About to pull my hair out!!

djtaso said:

No offense... but who "doesn't like" beatmatching? Is there someone that has straight up said they want the songs to play out till the end and then have a gap or slowly fade in the other song? In fact I have had clients on numerous occasions ask if we beatmatch or "mix the songs so the beats dont stop", but no one ever request the opposite.

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Just in case you ever DJ some Salsa Dura (hard Salsa) at a wedding, here's a typical requirement - "A solid Salsa DJ either keeps looping and mixing songs to a minimum or avoids the practice altogether. Discerning Salsa dancers don't usually appreciate looping and mixing." It is from here - https://www.quora.com/What-does-it-take-to-become-a-solid-salsa-DJ

You can find many similar remarks if you do a Google search. The reason for this is because it is not a bunch of individuals jumping up and down holding cellphones, it's couples dancing routines. They know the music, they dance to the music, they perform various moves based on the music and what they think is coming next. Read my lips - DON'T DO IT!

steve149 said:

Wasn't so much beat matching or song transitioning .. my clients like that too, it's more of the overlaying and "completely different sounds" and in most cases, the nightclub experience, that doesn't do well with my audiences (save for an occasionaly school aged crowd).

I don't do weddings for 20-somethings .. my audiences tend to be later 20s+ .. usually more plus, and like Rick, I get dirty looks when I try to end songs early.

Different crowds.

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Same here I can beat Mix very well however I rarely do, my normal wedding crowd doesn’t like it

I am also a non beat-mixing DJ.
I started working at a ROCK station....where it wasn't done.
When I transitioned to Mobile DJ, I was playing oldies, rock, slow songs, and other music
that did not need to be mixed. (I know there are a lot of DANCE versions of oldies now)
Most weddings I do are not focused on Top 40 or Nightclub songs.
So the few that I play at a wedding do not need beat-mixing.
Finding a smooth transition between songs is more valuable to me.

Not saying it's a worthless skill, not saying that it is never needed...
just saying that on those rare occasions where I need to beat-mix...
I can handle it well enough.

rickryan.com said:

I understand that beatmatching is popular in your area. It works the exact opposite here and yes, I've had numerous clients ask if I "keep switching songs in the middle". For my wedding clients, they're actually told me it's annoying and they don't want it. As for gap or fading issues, I think I explained how I handle that and my method does give smooth and constant transition between tracks. Not everyone has to do things exactly the same way for it to be correct.

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wait i never said switching songs in the middle... i just said keeping the beat constant so theres no pause in the dancing or wondering of whats happening

when you beatmix disco inferno into september the beat never skips and you don't stop trying to figure out what bass kick to move to... slowly fading in one song on beat with the other (it doesn't matter where in the song... u choose.. im just talking about the beatmatching itself) it has a much better feel and sound as opposed to a random fade on any beat and having double bass kicks. Also once youhave phrasing involved in your beatmatching it can take things to even greater lengths. Again... nothing to do with cutting songs short... you can literally fade the songs at the same exact points as you do now... but the difference is you're maintaining the beat, which as a result keeps the people dancing without hesitation.

ittigger said:

Some places yes, some places no. It's not just about maintaining the beat - if they aren't excited about, don't know or don't like the song, they're not staying. If they feel they've already been up too long, they also won't stay up. Lots of things have the potential to impact a floor. With the right group, beatmatching can certainly help - but it's not something that keeps a floor everywhere. It's just another tool in the belt.

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Situational Management!

djtaso said:

when you beatmix disco inferno into september the beat never skips and you don't stop trying to figure out what bass kick to move to... slowly fading in one song on beat with the other (it doesn't matter where in the song... u choose.. im just talking about the beatmatching itself) it has a much better feel and sound as opposed to a random fade on any beat and having double bass kicks. Also once youhave phrasing involved in your beatmatching it can take things to even greater lengths. Again... nothing to do with cutting songs short... you can literally fade the songs at the same exact points as you do now... but the difference is you're maintaining the beat, which as a result keeps the people dancing without hesitation.

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So where did you learn how to beatmix? online tutorials? A mentor? How do you discover the best songs to beatmix such as disco inferno into September?

ittigger said:

Some places yes, some places no. It's not just about maintaining the beat - if they aren't excited about, don't know or don't like the song, they're not staying. If they feel they've already been up too long, they also won't stay up. Lots of things have the potential to impact a floor. With the right group, beatmatching can certainly help - but it's not something that keeps a floor everywhere. It's just another tool in the belt.

