DJs or disc jockeys are not ‘just the people who love music,’ they can give music a new form. Many people love music, but their love for music is confined within the limits of listening and maybe singing. What DJs do is basically, giving life to the parties, the lyrics, and the surroundings. Producing music and providing the perfect beats to the songs is a spectacular talent.
There are certain qualities in DJs which discriminate them from the ordinary people who love music. Common characteristics and must have qualities in a DJs can be summarized as below :
Table of contents
1. Should be passionate
DJs are very passionate about both their music and career. They produce music and try to connect with the crowd, trying to express their emotions through their music. Music is the only career they desire to pursue. Investing hours and hours in the studio, producing right beats and delightful music, pushing themselves hard to make their dream come true – that is the passion every DJ withholds within themself. Passion about DJing is among the topmost qualities a DJ should possess.
2. Individuality
The creation of music goes with the uniqueness of a person. Even if someone is passionate about something, several other people have the same love for it (maybe more resources). What changes the game is to know what makes you stand out, how are you different from others pursuing the same thing?
DJs are aware of their individuality; that’s what makes them stand out from the other musicians. All they do is pour their unique creativity into their music and the crowd will fall in love with their music.
3. Willingness to work hard and keep up-to-date
DJs are exceptionally talented and creative people who work day and night to hit the sky. Especially when it comes to the competitive world of Electronic Dance Music, Dubstep, and Electronic House, they never shy away from being stuck in the studio for hours experimenting with their music. Their dedication is irresistible when spending days with their mixing consoles, monitor screen, headphones, and other devices to up their game in the field.
4. Willing to learn more
Success comes with tremendous struggles, but the process of learning is an ongoing process. With success comes a feeling that there is nothing left to learn, that’s when one starts dropping down. The success drains, and all one is left with is regret.
The process of learning is never supposed to stop in order to succeed. DJs are always willing to learn more, experiment more, and put in more efforts. Music keeps evolving with time. So, never stop grasping new aspects of music and producing new styles.
5. Creativity
Producers are needed to be creative and progressive. Their products need to be innovative and different than the ones that are already produced. DJs are no different. People always expect something new and different from DJs, something they have never heard of. DJs select from a vast range of exceptional recordings by various artists, combine beats using their sense of music to create one delightfully electrifying record. To make all that happen, DJs are obliged to be creative at all times.
6. Being humble
To succeed, you need to be humble to others (especially their fans). This is one quality that all DJs should have. They must be humble and polite to their fans and their colleagues. The music industry, like any other industry, takes years to stabilize your career. Success does not come overnight.
A DJ needs to know that they have to be patient no matter what. With believing in themselves, they need to believe in their work. The journey to the top is never smooth, it has ups and downs. A music producer or a DJ must never cut off out of frustration or anger. They need to be in everyone’s good books, especially their fans, because the fan base is essential for their journey to success.
These are some common qualities a DJ must possess to have a successful career in DJing and make the world Groove to your beats.
Tips for choosing right DJ for your event/occasion:
If you sit with a group of DJs who specialize in a specific niche, then you’re likely to receive different answers for the event you are hosting. That’s because you’ll likely get DJ jargon about mixing techniques specific to the genre, but overall, all DJs must possess these qualities and abilities.
There is no specific job description of a DJ, but if you are serving a music company as a DJ, or even if you are practicing individually, you should know how to keep the crowd connected through your music.
Here are the qualities of a good DJ and how to find a right DJ and what makes a good DJ the showstopper of the event you are hosting:
1. A DJ must have a music library with an easy access to files:
If you are planning to host an event and approach a DJ for it. The very first question a DJ should ask will be who is going to be my audience. Without having a good understanding of the audience/ attendees, a DJ will not be able to visualize their clientele before his/her performance. Earlier, DJs used to carry crates of vinyl out to their event venue and used to play only selective records. Now the time has changed and they make good use of technology they want to play. With the advancement of technology and a migration to .mp3 files, DJs can now carry their entire library either on phone or on their laptops. They can carry a hard drive with them and keep the on-demand libraries with them, giving them easy access to play the music at any event.
2. It’s important to know how to set the tone of the environment:
Understanding the target audience isn’t just enough for a great performance. It’s also important to understand the environment where performance is going to happen. The type of music DJ plays at a competition Vs. A corporate Party will be different entirely. So will be the cocktail parties and wedding gatherings. So, to know the audience set, venue and creating the desired mood for a particular event is a skill a great DJs must possess.
3. Should be well verse with the pace and beats of music to get the most out of the dance floor:
DJing mostly happen at nightclubs, weddings, events, college fests etc. Venue and duration of parties might differ from day to night. An experienced and passionate DJ should know what he plays at the event’s beginning and at the peak hours of the event or performance. They should understand the event and how to build energy in the program and change the modulation accordingly. A great DJ should feel the energy is constantly shifting upward with momentum until the dance floor erupts in a frenzy mode. So that dancers catch a breather and start over again.
In traditional event s like weddings, maintaining and building the energy requires some time. A great DJ knows how to build the mood, keep the dancers entertained throughout and lift their mood up, give a break during the event and put high on the energy.
4. Unique mixing styles for different events:
All DJs should mix/blend two songs, synchronize beats together, and keep the dance floor moving. A great DJ should know how to count “beats” and “phrases” and timings which can help him to create a mix.
The “Tempo” or “Beats Per Minute” should be matched to ensure there are no beat clashes in the mix. The song is considered as the key to any DJ party and event. A good DJ should understand the keys to play and when to give a drop to give some respite to dancers. To have a better understanding of keys, notes that evoke mood or feelings on particular occasion. Major keys are happier and more energetic while minor keys tend to give the opposite effect. Skilled DJs know how to dissonance during the long mixes to create tension in the track then after releasing, watch the audience go crazy.
Urban music like hip-hop and R&B may benefit from slam mixing, cutting one track and introducing the other. Right succession of music and tracks are a powerful way to keep the crowd hooked to the music and make them dance on the Groove. Song mixing is done within 4 to 16 bars of the track, with short music composition.
Wrap up
You are now armed with a good understanding of all the characteristics and qualities of a good DJ. Now, it will be easy for you to go out and find out confidently the right match for your event.
