ok this could sound really stupid, I dont even know what the beat is, and i wouldnt even know how to count the beat, this is really starting to frustrate me, please help

Everyone has their own interpretation of the "beat" in music, mine is pretty simple and that is the kick of bass drum or for the technically minded - the low frequency repetitive thud.

For different styles of music, this thud is constant (house, techno) or two-step (hip-hop, rnb). Despite the styles there is always that fundamental, countable rhythm of beats in 99.9% of songs that exist.

It's hard to explain it in words how to count/listen to beats without actually showing you how with to music. This topic has been covered before and some forum members have gone into great detail on this process, can I suggest you use the search feature?

ROQ out.

say i want to mix rnb music, is that any different

I dunno if I am putting this into the right perspective but here goes anyways. Beat matching is the same for all types of music. Speed isn't the factor (IE: BPM). The actual beat is. I'll use two songs for example. Tone Loc's Wild thing & Pink's Let's get the party started. Both have a similar beat, allthough they are close in speed (BPM rate) the actual "blend" is masking the beat over top of each other. Remember speed isn't the factor, it's a result because you can run a song that is 130 BPM with a song that is 100 BPM as long as the "beats Match" or are very similar. Try to take your favorite song and make two copies of it. then run one of them walk into the kitchen and get a soda (or beer for Stevie Ray) then come back and try to "match the other player to the same place in the song without looking at the times on the players. Note the results you will see that you can effectivly match anything together that sounds the same. Keep in mind congas = congas, bass hit = bass hit, snare = snare, and so on.

Sorry bout the long post, just trying to help as best as I can.

Keep on Raging!

thanks dj rage that did help. so are you saying that i will need two of the same songs and i need to try and beat mix them together, even if it is at different parts in the song, as long as the beats match, then it shouldnt sound to bad?
thanks

You also don't want to "Crush vocals" That is running to different vocals over each other....That sounds bad.

quote:

as long as the beats match, then it shouldnt sound to bad?

Sometimes, yet anytime there is melodic pitch in the difffrent songs, they will be difffrent and you'll have to match pitched for it to sound real good. Yet but once you get beatmatching down, the pitch is only one step away...

As for "crushing vocals", there was one time with this Rnb tune with both a female and male singer, where I sampled the girls' vocals over the guys, and came out great..no need to match pitch, it was in the same song, yet unfortunately I was in my studio and not on a gig, or else it would have been amazing.

DJ.RO

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Stevie Ray:
[qb] You also don't want to "Crush vocals" That is running to different vocals over each other....That sounds bad. [/qb]

yup... and once u get beatmaching down and u get to the point where u really want to have fun with vocals.... suscribe to a mix-service like funkymix.... these guys usually fix the intros and outros of every song so that when u throw in another funkymix track.... the vocals will blend in reall nice.... either that or remix the song urself (same thing).... i'll explain how if u want....

and oh

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Rage:[qb] walk into the kitchen and get a soda (or beer for Stevie Ray)
. [/qb]

grab me one while ur at it!!

Hey Fob, is that coke , pepsi, or corona? But remember coke is it bcuz it burns too bad when you snort pepsi... (J/K) Getting back to the question. When I was talking about using the same song on both decks I meant to try to get the songs matched as if one song were playing this will help you get used to matching beats as well as syncro matching (don't really know if this is a term) it's something I do to get a really cool effect without an effect box. Also by doing this it is a great exercise that gets you in shape for all kinds of things. Remember on thing tho, don't allways use the same songs to work out with. Change up every now and then so you don't get "locked" into the song you are working with.

Keep on Raging!


Keep on Raging!

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Rage:
[qb] ... syncro matching (don't really know if this is a term) it's something I do to get a really cool effect without an effect box...[/qb]

Yeah, you can actually produce the flang and echo effects using this technique. Try mixing one beat off, two beats off, 1/2 beat off, and so on.

It is my understanding that, back in the age on dinosaurs, that's how the actually did it.

Heres a very easy way to mix one song into another if you have a mixer with a kill swicth ( or just use the knobs).

Cut the Low of the track u are playing and use the low beat of the one you are mixing into.
Make sure the transition is smooth, so wait for some buildup or an outro if availible.
If there are vocals in your second track try lowering the mid and high.
Now let the beat of the second track run on the first song, wait for an appropiate buildup and slide fader across slowly...

They wont even notice you mixed into another song.

I am still having trouble, i just can not seem to get it right.
when cueing up the track i want to play do i press pause just on the beat of it?

D-J-X

My advice to you would be " PRACTICE ". It will come to you naturally.

Everybodies advice here is great, but it's just confusing you. Just sit back and " PRACTICE ". It will come to you.

As Frank Garcia would say "It will come to you when you are ready. Until then keep practicing." I agree with you Skilz, there are a bunch of great ideas but just by reading about "how to do it" doesn't give you the experience you need. remember "KIS" Keep it simple! Nothing teaches better than physically doing it. If you feel like you are getting frustrated walk away and come back later. Don't sit there and grind thinking you'll just get it. Relax and enjoy!


Rage

here's a simple one. take a funkymix or any remix made for djs. when you play the song, count 1 to 8 from the first beat. after an 8. start the count again. you'll notice you 4 of 8s all in all. now count the chorus of another song and it's almost always 4 of 8s. now play one song, and when the chorus kicks in. play another song from the start. fade out the previous song and fade in the next song so as when the chorus of the other song finishes, the the new one would be pumping in. as to matching the beat, you gotta think bpms. choose the songs which have close bpms. you can listen to the bass drums, but when you're starting, listen to the snares of the two songs "playing as one". that sweet tak...tak....tak. not the takatak like a horse's runing sound. hope this helps.