CD Beatmixing - DJ'ing for Beginners - Using CD Players with Pitch Controls

[@M00n3ch0]

I've been DJing for about 4 years now and time and time again, I like to watch videos on even the basics just for fun. I wish I had discovered your videos when I was learning. After watching your videos, I felt like we became friends. Your style of teaching is clear, easy to understand and informative! Thank you so much. It would be awesome if you made a video on spinning jungle/drum and bass.

[@djbolivia]

Thanks for the kind words :) Do you play dnb yourself? I've only ever played a few DnB shows, although I love listening to it, and I have quite a bit of old DnB vinyl. It would be fun to do a video about mixing that style someday.

[@jeremyhumphrey341]

@@djbolivia No much Bubb CB onion o noon look nonunion n onion nonunion

[@KnifeBSting]

Best beatmatching explaining/tutorial out there. Most tutorials out there only explain how to go about beatmatching. There is so much more to this. You not only explain how things are done, you explain WHY things are done - something no other tutorials out there do. Great job. You have certainly helped me not only understand beatmatching, but can now more effectively go about mastering it.

[@djbolivia]

Thanks for the kind words.

[@gb4double]

this may be the single most helpful video on the beat-matching by ear process I've seen. It explains it just like how you actually see it being done with the pitch fader (regardless of medium, CDj, controller, tables), adding the understanding to it. Good work and thanks

[@ericmasta]

Still helping beginning DJ’s 8 years later! Thanks for the great video.

[@SuperWatcher0]

Hey Jonathan - By far the best tutorial I have enjoyed to date. I am a 56 year old beginner DJ and I totally understand beat-matching now. Also thanks so much for your environmental work. :) You have made this world better.

[@djbolivia]

+Alberto Contreras Really glad to hear this Alberto. Enjoy your music!

[@tristan8940]

Wonderful video!! 27 year old DJ, spent a few years doing nothing but cheating on digital, and now have been getting nothing but frustrated on vinyl. That bit on the whiteboard where you showed the line getting closer and closer to the matching beat was particularly encouraging; when I practice, in my head, all I’m thinking there is “wrong... still wrong... still wrong... wrong again.” I’ll be getting back at it shortly with these principles in mind - God bless you and your endeavors!!

[@dta1974]

What such a nice way to explain and cover everything. You seem like a very nice person. I really appreciate it. Thanks for your time and effort.

[@djbolivia]

I actually enjoy putting these together, which definitely helps!

[@iPhonePhixer]

I know right, I know I am late to the game, but this dude does seem like a very nice person, and my my, 6 years, imagine how times have changed. I;m getting into DJing cause of quarantine.

[@velimir.l.georgiev]

@@iPhonePhixer... like me, a long term dream become real. Just both an old Gemini Ctrl One, Gemini mic and soon to swap for set of Pioneer DDJ400 with Active Speakers and Headphones.

[@cristi0291]

Man this must be the best beatmatching tutorial video I could find on youtube, thanks a lot and keep up the good work! :)

[@djbolivia]

Thanks Cristian.

[@lucaswitdalidov7655]

Wow bro although I do appreciate the history lesson. I do u really have gone into depth, n I can appreciate that bit of knowledge. First of all vinyl has been around a little over 100yrs but the phonograph of that era was only really afforded by the wealthy. Therefore the market for recorded music was small. The late 1910s was when they first became affordable enough for the modern home. The pitch fader was actually added in the mid 50’s n was so radio DJ’s could play songs slightly faster to so they could play a block of music in a timely fashion while still making their quota for sold air time and advertisements. The actual blending came from the early Jamaican moonstomp parties. Ska the predecessor of reggae was designed for the DJ or sound system selecta. It was also a Jamaican American immigrant who later laid the foundation for what would become the hip-hop DJ. A man went by the name of Kool Herc. In the late 60s he invited what he called the peek a boo technique. Which is what is now known as break beating. Using 2 small pieces of the same track n extending it. Later in the disco era is when they began layering their drum patterns. Hence the title disco mixing. Today there is about a thousand different ways to DJ. Controller interfaces r completely expressive to the point to where u can truly envision the turntable device as an expressive instrument. They deal with Harmonies n Rhythms. U can fully structure a song with changing scenes nearly on the fly. Keep up the good work homie.

