Got your first DJ gig in a real nightclub booked? Here are 8 rules for success from Toronto based deep and progressive house DJ and producer, Arman. www.soundcloud.com/justarman soundofarman
Just throw your own house party! I threw a New Years pregame party and invited some friends, lots of friends. Have fun and make mistakes! Thanks Arman learned a lot from your channel.
If this your first gig, prepare a playlist of 20 tracks. You may not follow every track but at least you have a starting point. If you opening, set the tone! Have heaters to build the energy so the other DJs play after can follow suit. Always practice before you play out.
"the crowd doesn't probably think it's as bad as you do" a funny story from way back in the day. i was at this club one night and little louie vega was deejaying. he was nice all night long. but, he made one mistake where he went off beat a little and the WHOLE club stopped and looked straight at the dj booth. i thought i was the only one until i noticed the crowd back then people really knew (and appreciated) what good skills were. nowadays, like you said, many people either don't notice or don't care
most of the amateur or beginner DJs are going to clubs. I would assume 30% of the crowd has probably some knowledge about beatmatching and can recognize mistakes. I noticed I seriously get annoyed nowadays that I notice every little mistake. I cant relax and listen anymore in clubs lol. Just yesterday a DJ Duo was playing over here in munich. They mixed a song during a break and used Hi-Pass on the Pioneer on both tracks. I assumed they wanted to drop the bass of the new song at the end of the break. One guy literally FORGOT to remove the hi-pass. Drop came without bass. People didnt give a fuck. I was like "seriously?" But then he didnt panic and didn't immediately return the bass in middle of the phase. Instead he counted till next phase and turned off hi-pass then. And after 15 seconds did another hi-pass for 4 bars to create the illusion "he does that on purpose". I found that very amusing and well managed.
the thing is people CAN understand problems, but aint there to highlight goofs but to have fun. maybe they can't say what went wrong but trust me the feeling spreads super fast and road energy drops ... LOVE UR stuff
I feel you Arman. My first gig was at a festival in Chicago where I lived. Like you a friend and fellow DJ who organized the event asked me to open. It was my first time playing at a major event. Most of of the people who supported me and heard me at my online radio show was there. I was nervous as hell but once I transitioned my first mix, I was feeling the music. Everyone said I did well. I felt I made a couple of errors but nothing that was noticeable. If you are in this for the wrong reason, it will show on your mixes. Do it because it is fun and you love it.
Really useful advice here. I played my first set a couple of months ago at a festival and your tips really helped me, main one is practice and know your music!
Very essential rules !.. Especially the one concerning cueing in the DJ booth... Thanks for putting a spotlight on those. !... By the way I do like your humble approach that you are showcasing in explaining these. 👍
I think pre-arranges sets have a reason to exist. Imo it depends on where you are going to play, if it is in a club or any other kind of random party where most people are not gonna know who's playing then random order is the way to go, but if it is a festival or theme party (like Halloween party) then pre-arranging the set can add to experience.
These tips are the most amazing tips I've EVER came across. I'm scheduled for my 1st official gig (I'm a music producer) so I'm super nervous but I'm using your tips and tricks as my bible lol Thank you Again! 🙏🔥🙏
I totally agree with you on all points. Thanks - One thing i really liked was your approach to the club, like saying thanks to the dj before that has played or sending an email afterwards, being polite and knowing the place your playing. Been playing 3 gigs now with 300-500 people and i still think off every gig as my first, i get really stressed a week before and when playing a couple off hours everyday unntil then it builds my confidence up and everything runs smoothly. Keep practicing guys / Girls
I thought about that last statement today. The best work is doing something that is no longer work but a passion. looking forward to be doing a live gig one day .
i don't really plan on djing at clubs n shit, just at some parties i might go to, and that's how I get my practise, I play and try, and I know my mates don't give a fuck if I mess up or not, so I'm not afraid to keep going on and practise.
I've tried pre-ordering my tracks for my first couple giggs and guess WHAT , at some point i wasnt really feeling the crowd goin' for it and i had to totally rethink my next selections, skippin' about two or three tracks al together, that really fucked up my "perfect selection'. So i had to improvise and what you know, i got the crowdz goin' wild for me :))) Really complimenting and cheerin' up and at the end of the gigg some of 'em actually climbed up on the booth cover and wanted to shake my hand, also had a few kisses outta the blue , not all of 'em from girls to my shock :)))) What i've really learned over a brief time span was that 99% of the people in clubs, are soooo fucked up and wasted, they couldnt tell the difference between A REAL train wreck and a DJ train wreck when fuckin' up a transition, so CHILL, there aint no MIB in the crowdz spyin' on ur mixes :))
Hello Arman. Thank you for the recent uploads. Please keep them coming. I am about to buy myself a DJ controller for the first time and your guides are really easy to learn from. So I hope I can continue to learn from you by watching your new uploads :)
I was the DJ on a students house party on Friday and it was awesome (quite a lot of students told me so). Problem: My "DJ Booth" was actually the bar directly in front of the fridge where all the people got their drinks from (yeah...I was busy protecting my stuff xD)
brooo really good tips!! in my first gig I did not do very well because when I got in to the dj booth I started to improvise from the beginning and I spent a lot of time looking for the tracks, the nerves increased and I ended up mixing badly :( I applied your trick of the 3 tracks at the next gig it was much better! Keep going with this channel my friend
Hey Arman! these tips were very helpful! just had a few club gigs now... After watching this video I totally had some same feelings like u did! keep the good music and vids coming up bro!
