Phrase Mixing: Throwback Thursday DJ Technique

[@joelweidenmark]

I remember back when I started as a DJ. I had no help and figured this out by "accident". Life got soooo much easier! This is probably the most important thing to learn early on.

[@godzillalikespie]

This obviously doesn't work with vinyl, but I have a tip for digital DJs. In every track of my library I set a marker/cue point exactly 16 bars after my load marker. That way when I look at the overall waveform I can see how big 16 bars is. This is super helpful for dropping thing on exactly the right phrase. For example, I can use it to make sure the intro of the incoming song finishes at the exact same time the outro on the outgoing song starts, so I keep a steady flow of energy instead of having these slumps where the intro and outro overlap. For vinyl though you just have to know your tracks well and do it by intuition.

[@plantfan2739]

+godzillalikespie That's really good! I never thought of that

[@iamstd2]

after a while you'll be able to just look at the wave form and tell how long each part is without counting. the minute markers really help with this.

[@rhonin420]

thank you!!!!

[@derGEHOERMASSEUR]

+godzillalikespie Agree! But all those things making me lazy when playing digital .. :D (I used to play Vinyl 20 years ..)

[@godzillalikespie]

+derGEHOERMASSEUR For me it's like spinning vinyl and digital DJing are two different experiences. Vinyl is about intuition and grooving and going with the flow and feel of the music, which is awesome. But digital DJing is pretty awesome too because it gives you the opportunity to get more technical and experimental and really get creative when mixing.

[@northwestclasspnw7974]

Honestly, being from high school band and choir had me catch onto phrasing and melodic concepts so well. I will forever be thankful for that

[@coryhoard8341]

This guys voice is so calm I could just listen to him read the back of a fuckin cereal box 😎

[@lifeshort]

Ha, great comment!

[@abumc5104]

for me, this DJ made the best explanation so far about this so called 'phrase' mixing 👏

[@fabee_music]

This is without any doubt the most important thing while djing!!!!

[@Djtonydraper]

Another way of counting which I learned over 30 years ago when I first became a DJ is with your foot.. Tapping one foot to the beat while counting in your head is a great way to keep time. Believe it or not I learned this in band class. Funny but it works & works well. If you ever watch a marching band or school band. Look at there feet. All will be tapping one foot to keep time/tempo. :))

[@breadtoucher]

Vinyl or die!!! :) I played only vinyl, I think I would get confused on CDJ with all those lights. But vinyl feel is just too damn good to be replaced.

[@truesouljs4352]

Hell Yeah Baby!

[@djsmp248]

This was the second thing I learned when i started to dj...definitely put your mix to another level.

[@doowopshopgal]

I knew I was missing something!! You solved my problem. Great lesson!!!

[@thecasualreviewer2148]

Good ole basics. Gotta start somewhere. Hey, some DJ's just feel it out. Sometimes it's good to know the terminology.

[@FlipTheCatOfficial]

I always consider a phrase to be 8 bars. If I threw in a new track after only 4, then the combination of the tracks would keep switching up every 4 bars (4 bars in, track A changes, then another 4 bars in, track B changes, then 4 bars in track A). If I think of a phrase as 8 bars, then they'll always both switch up at the exact same time. That's just me though.

[@cytrixz-codm6444]

I have the same thinking

[@DarylNorthrop]

+FrOsTyBeArKiD Right there with you. I focus on 8 bar or 16 bar phrase mixing, at least for house and breaks which are my main 2 genre's.

[@Natha1811]

Same Here ... 8 Bars

[@ArseneGray]

Depends on genre. Techno Baselines tend to be no longer than 4 Bars. Most of the Time changes get introduced on 4 Bar cycle.

[@djflax8806]

Depends on the type of dance music you are playing. A lot of old school dance music is 4 bars

[@twids4]

I wish I had a video like this when I started DJ'ing, I had to learn this by my self without even realising.

[@rhonin420]

but I bet you enjoyed every minute of it tho.

[@twids4]

Yeah, when it finally clicked I was able to do some pretty cool stuff

[@derGEHOERMASSEUR]

+Kieran.Twids I remember that moment :D and when it happened all the practice and work before set the basics to take off like a rocket

[@cooltigermusic]

Cool but, it's not a "throwback" technique !!! It's a fondamental DJ requirement

[@SaurabhKumar-cj2mn]

Thats litreally what he said in the video..

[@davidrowan3853]

It's throwback Thursday ya plum happens every Thursday.

