Hey DJ Keep Playin’ That Song!

Have you ever wondered how radio or party DJs make those awesome transitions from one song to the next? The kind that make you unsure of where one song ended and the next began? Well, that DJ was an expert at beat matching.

Beat matching requires a DJ to hear the beat (called tempo in classical music) of one song and match it perfectly to the beat of another. It requires excellent listening skills, patience and as with any musical skill, lots of practice.

Mini Music Lesson: Beat matching

Grab the first percussion instrument you see and let’s give beat matching a try! If you don’t have an instrument nearby, don’t worry! You can always follow along using some body percussion by clapping your hands, tapping your foot or patting your knees!

Before starting the video you may want to review these musical symbols:

One great thing about video lessons is that you can play them over and over again as many times as you need to feel like you’ve mastered a skill. Take advantage of the opportunity to stop, rewind and restart any section of the video!

Try This…

Ever wonder why DJs are wearing headphones when the music is SO LOUD? It’s because they are listening to the next song they plan to play and are making sure the beats…match! Here are the audio files for each pattern from the mini music lesson on beat matching. Pick any pattern and press the play button. Try playing a DIFFERENT pattern along with it. (Listen to pattern one, while playing pattern two or three, etc.) Can you get them to line up exactly?

Ready to DJ your first Party?!

If not, that’s okay! Remember, any musical skill takes time and
practice to master and every expert musician was a once a beginner!