Weddings Question For (Some) Wedding DJs

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SoftJock Rick said:
So basically you're whole deal is trying to keep the dance floor full, and not the overall entertainment of the guests...?

What about talkover mixes, or giving them some dead air to take a breather? It's a wedding, not a club...
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Rick I have been spinning since the early 80's and when dancing comes along the client pays me to make them dance. They know what they get when they hire me. NO DEAD AIR on my shows, only when the client request to say something is different but when dancing begins they expect me to make them dance. When you leave dead air no one can dance. It has worked for me all these years, trust me.
 
eldjdelcaribe said:
I hope those DJs that request dead air do not ever play here in Miami with a room full of Latinos cause if you do, I don't think you will make it through the night without getting ur azz kicked! LOL.......
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I think some of us work for much different clientele Freddy...

I've done a lot of Italian weddings, and they don't dance all that much, except for the traditional dances -- mostly buckle polisher music. I've also done a boatload of redneck weddings, where yer playing stuff like Skynyrd, and classic rock. Would you want me to beat match Freebird into Rocky Mountain Way...?

Maybe difference in demographics, age groups, cultures... Dunno... :sqconfused:
 
SoftJock Rick said:
I think some of us work for much different clientele Freddy...

I've done a lot of Italian weddings, and they don't dance all that much, except for the traditional dances -- mostly buckle polisher music. I've also done a boatload of redneck weddings, where yer playing stuff like Skynyrd, and classic rock. Would you want me to beat match Freebird into Rocky Mountain Way...?

Maybe difference in demographics, age groups, cultures... Dunno... :sqconfused:
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Nahhhh! Jes "DJs"...some of them need to get out mo' often! ;)
 
SoftJock Rick said:
I think some of us work for much different clientele Freddy...

I've done a lot of Italian weddings, and they don't dance all that much, except for the traditional dances -- mostly buckle polisher music. I've also done a boatload of redneck weddings, where yer playing stuff like Skynyrd, and classic rock. Would you want me to beat match Freebird into Rocky Mountain Way...?

Maybe difference in demographics, age groups, cultures... Dunno... :sqconfused:
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well them type of events would be the ones I pass along to other DJs like yourself. ;-) I will stick to my Latin weddings where no dead air is needed. LOL.....
 
LOL. It's interesting to see what people think "beat mix" means.

You can beat mix on one beat. It's not about your sound - it's about what happens when the dancer puts their foot down - and whether or not you have properly presented the measure, tempo and energy that would allow the dancer to continue unimpeded.

You do not need to have both songs audible for extended periods of time. It's nice if that's the case but, that is just ONE of many possible mixes that can be executed in measure and on tempo.
 
DJ JohnThe1 said:
Rick that must be the upstate NY country bunkin Italians. The Staten Island and New Jersey Italian crowds I played for dance all night long.
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Probably not amazing, but much of my extended family are on Long Island, Staten Island, Queens and Joisey. Many of my friends are in the Trenton/Philly area. Only a few of the gals were big on dancing -- most of the guys abstained, or would just do a buckle polisher here and there, or some ballroom type stuff to please the gals...

I never really did any dancing until I was in college, and then it was only to get laid when I was at a club ;)

At my wedding, the dance floor was filled a couple times, sometimes empty -- half the people were in the bathrooms doing lines, or getting laid, or at the bar talking and drinking. So again, I think it tends to be the crowd you hang out with, and those were the types of clients I would take as well. So keeping a dance floor filled all the time, or beat mixing, was never really of any importance to me.


I've been to 3 or 4 clubs since I've been back down here (clubs, not bars), and most have bands, so there's not a lot of dancing going on here either -- people like to watch the bands. It's different on the east coast of FL, but the west coast is very conservative. Lots of jazz clubs and country.
 
Most people have heard all the "standards" at other weddings- "Love Shack", etc. But beat mixing allows a DJ to present them in a different CONTEXT and create a bit of a new sound. Especially if you mix different genres together- Modern Dance into Old School Rock and so on. Makes it possible to change musical styles without losing your dance floor and keep the variety going. And it's fun to do. If I just sat there and pushed "play" for each new song I'd be bored to tears as would many of the guests!

wedding dj
 
If you have to build the BPM to get to a song you might have missed the boat. I dont have that issue as I dont pay attention to BPM to get there. I play it at the right time. NOW!!! Not tomorrow~ I beat mix when it works.
 
So i posted in the wrong place... so i guess i gotta respond to the question since I cant delete.

Beatmatching at a wedding is very difficult in my opinion - especially country music. I play tons of it. I mix where I can, do medleys if appropriate, but it is not my main focus. I have events, timelines, and other things going on - and I havent met a BG that wants a club type mix for dancing - no dead air, fading out songs early cuz theyre too long, some looping here n there, reading the crowd, yea all that, but trying to beatmatch a transition between Sexy and I Know It to Dixieland Delight aint likely to happen.
 
If I had to beatmix ANYTHING to be a DJ, I wouldn't be a DJ... I openly admit that I can't do it.... but what I can do really well is read a crowd ( jeez, I hope I didn't already post in this thread, LOL ).....

In all the events I have ever done, I have only been asked to beatmix ONE TIME..... at an Indian pre - Christmas party.
 
All you people concerned with having no dead air should probably have a talk with Jacob.
 
I can beat-mix and do quite often but you guys need to remember that beat-mixing is the norm in clubs where it is done using extended edits. Most typical wedding songs have short intros and outros and aren't really meant to be beat-mixed. The typical wedding DJ doesn't have to beat-mix but if you are going after the school market, then it is a must. Back to my wedding now...
 
maestro said:
I can beat-mix and do quite often but you guys need to remember that beat-mixing is the norm in clubs where it is done using extended edits. Most typical wedding songs have short intros and outros and aren't really meant to be beat-mixed. The typical wedding DJ doesn't have to beat-mix but if you are going after the school market, then it is a must. Back to my wedding now...
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It is still music! It is still the intent on keeping people dancing, they leave the floor when they are thirsty, tired or need to take a Lav break not because the song stopped or was mixed like a train wreck! Beat mixing is like dancing, if one does not have a feel for the rhythm then one will be stepping on their own toes and look/sound out of time.

It is one of the top requirements of a DJ, especially Club DJs of course.
 
ahoustondj said:
It is still music! It is still the intent on keeping people dancing...
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So that is your entire job -- to make people dance...?

Did you ever consider that some folks enjoy LISTENING to music. I think what yer doing here, is defining what result YOU want, and not necessarily what your audience wants. Have you ever given a thought to many folks, who might want to sit at their table or the bar, and tap their fingers or toes...?

I'm guessing that wouldn't give you a woody, but they might be happy...
 
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