DJing For Dummies
DJing For Dummies book cover

DJing For Dummies

Paperback – December 3, 2014

Price
$17.99
Format
Paperback
Pages
432
Publisher
For Dummies
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1118937280
Dimensions
7.3 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
Weight
1.2 pounds

Description

From the Inside Flap Learn to: Choose, set up and plug in your choice of DJ tech Choose, set up and plug in your choice of DJ tech Develop and record your own DJing style Develop and record your own DJing style Discover mixing techniques for all levels Discover mixing techniques for all levels DJ with turntables, CD decks and digital DJ software DJ with turntables, CD decks and digital DJ software Learn to DJ like a pro—without skipping a beat The bestselling guide to spinning and scratching is back—and better than before! If you’re ready to take your DJing skills out of your home and into a public venue, this new edition of DJing For Dummies is your go-to guide for mastering the basics of mixing, creating your own DJing style and building a foolproof set to play to a live crowd. Got two turntables and a microphone? – get to know the core pieces of equipment you’ll need in order to be a DJ, the best ways to build your collection of tunes and advice on going retro-chic or digital geek Got two turntables and a microphone? – get to know the core pieces of equipment you’ll need in order to be a DJ, the best ways to build your collection of tunes and advice on going retro-chic or digital geek Don’t miss a beat – discover expert tips on the many ways to use, choose, connect to and set up your equipment for professional DJ use Don’t miss a beat – discover expert tips on the many ways to use, choose, connect to and set up your equipment for professional DJ use Mix it up – get the lowdown on the details of DJing, from creating transitions between tunes and starting them at the correct points to the complicated moves demanded by the scratch artist Mix it up – get the lowdown on the details of DJing, from creating transitions between tunes and starting them at the correct points to the complicated moves demanded by the scratch artist Put some boom in your booth – find tons of helpful information on how to sell yourself as a DJ, create a great-sounding demo and soar as a scratching star or rise as a rock legend when you finally land that long-anticipated gig Put some boom in your booth – find tons of helpful information on how to sell yourself as a DJ, create a great-sounding demo and soar as a scratching star or rise as a rock legend when you finally land that long-anticipated gig Open the book and find: How you can thrive as a DJ without expensive, cumbersome kit How you can thrive as a DJ without expensive, cumbersome kit Loops, effects and live remixing techniques Loops, effects and live remixing techniques Guidance on shopping for the best DJing equipment Guidance on shopping for the best DJing equipment The best CD and turntable features for your unique needs The best CD and turntable features for your unique needs The different ways to control digital DJ software The different ways to control digital DJ software Top DJing mistakes to avoid Top DJing mistakes to avoid Tips on spreading your sound and skills across the world Tips on spreading your sound and skills across the world From the Back Cover Learn to: Choose, set up and plug in your choice of DJ tech Choose, set up and plug in your choice of DJ tech Develop and record your own DJing style Develop and record your own DJing style Discover mixing techniques for all levels Discover mixing techniques for all levels DJ with turntables, CD decks and digital DJ software DJ with turntables, CD decks and digital DJ software Learn to DJ like a pro―without skipping a beat The bestselling guide to spinning and scratching is back―and better than before! If you’re ready to take your DJing skills out of your home and into a public venue, this new edition of DJing For Dummies is your go-to guide for mastering the basics of mixing, creating your own DJing style and building a foolproof set to play to a live crowd. Got two turntables and a microphone? – get to know the core pieces of equipment you’ll need in order to be a DJ, the best ways to build your collection of tunes and advice on going retro-chic or digital geek Got two turntables and a microphone? – get to know the core pieces of equipment you’ll need in order to be a DJ, the best ways to build your collection of tunes and advice on going retro-chic or digital geek Don’t miss a beat – discover expert tips on the many ways to use, choose, connect to and set up your equipment for professional DJ use Don’t miss a beat – discover expert tips on the many ways to use, choose, connect to and set up your equipment for professional DJ use Mix it up – get the lowdown on the details of DJing, from creating transitions between tunes and starting them at the correct points to the complicated moves demanded by the scratch artist Mix it up – get the lowdown on the details of DJing, from creating transitions between tunes and starting them at the correct points to the complicated moves demanded by the scratch artist Put some boom in your booth – find tons of helpful information on how to sell yourself as a DJ, create a great-sounding demo and soar as a scratching star or rise as a rock legend when you finally land that long-anticipated gig Put some boom in your booth – find tons of helpful information on how to sell yourself as a DJ, create a great-sounding demo and soar as a scratching star or rise as a rock legend when you finally land that long-anticipated gig Open the book and find: How you can thrive as a DJ without expensive, cumbersome kit How you can thrive as a DJ without expensive, cumbersome kit Loops, effects and live remixing techniques Loops, effects and live remixing techniques Guidance on shopping for the best DJing equipment Guidance on shopping for the best DJing equipment The best CD and turntable features for your unique needs The best CD and turntable features for your unique needs The different ways to control digital DJ software The different ways to control digital DJ software Top DJing mistakes to avoid Top DJing mistakes to avoid Tips on spreading your sound and skills across the world Tips on spreading your sound and skills across the world About the Author John Steventon , AKA DJ Recess, has built a reputation as a successful club DJ. Via his website (recess.co.uk) and the first two editions of DJing For Dummies , John has taught thousands of aspiring DJs the tricks of the trade. During the day John works as a film editor for the BBC. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • DJ like a pro―without skipping a beat
  • The bestselling guide to spinning and scratching is back! If you've ever spent hours in your bedroom with two turntables and an earful of tracks that sound off-beat or out of key,
  • DJing For Dummies
  • is the go-to guide for taking your skills to the next level. Inside, John Steventon, a successful club DJ, walks you through the basics of mixing, the techniques and tricks you need to create your own DJ style and how to make DJing work for you.
  • Covering both digital and old-school vinyl-based instruction, this guide covers all the latest DJ technology, equipment and software so you can get mixing and stay one step ahead of the crowd. Brimming with expert advice and easy-to-follow explanations, the information in
  • DJing For Dummies
  • gives you everything you need to build a foolproof set and play to a live crowd.
  • Nail down the basics and build on existing skills
  • Nail down the basics and build on existing skills
  • Sort through the latest equipment and technology
  • Sort through the latest equipment and technology
  • Have a go at crossfading, beatmatching and scratching
  • Have a go at crossfading, beatmatching and scratching
  • Mix tracks seamlessly to sound like a pro
  • Mix tracks seamlessly to sound like a pro
  • If you're new to the game or looking to step up your skills and graduate to club work,
  • DJing For Dummies
  • has you covered.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(112)
★★★★
25%
(93)
★★★
15%
(56)
★★
7%
(26)
23%
(85)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