[@DiiGiiTAL]

Amazing how many so called DJ's don't understand this.

[@ProlePatrolMusic]

+DiiGiiTAL this is the the pure basics of DJing lol

[@djtechtools]

+DiiGiiTAL Sad, but true! Hopefully this video will help some of them :)

[@HiLoMusic]

+DJ TechTools Haha, I thought this was 'phase' mixing,. This is pretty simple, but everyone needs to learn this for basic djing.

[@DiiGiiTAL]

DJ TechTools Indeed! No better feeling than when you're mixing a tune and it syncs perfectly with the one you're mixing into. :)

[@derGEHOERMASSEUR]

+DiiGiiTAL Especcially when mixing with vinyl ;)

[@Nanobeeps]

Essential advice! Thank you!

[@lifeshort]

Fantastically explained, thank you!

[@chrisewers]

That doesn't mean that the phrases line up though. Some songs have a 3 phrase outro while the other song has a 4 phrase intro.

[@leolorenz8107]

This guy has a good vibe

[@TechTrailblazer4]

Just Use a neon green marker on the vinyl and mark the points. Neon green shows perfectly in the dark. It just takes time to mark your entire library but if you make a mistake your more than screwed. First tried in the winter of 76 . Marked thousands of vinyl especially the Bee Gees. Remember disco inferno?👍

[@carlcouture1023]

this works for music that has slowly building changes along musical phrases that remain constant. try this with disco and you'll be hanging your head in shame.

[@DJSt3rling]

i tap my foot and bob my head when i count. i guess i occasionally tap my finger on random things too. But, just like a game of blackjack, your body is definitely keeping count!

[@felx4222]

Awesome tip! Already new that, but if I had this tutorial at the beginning, it would be a lot easier to learn ;P Now I do this without really thinking about.. :) ( no specify.) Greetz from Germany :)

[@steviedoes2421]

Very well explained.

[@inkeyfingers8233]

PHRASing is easy, but KNOW YOUR RECORDS if you're a LONG mixer... watch for the middle 8's or 4 beat bridges... you have to either manually stop your mixing in record during those bridges, and let it go on the phrase when it comes back in at a 1... (or where ever you want, just match the #'s, to match at 16 or 32 phrases (unless techno, then say EFF it and drop like an a-hole on an odd count becausee TECHNO) ' AND MOST *OLD* HOUSE YOU CAN PLAY A BEAT MATCHED RECORD THROUGH THE BREAKDOWN but always count the breakdown BEFORE trying it.. doesn't always work. Almost never works on old jungle, oh well.

[@jezzbass1826]

PERFECT TEACHER !!!

[@fraenkiboii]

Now I understand. I watched the "pitch riding" video first and I didn't get how you start the new track. Should've watched this one first :)

[@raymond186]

Very informative wish I was told this yonks ago, thanks

[@LucasFSPimenta]

There's another way to count it and it its way easier ! Just count from 1 to 8 4 times. So its like 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 four times and you release the disc .

[@LegCreator]

Lucas Pimenta yes but he's counting bars not beats

[@allstar930]

Big tune on the left deck, what's it called? It can't be Sandstrm.

[@derGEHOERMASSEUR]

And like all the other essential basics of DJ-ing, this will also become an automatic, unconscious skill like beatmatching and breathing ;) When You practiced long enough, so You dont need to think about that, then You can start to ba a real DJ

[@999tombeater999]

please make a video on how to build studio monitors/dj monitors

[@xenofyl1]

Daaayum ma man DJ Techtools using turntables AND Rane products instead of NI, that's quite surprising !

[@lifeshort]

Word to the posse crew, y'all !

[@Portcityfun]

you call these throwback techniques, but for a new dj, or a DJ transitioning into more dance/club style gigs, these are still current!

[@stefanocanali7209]

Pls advise about phrase eq mixing and reading waveforms Thank you

[@TEOLOVEUNITY]

Essential!

[@gunchief0811]

yo man can u tell me the names of the tracks you sued in this video lesson? all of them were dope beats like for real though... thanks man,,,

[@rufusstewart762]

Isn't it bad this is considered a "Throwback" lesson, this should be common mixing knowledge.

[@pallalcala]

which is the track played at the back at the start of the video?