[@rexfarell]

This guy takes teaching seriously.

[@djbolivia]

Thanks Eric. If I'm going to take the time, I may as well do it right!

[@alejandria_soy]

I've learned so much with all your vids!! I hope you keep doing material!! You've been silent for too long and the people need you. Regards from Argentina!!

[@djbolivia]

That's a valid way of looking at it, for sure. If you can figure out what part of the track you're in from listening to it to figure out the start of a section, then you can just as easily drop the beat right there. I think beginners might "miss" that drop point pretty often, but it would get easier with a bit of practice.

[@lostpattern9407]

I'm djing for the first time in 2 weeks and just found your awesome videos ! Thanks man, great explanation ! Cheers from Morocco.

[@djbolivia]

+Lost Pattern I'm really glad that some of this information is helping people in so many different countries!

[@houstoner]

Well made video man. Been DJing for quite a while now, but still like to watch these kind of tutorials and absorb new perspectives. This is all timeless knowledge. 6 years later and these concepts still apply.

[@KishoreMassKumar]

Sir you are best teacher and I but my heads down in front of u as a sign of respect for the way and the techniques you use to grove the stuff in to me . There no words to describe you are simply the best and u are my hero and this the first time I wrote a comment on KZbin where I would have seen more that 1000s videos on KZbin I just cant leave without praising u sir .......

[@kevbrown94]

I have just brought my first piece of equipments for my journey of becoming a Dj, Your Videos are very educated and I really appreciate your time and patience in breaking down the steps and procedures.

[@djbolivia]

+dkevster sample Thank you for taking the time to write.

[@richcali707]

I believe that beginners should learn how to mix on a laptop and midi controller combo. Its cheaper and does everything plus more than cdj's. If you can mix on a midi controller you should be able to mix on standard club gear eventually. I like the tip you gave where you hide the tempo on your equipment when first learning. I really liked your video and learned a lot. Thank you.

[@takashikashiwase3461]

precise, metaphorical, soothing, academic approach, guess no one didn't ever do this approach. like every precise step-by-step precise approach, some of us can't go along with this approach. of course this lecture is good

[@djbolivia]

Thank you, Takashi!

[@RosssRoyce]

You make the world better place by sharing your passion and competence freely-transmitting to others as you do! Thanks!!

[@Felsenherzz]

I am trying to learn beat mixing right now and here are my questions: As cool as exercises to improve rhythm capabilities are 1) is beat mixing of real value to a DJ ? Because, usually I know for each song exactly where I want to fade in and fade out and the chances that I match the songs at these specific points is almost zero. Usually I jump to some cue point inside the next song and stop it at a downbeat. When the current song reaches the desired position I start the new one so the down beats of both songs are synchron...this requires only listening to current song. 2) Most of the songs I like are 128 bpm and if they are not, I will know that and just adjust the pitch faders accordingly without any hearing checks involved. 3) If they are off by more than 10-20 bpm, it is anyhow not possible to adjust pitch without destroying the nature of a song. 4) If it takes me 20 seconds to perform beat match I can´t do other stuff meanwhile like using filters or samples or any stage presence. 5) Beat matching is a skill that is not appreciated by audience...tracks have to be in sync and that is all about it.

[@djbolivia]

Beat-mixing is definitely something that is not appreciated by some audiences. I think when you decide if you want to invest the time to learn to do it, you need to take a look at the venues that you hope to play at, and the audiences that you expect. For some venues and audiences, knowing how to beat-mix is an absolute necessity. For others, your methods will work.

[@Netheryard]

I've recently moved from laptop (traktor+x1's) to cdj1000's, and i've been practising like a mad man, but found that I try to "cheat" with looking at the tempo-readouts. When you gave the tip to cover up the tempo-readouts on your mixer and cdj's i immediately ran to my setup to cover it up. This really helped, you get forced to listen instead of try to cheat your way out of it.

[@churchillcoins8519]

Amazing video, this is a Master Class on DJing 101 including music theory, equipment tutorial and step by step instructional. Bravo DJ Bolivia, great job. Thank you.

