After a while it becomes instinctive to know where each phrase starts (a phrase is just another word for 32 beats). Like others have said, dance music is structured - trance is arranged in 4 groups of 8 beats. Listen to your music & notice how the track changes a little every 8 beats & a big change after 32 beats (eg a breakdown will likely start or end).

Keep practicing & you'll soon get the hang of it. Try cueing up a track & releasing it on the start of a phrase then try & keep the tracks lined up until the next phrase

Soon you'll find yourself able to count the beats even when there aren't any playing (ie through the breakdowns).

it really should be subconscious...u should be able to space out, come back in, and know where u are in the track, when 90% of the music u listen to in 120-140 bpm, ur mind kinda adapts to that tempo

Rule #1: DONT SMOKE CRACK!!!

Rules #2: Know your records!

if you're a DJ and you're l33t enough, then you should technically be able to mix any 2 songs that are around the same tempo without a problem (assuming lets say a couple cds u are using are borrowed from someone else and you don't know what track is what)...however, obviously it really helps if you know the songs and are familiar with the structures of the tunes...makes things much easier, u feel more comfortable as the DJ, and gives you much more control and allows greater heights of creativity input into ur sets

I've done a few mixes where I totally missed my cue point, but managed to do a mix in the last few bars of the track and it sounded okay. I remember mixing from "Nice Guys Finish Last" by Pinkbox Special to "That Moment" by Ray & Peter. You can't really tell it was off though, it just seemed to work. So I think the whole 32 beats thing, it works most of the time but you could get away with "faking it" if your off. I think it just requires EQing some, and it does depend on the track.

Knowing your records is good.
Knowing musical structure is better, you will find that you can mix most things even without knowing the track if you know the basic structures of the genre you play.

I have been beatmatching a while now and I think I have got it down pretty good...
What I do a lot is actually start the track I'm mixing in from the end of the second break but I wont actually bring the track in till the outgoing track dies down a little. Let the outgoing track do what it was supposed to do before you start messing around. Often I find that the outgoing track will last until the first break of the incomming track but as a rule I never let anything play into the breakdown unless it sounds good and like it's part of the track.

My mixing also changes with the crowds I play. If I have an alcohol based crowd I will be quite happy to let the tracks do their bit and then mix outro with intro for the most part. Drunk people run out of energy much quicker and you can't build in the same way. I still try and create energy but not to the same degree.
I also find that I end up playing music I don't like when I play for more middle of the road clubs and end up not caring as much due to boredom. (Thankfully don't do these gigs anymore).

Cheers
Nem

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https://www.mixcloud.com/Calvin_Karass/

quote:

Originally posted by Vero Rule #1: DONT SMOKE CRACK!!! Rules #2: Know your records!

+1

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When I first touched CD players my buddy was showing me how to mix right away I wouldnt even try to beatmatch unless the songs were spot on. That means I would wait till end of the phrase. Well I have big music background thats why I always feel the phrases. Never even thin about it anymore.

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Dan K

quote:

Originally posted by Vero Rules #2: Know your records!

!

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