[@truevudderhutz3482]

i dont know. i just instantly know where the begining of a phrase is for most types of music instantaneously do people actually need to count

[@langlang420]

even though it's roots can be traced to seventies disco, i think this is more of an essential technique than a throwback one. maybe golden thinks it's throwback because none of the edm superstar dj's or the million asian whores playing dj never use it. they just play 50 soundalike tracks and do drops and segs. way, way back in the day when people were spinning 45's this was not possible. tom moulton invented the extended dance mix, percussive intros, extended instrumental passages and an extended percussion break. he also by accident invented the twelve inch single. forward thinking disco dj's such as tom savarese and walter gibbons utilized these new mixes and began using this technique for smoother, more exciting transitions when spinning in their clubs. this is a thing that can mostly be used in all genres and can be used no matter what type of gear you use, so the gear war comments are silly and unnecessary. also, whenever possible, you know some dumbbell gotta mention sync, no different on this topic. the whole point is to land at a piviotal point in the incoming record without the throwaway beats. sync is not gonna help you with that. sync only aligns beats, and many times not that well, it can't help you place something in the proper spot, so that's just a superfulous comment. give the noobs a break, you can't expect someone just starting out to know these things, but after practicing for a while they should know it, and after a while you don't even have to count, you can just tell when a new phrase begins.

[@yoruba76]

Good Explaining... Question: Wenn I am about to bring an new Track in to the currently playing, it must be after 16 Bars, or can i bring the new Track also after 8 Bars in? Does that depend on the Structure of the track or should i listen to when a new Thing start to begin in a Track?

[@A____P]

So the way I was taught at my DJ class was that for a lot of dance music, every phrase has 8 bars or 32 beats depending on how you want to look at it. So optimally you want to drop your new song on phrase with the song already playing, and then start introducing the song on phrase when you do your mix.

[@RandomCrapOfTheLane]

For techno mixing what would you class as a phrase? I know tech house is normally 8 bars which is what I do and it works but techno seems a bit harder, specially some of the weirder shit lol

[@RandomCrapOfTheLane]

+Javier Bustamante Yeah my techno ranges ALOT like minimal, heavy, industrial etc so it's hard matching the right tracks to begin with. But i'll look in to it as there's some songs I have that are techno but are produced sort of in a housey way. Thanks a lot though :P EDIT: Also like a bit of tech house too, depends if it can fit the mood kinda thing

[@DJYacs]

heyy. great video, I learnt a lot thanks. what is the name of the mixer you have?

[@andrewwowk9385]

The absolute necessity/importance of this as a DJ skill becomes so obvious when you hear it ignored by a DJ. So many modern DJs who play totally quantised, basic music that pretty much always has a 4 bar phrase who don't get this is just depressing.

[@oscarnunez8000]

Great info

[@FoxRivers778]

What track is that very first one you played. I've got to find it!

[@madscientist057]

The term is 4x4 for most house, trance, and other music that isn't made of broken beats (dnb, breakbeat, nu skool )... Congrats tho on proper equipment to teach phrases beat matching and the like, and not using the tools that killed the previously mentioned things along with most creativity of this music... I'm talking about serato, cdjs, beatport throw away mentality, and the like. You need to be in the groove in order to properly beat match, and you only find that true Zen with technics and a good mixer....

[@carlosbravo2971]

I heard trainwreck at the end

[@k1ngN0rk]

This isn't a dj technique. It's simply the most basic and elemental knowledge about music in general.

[@hollaatyaboy12]

What is the song on the left deck?

[@MarkSmith-tp6zc]

Know your music first and foremost.

[@CrispUnicorn]

this I using always

[@rambosausage8881]

I never count when mixing, its so easy to just listen to when you need to drop the track.

[@mike_09.09]

Too many DJs do not understand this..

[@truesouljs4352]

Too true!!

[@djkoz78]

Is that the old 57sl or the MK II that replaced it?

[@nashie16]

+djkoz78 These are the Mk II's

[@fredbissnette3104]

Skills

[@DJGroove]

Check out this concept in practice in all of the mixes available in my channel.

[@djfunkychicken]

*Don't listen to the music.. Feeeel the music* It really should be a natural fluid reaction like dancing to a groove. If the new track begins without a beat and starts with a hat and not a kick.. good luck counting that in!

[@waelharmoush9105]

Hey man, why do you count 2,2,3,4 - 3,2,3,4 and so on, like why isn't it 1234. sorry if my question is stupid.. would appreciate your help

[@chris.rousseau]

He is counting up the four bars in the phrase: (bar 1) 1,2,3,4 (bar 2) 2,2,3,4 (bar 3) 3,2,3,4 (bar 4) 4,2,3,4

[@felixmirus5582]

What tracks was he using?