[@Hurdstah]

these are by far the best DJ tutorials I've ever seen on YT!

[@DJkitchenmixer]

Thank you great video, well explained. I can relate to what you are saying, I started learning mixing in 1993, back then youtube did not exist, nor internet, at least not as we know it now. I learned mixing the hardway, and as you said, some are naturals and for some it takes weeks to grasp it. I am hooked on house and mixing, stop since 2001 and I am picking it up since a year. It is like ride a bike, once you learned it, you not forget it easily.I watched your video, to see if I did not get sloppy overtime.... Thanks from NL

[@djbolivia]

Usually they will both be the same, if they are using 8-bar sections you can overlap so they are at the same point within the 8-bar phrase on both. But if they end up being slightly different, you can do either. Don't be afraid to break rules once in a while. Sometimes I'll mix in a track a bar early or a bar late on purpose, just because it gives the dance floor some unexpected variety. Don't do that too often, but it sounds right sometimes.

[@Slizeoflife]

Great vid... I was trying to figure out when to bring in the next song and you explained about counting beats and bring in at the beginning of a new section... That's the piece I was missing in me knowledge base... Thanks awesome job on explaining...

[@efeskaachtzehn5153]

This is by far the most comprehensive and most informative video for DJ-beginners.You are a really good teacher and I would give this video a thousand thumbs up if I could to show my appreciation.

[@Bradders1986]

Massive respect for this video..Very very much appreciated for taking out so much time to make videos like this

[@djbolivia]

Thanks Brad! It's actually fun to make them, so I can't really call them "work" at all.

[@djbolivia]

Good point, intuition comes naturally after some practice, and the production in that last bar of the section is a subtle clue.

[@daveleemans894]

Again perfect video for learning, great teaching. Enjoying it and learning from it, perfect combo. Looking forward for more! Grts Dave

[@seanjackson8274]

Really enjoyed watching that even though I've been mixing for 30 yrs or so as we never stop learning. Bringing in the new tune with a little extra mid is a killer tip, even if it's not a vocal line it's the frequency most friendly of the new thing coming in to the listener for sure, followed by treble>bass. Yeah loved it, a pleasure to watch and thanks again DJ Bolivia

[@Shuffleking96]

Just learning, seen many videos but you explain this the best and im so glad i found your videos. You take everything into consideration which is really important. I dont want to use sync like many djs i wanna do it properly. Legend, time to practice..

[@dbeauchamp25]

awesome tutorial djbolivia. Great skills in bringing the theory and practice together... one of the best vids out there. Which that I had found this earlier. GREAT JOB and thank you for sharing!!!

[@djbolivia]

+dbeauchamp25 Thank you!

[@warrickfehi]

I understood fully the part where you explained they may have to be +1 and +2 to be matched. It's because the playing track's original tempo (when it was recorded) is faster than the cued track's original tempo, so in order to make them match you speed up the cued track's tempo more than the playing track's. Thank you very much for the video!

[@djbolivia]

Exactly!

[@FreshaLOTts]

Just wanna say: a BIG THANK YOU for this astonishing piece of class that you put here ! awesome video !

[@djbolivia]

Thanks for writing ...

[@camillah602]

You are so thorough and sincere and listening to your videos is like being at a lecture of my dream studies! :D Thank you!

[@djbolivia]

Thanks so much for your kind words! Did you have any luck with learning to actually do any beat-mixing, or were you just watching these out of curiosity?

[@djtrishm]

I'm a CD dj and have been for many years. Folks enjoy seeing psysical media as opposed to just a laptop even though it more to carry

[@DANRYX]

To this day, my favourite cd dj mixer is the tascam cd302. 100% tempo AND pitch control. It has offered me the flawless transition of any genre and gives your talent complete, un-molested control of the music. I actually never pre-mix a set, i feel the connection with the crowd and adjust accordingly. The only dissadvantage is lugging around 300+ cds but the result of absolute unique sets that are always fresh and live. Its more enjoyable and rewarding when you get those mixes perfect on the fly. Love your breakdown in this too, your breakdown is immaculate, would love to mix with you sometime!

