[Y2KbboyN64]

well i wanna learn how to DJ i was at guitar center one day messin with the turn tables and it was really cool! but idk wat DJing really is sooo all u DJ's please tell me wat really is DJing? is there more to it then just playing music at partys or wat? like wat do u DJ's do besides play music and tell me where shuld i start wat equipment shuld i start with thts good for a beginner MUCH appreciated if u all tell me

[AlphaTrion]

For equipment check the equipment buying guide stickied at the top of this forum.

As for what a DJ does...it really is an art. At it's most basic level it is just playing music. Just saying that is a HUGE understatment. The most basic element to DJ'ing is beatmatching, which is matching songs together by tempo. Basically doing seamless blends from one song to the next while maintaining the same tempo. This is further expanded on with things like EQ'ing (manipulating the bass, treble, and highs of a song to make two songs go well together), harmonic mixing (mixing songs together based on what Key the song is in). DJ'ing is the art of crowd rocking. A DJ has to be able to play songs in such a way that he is able to create a mood and sustain it and change at will and making the crowd respond. At the same time he has to read a crowd to know when something isn't working and find a way to get them moving.

Then you have other aspects such as scratching and beat juggling which encompass another aspect of DJ'ing usually called "Turntablism." Turntablism is using the turntable as an instrument in and of itself. Do a youtube search on people like DJ Qbert, A-Trak, P-Trix, Beat Junkies, or turntablism and you can get a good idea of what it is.

I recommend you go out and find some mixes by DJs like Diplo, Z-trip, Spinbad, The Rub (DJ Ayres, Cosmo Baker, DJ Eleven...their website is www.itstherub.com...they have mixes on there). Listen to them and get an idea of what they do.

Also, go to youtube and look up DJ how-tos...especially on things like Beatmatching, beginner scratches, beat juggling, etc. www.djtutor.com has a lot of really basic videos.

Good luck.