[@trickoff]

+NerfNerds 3000 Kelley Polar Quartet - hammer

[@theplaguedoctor3524]

one of the most basic things. it's sad how many "DJ's" don't know this

[@streglof]

I just count to 32, which is eight bars or two phrases

[@daveraddy3119]

Track id??

[@cg2523]

2020?

[@DJ_Shenanigan00]

do all you house djs still wait till the last 32 to put a mix in. Don't you get bord waiting?

[@thehouserocker]

+dj shenanigan Particularly with deep house where the crowds and DJ's tend to be a little more sophisticated in their musical tastes it's more about enjoying the song being played rather than showing off technical ability, an Electro or Dubstep DJ especially will tend to try to show off as much technical skill as possible, so much so that only other DJ's will understand what the hell is going on behind the decks, it's doesn't matter if you get bored since a DJ's job is to please the crowd not entertain him/herself, so many times I've played a song I hate but I know my crowd likes.

[@DJ_Shenanigan00]

I have also played tunes that i don't like and i totally understand and agree with your statement, but i will just say its the dj's responsibility to control the crowd and repetitive music can loose a crowd very quickly

[@derGEHOERMASSEUR]

+dj shenanigan depends on the track - choice , order and the sets progression.. to mix monotone house tracks seemlessly only on the last 32 and create a tension / journey is an advanced skill like DMC - scrach battles are.. not many djs nowadays have that skill to to play boring tunes in a way that they become amazing when placed wisely ..

[@adenaas9108]

dj shenanigan haha "repetitive music can loose a crowd" that's the funniest statement I've heard.. All electronic music is repetitive mate.. techno, house, trance garage etc ... People are neurologicaly programmed to enjoy repetition thats how we learn things and operate in our lives.. The same as we like routine in our daily lives... I think you meant to say people don't like shit tracks or boring ones... 😂😂😄

[@chrisbatcheldor9328]

Unless of course the song doesn’t have a 4:4 time stamp

[@sivisvitamparamortem]

Stop turning off the kelley polar quartet ;)

[@blackatom8989]

I thougt 1 phrase is 32 beats ,

[@abumc5104]

@Black Atom, you thought wrong mate.

[@blackatom8989]

@@abumc5104 you do learn from mistake

[@abumc5104]

@@blackatom8989 everytime i learn, not only from mistakes, but i never knew what all this bars and phrases really meant - until this explanation. i just mixed like i wanted with my 12"s in the 80s/90s. for fun and friends only. only by ear, listen & feelin' it, no theory, no dj classes - zero but for the future it's better to know some fundamentals. therefore i'm watchin' this vinyl stuff videos and readin' them posts. 'cause, if i ever wanna mix again, it's gonna be more perfect than ever. it's always fun to mix the songs you wanna listen to, and make them something better or at least different. and it's definitely for the love of vinyl (music) culture.

[@Enucentro]

How can you even call yourself a dj without knowing this? I don't even need to count anything to know when the new 16-beat phrase comes in...

[@sizzle3207]

dj tips for the not too bright

[@paullasch2965]

i feel like if you can't figure this out as a beginner by yourself then you shouldn't be a DJ.

[@joelweidenmark]

+Paul Lasch I see your point! But if you're just starting out and don't know much about music something like this isn't obvious at first.

[@northwestclasspnw7974]

+Joel Weidenmark if you don't know a lot about music it's an easy concept to miss

[@JunglistRAM]

+Paul Lasch as long as you learn this practising in your room its all good.this is a must 100%

[@alub7660]

+Phillip Hudshon if you don't know a lot about music should you consider to be a dj in the first place? too many djs who don't know shit about the music, and that makes their selection very boring

[@tomking6497]

pretty sure a phrase is 8 bars not 4

[@Eugguy190722]

Uhh, hello...phrase mixing isn't an old vintage throwback technique, it is a basic of mixing...but to the djs who use quantize, sync and don't blink, I guess you may be striking a point. So sad.

[@56dlp]

Always makes me laugh when I see DJ's giving tutorials and telling people to count 1,2,3,4. 2,2,3,4. Virtually all EDM is meant to be counted in groups of 8.....not 4. You want to do twice the work? Count in 4's.

[@andrewmaguire4476]

Cool

[@999tombeater999]

please make a video on how to build studio monitors/dj monitors