The truth is that as early as my first year in the job, I was being told that I was a great DJ. I even remember one young man telling me I was the greatest DJ he’d ever seen. That really was quite the compliment. When I look back on it now, I can’t help thinking he can’t have seen many!

When working as a mobile DJ, I believe the most important skill-set you can have is being good with people. As a bedroom DJ, or any DJ who works in clubs or festivals, you don’t need to have a personal touch.

But when you’re as accessible as we are, you need to be able to deal with all sorts of personalities and situations. And responding well to people will always put you head and shoulders above the rest. But being a master at mixing? You don’t really need to have that skill.

Bear with me now.

There is a difference between not needing to mix, and not knowing how to. Mastering the basics took me some time because frankly I didn’t think I needed to bother. But as time went on, I started to learn to transition so much better. And I would often have a go at mixing, only to fail. Every time.

A few years ago, I started to ask other DJs who I respected about the basics of mixing. And they helped me to start on a journey which I have found thoroughly enjoyable. Indeed, learning to mix has made the job of being a DJ so much better, more enjoyable, and just much more satisfying.

This article is for anyone who is exactly where I was. Adamant that mixing was a skill I didn’t need, but curious about where to start. I’m fully aware that a vast number of our readers are fantastic mixers. But I also know that there are many who aren’t – DJs who need a helping hand to understand where and how to start.

Hopefully this short guide will help you. If you need to know more or want to progress to honing those advanced skills, reach out and I’ll point you in the right direction.

Understanding the basics

At its core, mixing is about seamlessly blending one track into another to create a continuous flow of music. To achieve this, you need to understand two key elements: beatmatching and phrasing.

Beatmatching

Beatmatching is the art of aligning the beats of two tracks so they play in perfect synchrony. Here’s how to do it:

1. Listen to the beat. Load two tracks onto your DJ software or decks. Focus on the beats of each track, usually marked by a kick drum.

2. Adjust the tempo. Use the pitch fader or tempo control to match the BPM (beats per minute) of both tracks. Start with the track you want to mix in, adjusting its tempo to match the BPM of the currently playing track.

3. Sync the beats. Cue up the incoming track at the first beat of a phrase (usually the beginning of a bar) and start playing it in your headphones.
Use the jog wheel or pitch bend to nudge the track forward or backward until the beats are aligned.

4. Fine tune. Listen closely and make small adjustments to keep the beats in sync. Use the pitch fader to adjust the tempo if necessary.

My advice with beatmatching is to practise, practise, practise! The technique takes time and repetition to master. Experiment with different tracks and practise transitioning between them until you can seamlessly match beats.

Phrasing

Phrasing involves mixing tracks at the right point in their structure to maintain...


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