How to Find the Best DJ Class

Adult learning is big business these days, with classes in everything from knitting to horse riding. One class that you may not have considered though, is that of learning how to DJ.

Do you love music? Do you have a talent for choosing songs that link incredibly well together? Do friends and family enjoy listening to your mixes because they know that they will enjoy them? Learning to become a Disk Jockey will take time and practice, with many skills to learn along the way. With patience and the right tuition though, you could soon find yourself standing at the front of a club, whipping the crowd into a dancing frenzy.

Where to start

If you have decided that you would like to become a DJ, chances are you already own quite a collection of music and have a fair amount of knowledge of different genres. If this isn’t the case you may need to rethink your decision, as a love of music is paramount to the success of a DJ’s career.

Without practice and the sufficient skills required to stun an audience, you will struggle to find jobs that will pay you for your novice ability. However, by offering your services on a cheap, or even free, freelance basis you could soon start to source some jobs at birthday parties, weddings and other special occasions. This practice will be invaluable as you start to develop some of your essential skills, and is a good place to start, especially as, at this point, you will not need to own too much of your own equipment (either a CD deck or a laptop with DJ software installed will do).

Many of the techniques that a DJ needs could be learnt easily through the expert tuition of an experienced DJ. DJ classes aren’t too common within the UK, although you may get lucky if you live in a large city like London or Birmingham. Have a look around and see if any local DJs are training up a group of people. Not only will DJ lessons teach you a valuable skill, but they will also provide you with a group of useful contacts that could prove invaluable when searching for gigs.

If you can’t find a class that runs anywhere near you, why not search for individual DJs and ask if you could meet them for an hour a week to pick their brain. They will usually be happy to offer some time to help to develop an up and coming musician, and may even be able to help you to find some jobs at the outset.

Essential equipment

When first learning how to DJ there is no point in purchasing too much expensive equipment. Start small by practicing on your own CDs and music collection with some inexpensive DJ software that you can download easily on the internet. This will help you to learn if this is a skill that you really wish to learn and to invest time and money into.

Once you have started to master some skills and techniques, you will be ready to start purchasing more of your own equipment. The following list provides the essentials that any respectable DJ should possess:

• A large collection of music in a range of different genres


• A good quality pair of headphones


• At least one microphone to allow you to interact with your audience


• Speakers may be provided at gigs, but having your own will help with freelancing and practice


• CD decks or a laptop with DJ software installed


• Turntables (for experienced DJs)

Playing to the crowd

You could be the most technically advanced DJ on the planet, but without the ability to play to the crowd you will never be the most successful. You need to fill a room with energy and, while it will take some practice to master the skill, there are certain considerations that can help you to be a roaring success no matter where you go.

• Look at the reactions of your audience. Are they enjoying a certain style of music? Are they livelier in certain songs than others? Play off the energy that they create.


• Be prepared to play music in a different style. Your audience may not appreciate hardcore trance music even if it is your personal favourite. Be prepared to step into a different set of shoes for each audience.


• Explore the venue before the gig. Just looking around the location where you are to DJ could give you a valuable insight as to the type of people that congregate there.

cc licensed flickr photo shared by PresleyJesus
cc licensed flickr photo shared by JMRosenfeld

Rebecca L. Smith is a full time freelance writer based in the UK. She specialises in creating an assortment of articles on a range of different topics of interest.