[@DJEzraLive]

Gotta say I feel very lucky to have found this video, just became a big fan :) I'm a beginner dj and I learned a lot from this content, so I can't wait to check out the rest of videos! Be well my friend!

[@ankitsethiya]

Awesome tutorial! Going to try the groove riding! Never mixed that way before. Just a couple of thoughts I wanted to put in: During the mix, I always bring the lows of on going song down instead of new song That way, I can give a feel to audience about the new song coming! I don't usually touch the mids at all unless vocals are super loud/low. Thank you for putting time and efforts in sharing knowledge! Cheers!

[@djbolivia]

That approach definitely works too. I should have covered more alternatives instead of just going with basically one way to get started. But I think a lot of people will experiment and find different ways that work for them. I just hope that by not mentioning things like your suggestion, some beginners might think that it would be a "wrong" way to mix.

[@simonprice7441]

Sir you are a genius... very easy discriptions clear, concise, simple .... thank you..

[@conikee]

Excellent lesson and loved the groove driving part .. Thanks for creating ...

[@rahularora2716]

Man this is real teaching annd from the guy who knows what he is doing

[@gjzgodd]

love these tutorials ~ love how considered you are when you're talking, BUT protip: crank up the speed to 1.25 or 1.5 during the talking :V

[@djbolivia]

+George Goddard I know. I don't talk this slowly in real life! But there are a lot of people watching these who aren't native English speakers, so it's a dilemma. I wish I had the time and resources to do two versions ... a speed-talking version for native English, and a slower version for the rest. I've been dealing with this same issue tonight for some other videos that I'm doing right now for our government here in Canada. I have to be careful with my speech because a lot of non-English (people whose first language is French) will be watching them.

[@chuwang7176]

+djbolivia I appreciate that you can think about people who don't take English as mother language . Really good introduction . Thx from China Beijing

[@reverse_stereo]

Thank you so much for your tutorials ,they are really, really helpful !!!

[@cresptonoshua7565]

Wow!!! I really enjoyed the section,a big thump up 👍from South Africa

[@michaelmccluskey7386]

Great work. Thank you -- looking forward to checking out some more of your videos in the future.

[@djbolivia]

Thanks Michael.

[@alvaf4116]

Thanks A LOT! ITS so hard to find good free extensive tutorials on YT. Thank you so much. Saludos desde Argentina

[@velimir.l.georgiev]

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience with all of us!

[@jabazmi]

One of the best DJ tutorial i have seen. Great tutorial with technology involved.

[@Dannybel1]

Great explanation, enjoyed it - thanks DJ B!

[@nathanwilloughby7137]

Fantastic video thank you so much. New to DJ'ing and will for sure be using all your tips in this video.

[@djkoz78]

Another suggestion for a video you could do is the importance of volume mixing when bringing the incoming track over in the mix. Rarely do i see tutorials explaining how important this is. As a deejay I've made many a mistakes bringing the track in too soft or too loud. The PFL meters are there to help you gauge it but I've noticed even when you have the PFL meters synced up that the track can still be too low or loud. Learning to mix using the EQ's on the mixer is extremely important.

[@djbolivia]

That's a great idea. I've just added it to my list of projects for next winter. Thanks!

[@djkoz78]

djbolivia great video btw.

[@Unt-ib4cz]

Very good video. Impressive thorough information ... Thank you for making this video.

[@djbolivia]

You're welcome...

[@rapoldschoolhiphop]

omg, you are like one of the nicest persons ever met on youtube. keep it up!

[@leeh6532]

Mate, your explanation is fantastic, keep up the great work, brilliant

[@Psyfenetic]

so much knowledge, given in a very comfortable way... your videos are PRO, thank you.

[@djbolivia]

+blazibboy Thanks, Blazibboy.

[@MrZiomek332]

BEST TEACHER EVER!

[@djbolivia]

Tinashe Chikanda I really need to do a detailed video about harmonic mixing, but that assumes that people know a fair amount of music theory. If you don't have a solid background in classical music theory, the best thing for now is to just listen closely and see if the songs "feel" right together. Do the notes sound like they mesh well? If so, the key signatures probably match or complement each other. If not, try mixing in a different track. Sorry, this is a hard topic to cover in less than several hours of theory.

