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How well do you know your library?
- Thread starter Papa Deuce
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Actually, it can; however, I don't go that far. Since all the modern stuff is radio edited things are fairly safe. Also, since I don't do kids events (but events that sometimes has kids at them) then I feel fairly safe there as well.
Now, the question was how well I know the library.
For specific location I use the search capability of the software and then look at the folder for the best cut.
For popular selections, such as Old Time Rock 'N Roll, for example, I know that I have it and know what nfolder it is in. For obscure requests I use the search and if the genre or group is of a nature to put out adult/risque lyrics, I preview it if I have't listened to it before.
Good question. He asked about obscure songs. I don't use obscure songs in sets that I make up. I use songs that I know work. I know those songs extremely well. I personally do about 50 weddings a year. I typically know what songs work. I simply don't spend any time getting to know obsure songs that never get requested or get requested once every few years just because they happen to be in my library.
I keep catagories on my computer like favorites, most requested by each decade, older dance, newer dance, etc
I have about 60,000 songs. Doing a query, in the last 2 years, only a few thousand of those have been played, I think it was around 3500.
I guess I could go through each song, listen to it, get to know it, decided whether to keep it in the library or not. Or, I could just keep it in there and access it if and when I need it.
I listen to my satelite radio a lot. From the newest stations to the oldies. I watch the charts as well. I watch how people generally react to songs that get requested. That's how I know what to play. Not by getting to know every song in my library.
I wasn't talking about cusswords. I'm talking about all the lyrics. When knowing what to play next, it's not just about the genre and tempo, it's about the lyrics, too. (Maybe that's just me.)
Just a thought...have you ever considered adding in an obscure song or two every once in awhile? I just love it when I play something different and a crowd goes for it (even if it's a slow dance) and then people want to know what that song was. No?
I agree that it's tought to know every song in the library. The J Mac and I go through all our CDs before each event to decide what to bring. That way, we know exactly what we have with us that night, including the obscure songs.
Wow! I think I distorted the thread. Sorry about that! Maybe I should just leave this up to the laptop people.
Lyrics very rarely come into play when picking a song for me. On occasion, I might avoid a song because of the lyrics. However, rarely is a song picked because the lyrics were "right for the moment"
Oh.
The J Mac got me doing that more and I've found that it's made me a better DJ. Besides, it makes things more fun and interesting. There are some songs that say the right thing to get people fired up and others that have words that are very meaningful to people. And then, there are songs that are just nonsensical but people sing them anyways.
Knowing the lyrics also helps me with songs to avoid at weddings, especially with today's music anymore. There are some great tunes out and people request them sometimes because they have a good beat or are popular. However, a lot of them have depressing messages or are straight up breakup songs. Take Kanye West's latest album, for example. It's very popular, but it's all about heartbreak!!
Just a thought...have you ever considered adding in an obscure song or two every once in awhile? I just love it when I play something different and a crowd goes for it (even if it's a slow dance) and then people want to know what that song was. No?
I agree that it's tought to know every song in the library. The J Mac and I go through all our CDs before each event to decide what to bring. That way, we know exactly what we have with us that night, including the obscure songs.
Wow! I think I distorted the thread. Sorry about that! Maybe I should just leave this up to the laptop people.
I tend to play it safe. I use songs that I know work and songs that most people know. The obscure stuff will come from requests(after I have listened to them).
I do try to use songs that don't get played a lot during dinner and cocktail. But I find people like to dance to songs they know.
I spend no time deciding what to bring. Every song comes with me. During dinner and cocktail hours, i spend time going through lists and previous events and adding songs to my work area...songs from their request list...and songs I think will work for that evening.
Songs that get requested a lot at weddings:
Runaround sue
Same old song..temptations
Ain't too proud to beg
Gold Digger
billie jean
build me up, buttercup
friends in low places
bust a move
blister in the sun
promiscuous
Save the last dance for me
don't cha
humpty dance
dropped a bomb on me
paradise by the dashboard light
None of these songs have a message I would say is a "positive wedding message", they are about heartbreak, break up, infidelity, or loose sexual values. But they dance and they dance.
I'm another, that does not carry my complete library -- and yes, I still do an occasional gig for family or friends (gratis of course). Makes for good testing of the software
I do not play obscure requests, just my style -- I do a show, with the intention of playing what I know works. I also have pre-mixed dance sets, that can encompass 20-30 minutes in a single MP3 file. Spend a lot of time perfecting them in the studio.
Tops, maybe 5k songs in my working set (usually less though). So, even though I know where most every song is (on the backup drives), I'm not going to play them anyway... Unless I'm doing a bar, I'm not really a request sort of guy.
Just my style, YMMV
I do not play obscure requests, just my style -- I do a show, with the intention of playing what I know works. I also have pre-mixed dance sets, that can encompass 20-30 minutes in a single MP3 file. Spend a lot of time perfecting them in the studio.
Tops, maybe 5k songs in my working set (usually less though). So, even though I know where most every song is (on the backup drives), I'm not going to play them anyway... Unless I'm doing a bar, I'm not really a request sort of guy.
Just my style, YMMV
I have a program on my laptop its just inventory only they ask i type it tell me yes or no and where its at
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Guest
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I thought if you were asking if the lyrics were in the tag for the song.
As to lyrics in general, I am familiar enough with the lyrics of the regularly requested songs or standards (the ones I would use in a mix). I familiarize myself with the lyrics of new acquisitions by listening to them when I get them or using one of the lyric web sites.
I know my library pretty well. I always test out my music before the event and write down the music on a paper to always be prepared for my events. I always have like a cheat sheet it helps me big time.
Me too. If its not a song I know the location of by heart already, I always include the special event/dance songs for my weddings next to each event on the itinerary with disc and track #.
Occasionally, being disc-based, I'll rip all the wedding event/dance songs in order on a single cd to eliminate the need to swap back and forth.
Seriously? I would NEVER! That song's atrocious!
I can't believe that gets requested - I've never had it. Must be a regional thing. Don't think I'd play it if requested anyway, unless of course it came from the happy couple or was on their must-play list - then of course we all know the answer to THAT one! "SURE, I'll queue it up next!" :sqembarrassed:
"Paradise By The Dashboard Light" is on our Please Play list for our wedding reception, along with other Meat Loaf tunes.
We play that song a lot. People love the irony and that's why they request it. That and it's a really good swing-rock song!
We play that song a lot. People love the irony and that's why they request it. That and it's a really good swing-rock song!
Paradise by the Dashboard Light is a line dancing song in Philly. Well, more like a fighting line dancing song.... men versus women.
Wow. Who woulda thunk it?
So you say it's a line dance song, and women against men. Do the guests know that and fall into line like it really is a regional practice or tradition, or is that the way you set the song up? Is there any prompting on your part or is it engrained?
So you say it's a line dance song, and women against men. Do the guests know that and fall into line like it really is a regional practice or tradition, or is that the way you set the song up? Is there any prompting on your part or is it engrained?
With a large library, it's very handy to have a computer inventory system to tell you if you have a song or not and where it is.
It's even more handy to not really care where the song is, but just be able to tell the computer that is the song I want to play and let the computer worry about where the file is physically located, which is just one of the things most dj software today does very well.
Wow. Who woulda thunk it?
So you say it's a line dance song, and women against men. Do the guests know that and fall into line like it really is a regional practice or tradition, or is that the way you set the song up? Is there any prompting on your part or is it engrained?
First time I saw it was at my own wedding.... it is a tradition in her- my wife's - family... men on one side, women on the other, taunting each other thru the song.... but since then I have seen it at least a dozen times. It seems fairly common now as people just seem to do it without DJ intervention.