As mentioned, there are many types of DJ skills which are dependant on the style of music you play. Below is a list of the various styles of DJing techniques that a DJ academy will teach, along with the relevant musical genres they are used in.
Beat Matching
One of the first tricks many DJs will learn is the art of getting two tracks to sync up in time with each other. The first step is getting the beats to match up, and then aligning the bars so each drop complements the other. For example; most contemporary music operates in bars of four. Furthermore, bar changes in techno or house usually come in after the sixteenth bar. When DJing, or listening to your preferred style of DJing music, listen out for significant drops or changes in the tune. This will be the point where you will think about bringing in the next track. As you progress with your DJ skills and knowledge of your tracks, you may learn how to cue the tracks in at different places, but as the old saying goes; learn to walk before you can run.
Scratching
Mostly used in Hip Hop, scratching is simply where the DJ takes hold of the vinyl while it is in use on the deck(s) and rhythmically moving it back and forth at a certain point in the tune to create the scratching effect. The most common example is using the kick drum in the tune to scratch, however scratches can be performed on any other parts of a track such as vocal or instrument sections (other than drums). To make the scratch more effective during mixing, DJ’s will also work with the cross fader and volume to make the scratch sound more rhythmic and cut up.
Beat Juggling
The complex DJ skill of manipulating tracks to sound like remixes or mash-ups. Beat Juggling is where the DJ jumps between mixing two tracks in quick succession. Usually the DJ will take a section of each track from either records (or sections of the same track if they have two copies of the same vinyl) then scratch, pull back, let go and cross fade, or volume fade, to the opposite deck. This is a very straight forward description of beat juggling and there are many ways of doing it. When you have mastered the art, you will develop your own method and tricks.
EQ Mixing
EQ mixing is a very effective DJ skill used in long, gradual mixes, and a method applied to most dance music where tracks are usually lengthy, more looped and changes occur after more bars. Using the three EQ’s on the mixer – low, midrange and high frequency – the DJ can slowly, or quickly, perform subtle mixes, which are effective for building a mood and atmosphere rather than a noticeable drop mix.
Drop Mixing
Although this DJ technique can be used with any style of music, drop mixing is an ideal method for changing between different genres, or where the tone/mood of the next tune will be significantly different from the previous. Unlike EQ mixing, drop mixing is much more obvious and sudden; the DJ merely finds there desired cue point in the next track, and when the time is right will flick away from the previous track and into the next one using the cross fader.
Spinback
Similar to the drop mix in the way that the change to the next song is more apparent, however this DJ skill has an even more dramatic effect on the crowd. At the right point the DJ quickly pulls the record which is playing towards them causing the vinyl to rapidly play the audio in reverse. Be conscious to either turn the deck off after you perform the spinback, or fade to the next channel otherwise the record will slowly begin to play again. Having the next track cued and at the ready, the DJ will drop it in at the appropriate point. Although both this technique and the drop mix sound fairly easy, dropping the next track at the right point in crucial and will take a bit of practice in order to master the timing. When performing the spinback technique, be sure to leave the low/bass EQ up, otherwise it will sound a bit pathetic and like Micky Mouse has just been run over by a bus.