good book for learning.

I bought this a couple years ago because i wanted to learn to DJ. this book taught me the basics to DJing. I now am a DJ and i do gigs.
11 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Four Stars

Great gift for our budding DJ
4 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Four Stars

A lot of good information and web sites
2 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Great resource for beginners through intermediate level, and it is just fun to read!

This is an incredible resource for anyone looking to learn more about DJing, although the content really goes beyond that. I personally am most thrilled with the level of detail covered regarding how to optimize sound; I do remixes and have to do the mastering on my own (limited budget), and this guide has plenty of tips and good information that can help anyone who is trying to crank out professional quality music, be it through DJing, remixing, or producing music.

And of course, you are starting "from scratch" (no pun intended), so you don't have to worry about coming in with knowledge. In my opinion, the content is useful for a beginner through intermediate skillsets. And the book is just fun and easy to read. Very highly recommended!
2 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Well-rounded, comprehensive introduction to aspiring DJs

This book offers a complete introduction to DJing, covering aspects from building a set-up to using your set-up to creating a demo to standing out in a performance setting. In keeping with the "For DUMMIES" brand, it offers to do so in a way that makes sense for complete neophytes - no background knowledge needed.

Completely to my surprise, I am a beginner DJ. Always a vocal fan of DJs, I was pleasantly shocked to receive at Christmas a [[ASIN:B006Z9D9UI Numark iDJ Pro Professional DJ Controller for iPad]], which comes with some amazing features but, alas, doesn't come with skill. Nor, at least in the case of mine, a manual. People, this thing is pretty much a musical instrument. Loving piano doesn't make you a pianist. You can plunk. You can pick out tunes. But you're not [[ASIN:B009EJSUBY Van Cliburn]], and if you aspire to be Van Cliburn, your noodling is just going to disappoint.

Maybe somewhere you can sign up for DJ lessons, but so far as I know you can't do it around here. This book's promise to "DJ like a pro-without skipping a beat" was too much to resist.

What I found was a very comprehensive guide that doesn't quite bring me to "like a pro" levels, in part because it is so comprehensive and in part because nothing can (more on that in a minute). For the truly aspiring professional DJ starting from nothing, this thing could be gold. 395 pages long (sans index), it very thoroughly explains what your options are in DJing and how to become the DJ of your dreams. This starts with about 185 pages (15-200) of discussion of equipment: what you can buy; which you should buy (according to your resources and the type of DJ you want to be); how you should set it up. All of this is written in a conversational, easy-to-digest style that makes what could be pretty dry reading pleasant. (Since I'm reviewing the book, I read all of this even though my DJ Toolbox was put together for me, and I did find some scattered tips that were interesting and useful even in my situation.)

Actually mixing and modifying music is the focus of section 3 - 84 pages are devoted to mixing, beatmatching, and scratching. This section is incredibly dense, but still readable. There's a lot of information packed in here. Coming from the newbie perspective (with educated ears and clueless hands), I felt it offered some solid tips for grasping beatmatching basics and striving for the next level. It talks not only about the hows, but the whys of effective mixing and scratching.

Part 4 begins with more attention to performance and technique. Within the context of "Getting Noticed and Playing Live," it offers some next-step tips for those who have mastered the basics in Part 3, specifically beatmatching and mixing. It goes into the art of using your playlist to build energy and mood in your audience, to please your patrons (both in constructing your demo and in live performance). Intermingled with all of this are some of the nuts and bolts of professional djing - how to market yourself, what to look for in an agency, what to look for in a gig.

The book is a very well-rounded look at DJing as a profession, and as such is not so much focused on DJing as an art as would have served _me_, but there's plenty enough of that included to take me at least a little closer to Van Cliburnism. I imagine we all know that no book will take me there completely: I need technique (which this offers in spades), but I also need talent and time to develop it. You don't learn to be "like a pro" from reading, but from playing - with aptitude. On the whole, though, this is an impressive blend of business and art, and I imagine that it could have a lot to offer the person who aspires to be the next [[ASIN:B00NFDXKMO Armin van Buuren]] or [[ASIN:B0017AHL7M Wundrkut]] or even the guy people want to play their weddings.

If you're a true beginner, though, and want to get the best from this, buy the book BEFORE you buy the gear. If you've already got the gear, well, it still has a lot to offer.
2 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Outdated!

Definitely not for beginners! outdated! not simple to follow! illustration is terrible, in fact there's none! it doesn't get you to the point of excitement where you can start a lot of crap and nonsense!
1 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Covers vinyl, cd, and MP3

I would have preferred that the sections be separated by vinyl, CD and by MP3.
1 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Well written and full of useful DJ techniques and information.

Well written and full of useful DJ techniques and information. Recommended for all DJs.
1 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Things you need to know

Lots of info
1 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Good

Good
1 people found this helpful