Sound of Arman no problem, I'm trying to dj myself but Its hard since i don't have the equipment, but hey never know, I just got to see where I can get a board but it's cool seeing dj's in my area
You can always try renting a controller from a music store. I think you can rent one for about $100 per month. Try Long and McQuade or Moog Audio. Also Virtual DJ is a free computer program you can download.
Sound of Arman thanks for the advice, so far I have been using edjing which is pretty good, I will have to see if I can rent one, all the good boards are like 700$ to over 1000$ that's crazy but kind of worth it
@@lycan2600 Well, renting decks is a great way to get acquainted with pro gear. Yet, if you're broke like me, you can practice with mixxx and a compatible controller from pawn shop. Mixxx is free and has nice features, like bpm detection and most importantly imho, the key each song is. And it even organise them by the circle of fifths, it's a good tip I learned from Armin van Buuren, going from one song to another which is in the following key according to the circle.
Lovely video with encouraging tips, except 1 thing I disagree on, NOTHING is cheating if it gives out good results. NOTHING, neither pre-arranged playlist, nor using the sync button, trust me on this one. Remember, playing an hour of pre-recorded mix doesn't get included in "nothing".
Hey Arman ! Thanks so much for your videos ! I am having my first gig in France in a 2 weeks and you gave me much more confidence ! Keep the great content :D :D
#4 is key if you are an opening DJ. Most clubs will allow you to do a sound check. You will be able to know the equipment, the sound of the booth monitor and get a feel of your set. If you are playing after a DJ, get there so you can hear him play. If he use a track on your list, you know not to play that track.
My pleasure, thanks for tuning in and letting us know where from! Very cool to see I have viewers from around the globe. How is the deep house seen in Jacarta or wherever you are?
Sound of Arman actually it's Jakarta hahahaha, well it's good buddy , but you will find a lot of rnb and trap songs coming out from the club , but you know different club has their different genres , idk man i think jakarta really love the commercial music a lot
#1. Play House Party #2. Know what your going to play- Know your music #3. Know the club! #4. Get to the gig early #5. Turn it down! #6. Be Professional! #7. Keep Your Chin Up (Mistakes Will Happen) #8. Practice-Practice-PRACTICE!! Thank you...👍👍👍👍✌✌✌
Hey Arman, really like the tips. I do think though that the music in the background is a little loud. This and the echo can sometimes make it difficult to hear you.
Any tips on what to do with your hands? As I play trance, I find myself not having to do much after I mixed in the track, play with the filter a bit, etc. With trance you take the crowd on a journey so I’m not mixing back to back to back. Usually 6-8 minute tracks and not much to do during that time.
well, besides put light on some very cool parts of trance music, one of the main things I always enjoyed going to trance raves was the connection with all the people. Connect with the people and enjoy the music, because in a way you are also part of the crowd. Eye contact, and keep that body movin'
Greats tips Arman. The more I watch videos on dj tips, the more I realize there is so much to be aware of. I've been a home dj for a while but I'm really getting that urge to come out and share my music. I've done some radio shows for a friend but that's it. I'm about to take things to the next level and invest in Pioneer mixer and players. I want to really get to know that equipment first. And by the way, I've recently read up and watched videos about setting gain levels. I did this after I witnessed a big name in the Soulful House scene red line the hell out of his individual channels and master output. I personally hate seeing red, but there are lots of opinions out there that say it depends on several factors. It was overwhelming to read all those opinions let me tell you!
Of course being prepared is not cheating! You can prepare all your songs,no,you should prepare all your songs! You should know them in and out, like where there's vocals, drops, breaks, you should have your que points, hot cues, and whatnot ready to go. Cheating would be if you have every single minute of that set prepared from beforehand. Like literally which song goes after which, where you use effects, where you don't, what transition technique you're using, what hot cue to use and when, and so on.... That would be cheating! It wouldn't be fair to the crowd and to you in the first place , because inevitably, you'll land yourself in a situation where you have to read the crowd and play whatever they want to hear not what you planned from home. And then, my friend, just then you're truly fucked!