[@Felsenherzz]

Hi djbolivia, dont worry about the music theory part ! Assume your audience knows it and just refer to the specific subchapter of music theory. There are people on youtube covering the theory and many books for that matter. That way you can concentrate on the details of meshing. Great vids you make ! First question: I hear something cool somewhere, I know the title and I want to purchase audio material to put it in my collection. Is there a one stop shop with high quality content to purchase single tracks for money ? Amazon is great, but it is only 256 kbps mp3...I am worried I pay for material I cant use for further audio processing.

[@Felsenherzz]

Paul Stein As you also produce your own music you know that usually the output is 96 kHz at 24-bit material uncompressed...

[@djbolivia]

Paul Stein I often use Beatport, which allows you to pay an extra dollar and get it in 44.1/16-bit .WAV rather than mp3. But the problem with Beatport is that it is really only suitable for certain types of music, predominantly EDM. Juno (out of Britain) also has the same option, but is also EDM-oriented. Mind you, I find that anything at 44.1/16 is probably just fine for further audio work. The weakest link in the chain is often the work of the previous producer, not the digital limitations of the medium.

[@pikherz]

+Paul Stein iTunes? Or just download it for free somewhere who cares?

[@gasdorficmuncher9943]

do the pioneer usb mp3 file style deck lock up during cue...I having problems with my gear my pyle pro usb deck tends to freeze sometimes during the 4th track ? I have power down the whole system ..then after that tends to make me stop trying all together ..should I run out a get a pioneer deck or does it freeze too sometimes?

[@evanrandall1675]

Hey man I don't know if you're still active on this page but I really enjoyed watching this and even though I thought I knew all of this information it was good time for a refresher. Turns out I learned a bunch of things I appreciate it

[@djbolivia]

Yes, with CD players, it makes sense to do both at the same time. I guess it's best to learn both ways, and then combine them.

[@mcjun21c]

Great video! Big Thank You Dj Bolivia

[@djbolivia]

You're welcome...

[@segelboy95]

I really like this part in the beginning where you talk about the history of DJing :) Very interesting!! I've never really thought about that... this progress in technology is insane :D

[@djbolivia]

It is. I wonder what we'll be using in ten or fifteen years!

[@1985goldie]

Fantastic video. Really helpful. Look forward to watching some of your others now. Thanks 👌

[@djbolivia]

Thanks for writing. I'm glad you found it to be useful!

[@rickmage8655]

I do like your videos. Very informative for those new DJs.

[@djbolivia]

Glad to hear. I'm going to be releasing a lot more videos starting in early January.

[@arthurmacedo8989]

geez man, just wanna say thanks for doing that video hey! perfectly explained with all the patience and details required, a big cheers for you buddy! made me a lot more confident about learning all that stuff ;)

[@roogematt8682]

Hi mate im matt, this video brings me back in the day when l used a twin dj cd mixer with mixing electro streetsounds ... old days best

[@djbolivia]

Nice, thanks for commenting.

[@gruzmusic]

Great video man. Very helpful and informative. Thanks so much

[@drollos]

in my opinion what djs do is keeping the transitions short/not too long so its more fail-safe , a short mix from one track to the other which has nice impact and power most of the time sounds better than when u try to beatmix for like 1 minute or so and doing load of things there

[@dropperjams]

the first truly helpful video I have ever seen. THANKS !!

[@djbolivia]

+Anthony D.James (ADJ) Thanks, Anthony.

[@djbolivia]

Thank you, very much appreciated!

[@mystery5055]

I need some of these funky tunes lol.. where can i find the tune at 1h 22mins plz pal.? Thanks for the tutorial..

[@kojifresh]

Really appreciate you taking the time to break this down in an almost 2 hour tutorial. Too many DJ's told me this kind of stuff comes "naturally" by playing hours on end, but I honestly can't agree. I'm definitely going to check out your video on effects in hopes that there are some tips for their uses. Thanks again DJ Bolivia! #subscribed+1

[@myrnacasillan3061]

This is a good teaching method actual use of equipment sounding sound speed.

[@barclayfernandez5865]

thanks djbolivia, very helpful intro video for begginers!