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Correct... this is supplemental to take things to an even higher level of performance (which I get that some who are fading out of the industry aren't caring much for). I can practically GUARANTEE that no guest will ever complain about this if done properly, so no one should say guests will be upset about this as theyll just keep dancing without realizing. You can literally use the exact same fade points as u do now... just keep the beat. If you suck at picking music, well then you gotta bring it back to the basics first... doesn't matter how awesome of a master mixologist you are.

BlueLineDJ said:

So where did you learn how to beatmix? online tutorials? A mentor? How do you discover the best songs to beatmix such as disco inferno into September?

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How to beatmatch... well back in 2004 those online things didn't exist... I "discovered" the concept by listening to the radio at 11pm and they would have dj's mixing dance music for an hour and I would always say to myself, how on earth are they making the transitions so smooth and seamless and slowly bringing in elements of the other song without losing elements of the current song. At 18yrs old and having never been to a club, this was a mindblowing concept and so I did whatever research I could on this. And although it was mostly text (djing for dummies) it was something I wanted to learn as it was what the biggest dj's in the area were doing. After I turned 21 it was moreso of going out and watching others, and also watching the boss of the company I used to work with as I had just joined them. Discovering which songs go where... well thats just dj intuition and going out and seeing what others are doing and seeing what works and doesn't and putting your own spin on things.

ittigger said:

I don't think people will complain either way. What you will hear is - how long does this song / beat go on for.

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Who says its gotta go on for long... it can be a simple 4 beat transition, or more commonly in pop songs an 8/16 beat transition, or a 64 beat transition like in most 6 Minute original house tracks. Thats for the dj to determine based on the crowd and the music hes playing. Outkast hey ya has a 3 beat intro... but keeping it on beat for those 3 beats from the other song (say shake it off or happy) makes a seamless intro into the first verse of outkasts hey ya.

And you're right, they may not complain, but they will notice something different... something unique... and more than likely if done properly... better. As I point out in many of my posts, it's doing what others aren't or doing it better that makes us stand out from the competition. If you don't have money or the desire for fancy equipment, then bring it back to the basics with a unique djing experience.

ittigger said:

I was specifically referring to the given length of a beatmatching set - total length of music contained therein. While they may enjoy the beat, they will tire out.

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I don't follow... my entire nights are beatmatched virtually... with exception of certain songs, I beatmatch virtually any type of genre and tempo as the concept is the same. I don't see it a beatmatched 1hr dance set any different than a 1 hr non beatmatched dance set... only difference is the transitions were different...

ittigger said:

Example - you can have a top40 beatmatched set and it can be a great set. At some point, those dancers will want a break. If they're still on the floor and saying something like, how long does this go - then you're doing a good job keeping them there - but they also want a break.

Again, beatmatching is another tool in the belt. It can help - I don't think anyone has denied that. It may go unnoticed as well.

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Its subconscious thats for sure... but people will notice something different. And lets be real for a second... if they want a break... they are adults and they can take a break... if I'm keeping them dancing it's not by force. I've never once heard or seen someone behave in a way that suggests the dj is not allowing them from leaving the dancefloor. Not like I'm saying don't go anywhere on the mic lol. If he is out there dancing despite possibly needing a break its because I'm creating the best night ever for him and HE DOESN'T want to leave the dancefloor. I've never once heard, this sucked... why did that dj have to be so good and not let me take a break when i needed it.. rather you hear things like omg this dj was amazing, my feet are probably going to hurt, but he was so good i never wanted to leave the dancefloor...this was the best party ever!

I mean cmon you're a dj, your job is to get people to dance... not give them breaks... thats not what I believe were being paid for (to give people a chance to get off the dancefloor).

FYI... I do almost double the weddings compared to Sweet 16's currently... my avg couple is between 28 and 32. I think many have false perceptions of the crowds I work with on here. I also have had the pleasure of playing in about 15 different states so don't say its regional... ppl love to dance everywhere. If a 28 yr old bride heard a dj talking and saying "give the dancers a break" I don't think that's the dj she'd want. At least not a bride that cares about music.

steve149 said:

I think that's where there is a divergence in opinion. I play more music for people to listen to than music for them to dance to usually. Different music, different audiences.

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I think I made a mistake by not prefacing this by saying Im talking mostly about weddings and other formal events where dancing is the focus. I mean I'm doing a fashion show on a thursday lol.. theres not even a dancefloor... so yes totallyyyyyy different approach