And the DJs at Tomorrowland don’t play pre arranged sets?…:Ok 😂. I agree with the majority of stuff you are saying but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with playing a pre arranged set especially if it’s your first gig you can focus on your mixing much better and get your transitions down perfectly plus it can also take that little bit off pressure that could cause someone who is new to bomb there whole set. I’d personally suggest making a set list but have a big bunch of other tracks in mind that you could also play just in case the crowd doesn’t respond or other DJs have already played some of the track me you were going to play. Also I’d like to add there’s no shame in using the sync feature on the CDJ’s/controller if you are about to run out of time on your best matching, it will sound a lot better than just cutting out the outgoing track.
I made a mistake, i pressed play or cue i forgot now, i then just pressed play again and rolled the jog wheel forward while presseing skip, and let it play , done. It actually seemed okay
Very useful tips! Thanks. Having my first gig next week at a night club in my city, I’m very nervous... I’ve only been djing for the past 2 months now and my dad who’s been a dj for the past 40 years taught me everything about it and I practiced every single day. I didn’t really practice beatmatching by ear yet (although I know this is one of the most important skills in the beginning) because I have a XDJ-RX2, which only has 1 display and shows both waveforms. Just take a look at the waveforms and you know exactly which track is playing behind for example. In that nightclub I’ll play on a CDJ2000 Nexus, so I won’t be able to see both waveforms in the same display... This is completely new to me and I hope I won’t screw up my beatmatching! Any tips?
start with your friends, have your own party for practice. Networking is key, get to know other DJ's and learn from them it took me 2 years before I became pro and paid and now I run my own company ive been doing it for 20 years. Best of luck man!
18? man, like disorder said, if you got a place you can go to (maybe your own crib) you can throw a jam every weekend. after a few months of that there's a lot of networking experience to improve yourself, get gigs, or make your own gigs
I don't quite agree with the organized set part. Most big name DJ's will play the same set an entire show season, and its organized via rekordbox well prior to the first show they play.
Hey Arman I'm beginner dj,really enjoy your vids. Maybe you have some advice on where to get and find songs, so far I've been listening to some mixmag and boiler room sets and shazaming songs i like and then buying them on beatport, but then i wonder where do those dj's find those songs?
Ralfs Zaharovs uuuh buying tracks is a waste of money. Find a DJ Pool and subscribe there. It's like 30/50 bucks a month and you get unlimited songs to prelisten and download.
Dj pool RU-vid 1001 Tracklist.com Beat port Traxsource Your best local indie music store (vinyls) Online vinyl sales...( HTFR but be prepared to pay..) Free downloads / mixcloud /sound cloud etc.. 👍
have my first gig soon in 3 weeks. Im going b2b with my friend who is a professional dj. Im really excited and practise around 5h a day. The mate im going b2b with says i have a lot of potential. Any tips for b2b sets? We are the main event, at the main stage.
Excellent man! B2B is a bit of a different ballpark - I recommend comparing track lists in advance, and practicing some B2B sets with your friend before. If you can't, listen to some of his sets to get a sense of his style and music. If you practice 5h a day, I think you'll do fine! Good luck, let us know how it turns out!
tip #2 since you're doing the tag team, this gives you guys more potential to keep the crowd hyped throughout the night. depending on the type of jam, y'all can take turns on the mic. also if possible, let the crowd see you guys doing your thang. it adds to the hypeness lastly, depending on the type of jam, sometime during the night y'all can go crazy back to back, slamming them with hard beats yeahhhhh you got this
Sound of Arman went quite well guys! We had some issues with the cdjs at first but quickly got the crowd going and id say it went rly good for being my first gig :) looking forward to more. There's no better feeling than pumping your favorite tracks on such a massive soundsystem.
Though if pre planned sets is cheating then all classical music is also cheating because the amount of thought they put into classical music is insane! It’s all planned before performed… if you listen to a piece by chopin or Liszt… these pianist practiced that piece for years before bringing it to the people… I don’t think it’s cheating to figure out tracks that fit wel together. I do think it’s cheating to pre-record a set and just fake a performance… of course, free styling or improvising needs also be developed because if the room or audience isn’t responding well to a planned set you need to be able to anticipate a bit so, you can’t fully relay on a pre planned set anyways …
An organised tracklist is cheating? How? Maybe I didn't hear U right 🤔? However, if I did, then U're not making sense. Rubbish! Because it's always a key factor and important to prepare Urself, in any aspect of Ur gigs! And then if the opportunity arrives, with Ur experience and Ur level of confidence, U're able to throw in some "freestyle mixes" as well, that'll be a bonus!
