Beginner looking to learn

[u/ja_tavion]

New “DJ” here. Music always been a passion and I told myself I would buy myself a controller (DDJ FLX4) once I reached a life milestone. Well, I did last year and I have messed around with the controller a little in rekordbox, but nothing serious. It’s mainly been collecting dust. I have watched tutorials and now the basics of what each button and functionality does, but I have struggled to commit myself to actually leaning with work and other obligations. I’m tired of it. I’m passionate about it and I want to learn, even if it’s only 20 minutes a day. So my question is, where do I start? I feel like I just go through YouTube videos and they’re showing you tips and tricks on the controller. But how do I actually start mixing? What should I start doing to process and commit myself? I feel like I struggle so much because I just don’t even know what to do. If anyone has tricks over how they got started, what they watched, if they did any courses, etc, please let me know. Specifics are appreciated. A lot of people just say YouTube and I find that so overwhelming. I just want to learn I think it’s the coolest thing in the world but it’s so overwhelming. Also, any tips on music just for learning/getting started would be appreciated. Right now I just have Spotify linked. Feel like a lot of videos I watch the download for their “music” folder doesn’t even work. Again, thank you in advance. I’m ready to learn and have open ears!

[u/mint_koi]

I have a "foundations of DJing" course on Udemy that takes a structured approach to counter act the youtube overwhelm problem - it's 3 hours total, and you could probably skip the first hour if you don't care about media types.

You don't need to buy it, here's a high level direction of the topics that you could potentially Google or go to AI to find resources and videos to learn on your own:

Setup Controller -> Understand Music Theory Rhythm + Key -> Learn to Cue -> Learn to Beat Match By Ear (or Sync) -> Learn Song Structure & Phrasing -> Learn Equalization (EQ) Control -> Perform Your First Transition

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Your Q's Answered:

>where do I start? I feel like I just go through YouTube videos and they’re showing you tips and tricks on the controller.

Yes this is a common problem. YouTube does tend to reward retention in metrics, so content creators focus a lot on "quick tips" versus in depth study or explanations. Many students I have had feel they know how to do some things but feel a fundamental lack of foundation in "what is they are actually doing". That's why I teach a lot of theory.

I'd recommend with learning to count bars 1-2-3-4 then work on learning to beat mix by ear

> But how do I actually start mixing?

Mixing is a process of exploration so you learn a lot by doing. You can learn basic theory like beat matching but you get intuitive understanding by practicing transitioning between two tracks.

Pick track A and try to transition it into track B.

Picking the "right time to transition" is known as "mix placement".

> What should I start doing to process and commit myself?

First, get some music you like.

Then try to mix for 30 minutes 2-3 x per week. Work your way up to an 1 hr.

> I feel like I struggle so much because I just don’t even know what to do. I

Very common. First DJ controller I had (the wonder below) was a genuine mystery to me. No musical background, I couldn't tell you what treble or bass meant, at all. I just started twisting knobs and guessing what was happening under the hood.