As far as one can remember, there has been a wide debate whether or not DJs should plan their DJ sets. Experience has proven that the planning is as important as the performance itself. Here are 10 killer tips on how to plan your DJ set to help you create some fresh DJ set ideas for your next live performance.
Research of the venue
1. Study the place you are going to play. Approximate the audience usually attending. Try to go more or less in the same lines as previous acts. Do not play hardstyle in a chilled lounge or play ambient music in raging underground dubstep club.
2. Consider who plays before you. If you are playing as a warm up DJ don’t play dance floor smashers, and most certainly don't play any of the headliners music.
Storytelling and dynamics
3. Content wise your mix should always be a journey, so tell a story. It’s best if you can come up with particular theme that will be presented throughout the mix. These could be anything from related lyrics to euphoric breakdowns and movie themes.
4. Work on the structure of your set. Some of the most common DJ mix structures usually include the hook, exposition and climax. Remember that the greater the tension from which the audience is released, the greater the pleasure afforded.
5. If you are going to play intense 2 hours drop-after-drop set, people will usually get tired. Include some longer breaks in your sets so people can rest and have a drink. This is called the rotation of the dance floor and works particularly in clubs.
Technical issues
6. Be sure to scan the whole database of tracks for tempo and keys. If you are using CDs, write these two on the surface. Create cue files and save them in your PC or SD card. Prepare sample files and effects to be loaded on your digital audio workstation (DAW).
7. Try to select the tracks within 5 BPM range difference. As this is often called the safe zone for beatmatching the tracks. Also don’t be afraid to include some half time tracks, but be sure to check how the transition would work before the gig.
8. Spend time to match harmonic compatibility. Most DJs will take their time to decide on what key to start. Some of the more experienced DJs already know some pairs of tracks that mix pretty well based on their experience on previous live performances. Harmonic mixing is defineitly something you should consider.
Emergency situations
9. There might be cases when your planned DJ set is not going well. Things you might notice would be an inactive dance floor and people starting to walk away. This is why you should always have a plan B and be prepared to deviate from your initial plan if needed.
10.If you are lesser known DJ-producer, don’t push the gig to listen to your own tracks. Forget about all the set-list and experiment to find out what people actually like. You are the DJ and your rule is to please the listeners not yourself.
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