How to Use DJ Equipment

Summary: Have you ever found yourself in the club—moving to the music, making eye contact with other young, hip people around you—and wondered how the DJ does it night after night? Entertaining a crowd of music-conscious party animals is not an easy thing to do; just a few false moves and you’re out of favor…and out of a job.

Hip hop music has a unique ability to get people bobbing their heads, feeling the groove, dancing to the beat. A DJ’s job is to keep that beat seamless and uninterrupted all night long. You can tell a master turntable artist not by his highly technical scratching skills, but rather by how well he mixes beats and songs together, creating the perfect playlist for a night out on the town.

In this free hip hop DJ music video series, learn some of the fundamental mixing and turntable skills necessary to play a night club or party. DJ Shy shows you how to use the various components of your DJ set up, including equalizers, headphones, cross fader, mixing effects and more. Then, discover the basic techniques for mixing two songs together, including beat per minute counting, beat matching, and transitions with the crossfader. Put it all together, practice, and go out and get a DJ gig!