[@djbolivia]

+Barclay Fernandez Glad to hear this, have a great weekend.

[@djbolivia]

This is very true. The only DJ's who usually go with mixes longer than 45 seconds long are the trance and progressive house DJ's. That's a bit of a generalization of course, but for many other genres, shorter mixes work just great.

[@marm6649]

Great Videos by the way,you are a great teacher sir,I learned a lot from you!!!

[@siyabongangidi6843]

i find this tutorial helpful for me...thanks djBolivia

[@hardmember]

Thanks for the great videos Mr. Clark

[@djbolivia]

+hardmember Hey, no problem. I'm glad some people are finding them to be useful. Enjoy your weekend ...

[@robertvandeneijk1284]

A like wasn't enough. Thank you very much for your time and effort. You're a great teacher (and nice guy)!

[@pedrohenriquepozza7685]

thank you VERY MUCH!! Really helpful and didactic. Great songs as well, kudos!!

[@djbolivia]

No problem, glad you enjoyed it.

[@agustincilloillo]

Thanks Bolivia. Really appreciate it

[@JL-Breaks]

You are a really awesome teacher. Thank you for this.

[@lucasocampo9722]

Man your videos are great! You are not only so teaching, plus is noticeable you known of the matter and the fact that you love what you do. I'm going to subscribe to keep learning from your videos. P.D:sorry about my english and greetings from Argentina

[@djbolivia]

Gracias, Lucas! Your English is great, I wish my Spanish was as good. Thank you for writing. I am away from home now but I will be starting to produce more videos by Christmas. Hasta pronto ...

[@sodemo12]

You sir are awsome! This helped me alot, especially the part where u covered the bpms. I will practise like that next time =)

[@djbolivia]

Yes, it's so much better to learn to do it with your ears instead of relying on the electronics to give you hints. Because when you get to a place with equipment that doesn't have beat counters, you're in trouble.

[@robertvandeneijk1284]

Not in 2013, but now in 2018 you can add another great way of mixing where traditional and modern tech meet. I'm here because of Vinyl Reality (still in early access) on the Rift. It's crazy how close it is to mixing real vinyl.

[@hankypanky9380]

excellent tutorial! Very helpful and informative. Thanks so much

[@Chillos100]

Thanks a million! This is the most clear, consice, understandable tutorial i've come across thus far! Well done. Keep up the good work please.. I'll continue to study your video's..

[@swayamj]

Hey DJ Bolivia you are a very good teacher... Thanks :) Greetings from India

[@djbolivia]

+Swayam Jaiswal Swayam, thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@swayamj]

:)

[@nW-ru4jt]

thank you mate. nice tutorial. thanks for sharing knowledge. great sounding set at the psytrance event too !

[@qraCz]

You are the boss, I really wanted to say thanks, i've been thinking for a while to buy a controller and start getting into DJing and after watching some tutorials i stumbled on yours and this is the one, you are so patient and put the thoughts into words and examples so good. You really make this easy to understand. I appreciate this so much. Btw, my mother is from Bolivia, any funny story about your nickname?

[@iamolafs_]

Great video, thanks for making this!

[@jaycz4a]

Best video I've seen so far, lots of good tips and very helpful

[@riteshst]

Very nice video. Keep up the good work man.

[@djbolivia]

Thanks Ritesh...

[@aminex]

Fantastic video. Probably one of the best on youtube. Thanks!

[@Capicuaman]

Thank you DJ-Bolivia.

[@jackcass5584]

thanks djboliva i have learn't a lot from you mate your a great dj :)

[@djbolivia]

Cheers, Jack.

[@abedalfatahhammo3062]

thank you for the good knowledge. i bet no one have explained that better.

[@djbolivia]

Thank you, Abed.

[@djbolivia]

Exactly. I guess that for beginners it's still useful to count bars, but I'm glad you wrote this here, it's good additional info.

[@djbolivia]

Sure. I'll add those to the list of videos that I'm producing. Thanks for the suggestions.

[@visiondt6017]

Thanks for your good work sir. with your tutorials i got all i ever wanted.

[@djbolivia]

+Vision DT You're welcome.