fu moves might come out 💪😂😂😂

[@digitaldjtips]

👊

[@touristinfo6947]

Playing what they like but what you like but not anything you don't like 🤔.Think about that for a moment.So always play what you like but also reserve a time to what the audience prefers.

[@clarissaglover8568]

Yes so true

[@jamesoutlaw4459]

I'm actually a fan of using sync. Of course you should learn to manually beat match but after you learn it and become proficient at it sync is nothing more than a tool in your inventory to help free up time to focus on something else. I look at beat matching more of like a pilot learning how to get out of an aircraft stall. You aren't going to use it much but thank God you know it when you have to.

[@digitaldjtips]

Completely agree

[@yrureadingthisname]

Just out of curiosity, using digital decks... where you can see the bpm, and the beat grids stretching to size when you slide the pitch, and the down beat... when would you realistically EVER need to beat match by ear? Besides nudging? I just don’t get it. You would literally have to close your eyes or stare at the ceiling as not to cheat. Setting decks to manual makes zero sense to me. The only thing that matters is getting the track tempo perfectly matched. That’s the only thing. Not how you do it, but just getting it there. Sync does it 100% perfectly.

[@mr.DorianJames]

Wait...there's a sync button? My vinyl turntables don't have that. Lol

[@Jtweezy4shez]

3:45 I look at my tracks just like cards too !!!!

[@krissymarklewis1793]

I'd disagree slightly, I play tracks I don't like but if it makes the punters happy and makes 3 mins of my life easier then i'm happy.

[@digitaldjtips]

Different types of DJing call for different approaches.

[@policeboy1288]

I've never played the same set twice but the people who make 17x more than me? 👀........

[@gelatinous6915]

The ten commandments

[@digitaldjtips]

🙌

[@gabrielncali8999]

Good video! Wise suggestions. 👊 Using the sync buttons on these controls and decks is so cheating! If you’re using those YOU are NOT a DJ!

[@digitaldjtips]

Is DJ Craze not a real DJ for using sync? Or the other myriad of professional DJs who do? A very tired debate now, I think we should probably focus on ourselves rather than policing what does and doesn't constitute a "real" DJ :)

[@DjStigmaTech]

luke you say it right don't act like a clown ...did you told it too dimitri vegas and like mike or timmy trumpet or someone of the edm main stage from tomorrowland they are all the time on the tables jumping around next to the djgear like litte kids wanna be all the the time in the spot or be the man...and they also mixing always the same djset mix after mix year after year and also mixing in when the brake falls and fade out and the voices begin not even one beat was sync....im djing over 28 years started with sl mk2 technics there was noy key match no effect no bpm on the screen realy old scool making effects with the vinyldesks right on the moment you think something scratching...spinning back or forwards playing around with the faders or eq's that was djing not everything digital and sync in the beat there is nothing on..they getting easy and quick money for doing nothing..greatz...

[@digitaldjtips]

We certainly have a lot of respect for Luke's 10 rules...

[@3d_Ink_Oficial]

Rule #10 Don’t be turn into Steve aoki Got it...!!!

[@Macacosso]

11. Lear how to dance! Dj's who can't dance are terrible ah ah ah

[@digitaldjtips]

Haha, it helps! Some people love music and are the DJs because they can't dance

[@simonprice1938]

"Never play anything you dont like." ????? Not totally sure on this one, if you want to play your music stay at home.... Dont forget who's paying your wages...

[@digitaldjtips]

Yep always a controversial one, for DJs like Luke (or want to be a DJ like Luke) who is building a brand around their name it makes sense - we always say for everyone else "Don't play music you hate"

[@tomassanguinetti6414]

Depends on what kind of dj you are and where you play. Or if you see it as an art/passion or more like a job

[@VictorKibalchich]

pity he plays such terrible music

[@smokejc]

focusing on the negative like a champ

[@VictorKibalchich]

@@smokejc the music is the most important thing. Who cares if the skills are good if the music is the worst lowest common denominator commercial pap

[@smokejc]

@@VictorKibalchich this video isn't about that, though. his tips are pretty solid.

[@VictorKibalchich]

@@smokejc but his music is shit

[@digitaldjtips]

Your opinion (which you are entitled to), lots of people (clearly) who disagree with you - that doesn't stop the information being golden, you should be able to learn from all kinds of DJs whether you like their style or not

[@andrebryant516]

Never play anything you don’t like... you are full of shit... I’m against playing a whole set of something you don’t like but never play anything you don’t like ...that’s bullshit... I think a dj should just do what works for the crowd and them it’s a partnership .

[@digitaldjtips]

Can you be polite in our community please? Nobody deserves to be spoken to like this.