5 Qualities That You Must Have as a DJ
You’re probably wondering what makes a good DJ? Maybe you’ve just started learning or you’re trying your best to be hired for as many events as possible. The question of what skills or qualities you need as a DJ can have varying answers. Even if you ask this to a group of professional DJs, their answers can vary significantly.
All you’ll get from them would be some DJ jargon. They’ll tell you about mixing techniques and types of music to be played. However, there are certain qualities that you must have in order to be a good DJ. Here are a few of them:
1. Have highly organized music libraries
DJs who are among the best in their profession usually prepare well for their performance. They begin by trying to find out what type of audience would they behaving in front of them. It helps them visualize their set before performing in front of the audience.
Earlier, the DJs had to carry heavy equipment to their events. Today, with all the recent technological advancements, there is compact equipment available for DJs. They no longer have to carry the vinyl records and other heavy stuff.
They can carry their entire music library of mp3 files on their laptop. With this massive library, they need to organize the files in them for instant access. It is, therefore, extremely necessary for you to have highly organized libraries for fulfilling the demands of your audience.
2. Know how to set the tone for the event
For delivering a fantastic performance, it is not enough to just understand your audience. It is also essential to understand the whole environment. The type of music played during a competition would be different from a party. You must have the necessary skills and presence of mind to create the right mood for a particular event.
3. Vary the pace according to the mood on the dance floor
If you’re an experienced DJ, you’ll know that music varies greatly according to the mood and the timings. What is played at the beginning of the night is different from what is played during peak hours. You must know how to build the energy on the dance floor and play the music accordingly. Your performance would be the greatest if you manage to take the energy to upward momentum.
It must reach the kind of level that makes the entire dance floor erupt in a frenzy. Then, after a while, you must drop the pace down to allow dancers to take a breather. Some events don’t require this pace and you must maintain a certain format of music. The best example of such event would be a wedding.
4. The ability to mix or blend songs
Every DJ must be able to mix or blend two songs together. This is done in order to keep the dance floor swaying to the beats. If there’s a long pause between two songs, the audience would definitely feel irritated. So, the key is to maintain continuity of the tracks by mixing or blending them well.
Another aspect of this is to understand the keys. You must be able to identify the keys that evoke a particular mood or feeling. Major keys are happier and energetic, while minor keys produce the opposite effect.