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    Keep 'em Dancin', Secrets of the Dance Floor
    Keep 'em Dancin', Secrets of the Dance Floor
    Keep 'em Dancin', Secrets of the Dance Floor
    Ebook171 pages2 hours

    Keep 'em Dancin', Secrets of the Dance Floor

    By Stephen C. Hill

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    About this ebook

    “Keep ‘Em Dancin”, Secrets of the Dance Floor, gives you an easy approach of what to do before you play a gig, what to do while you are spinning music in front of a crowd, how to get DJ jobs, what to do after the job, and the “ins” and “outs” of programming.
    I cover what being a DJ is all about for the beginner or for the DJ looking to rise in the ranks.
    I mention paying money for a DJ school, setting up the equipment, tuning your sound system, what to wear on the job, how to make announcements, working with live bands, travel, and the most common FAQ’s and comments you will hear.
    I’ve included seldom revealed secrets for making your sound system sound better and I give you simple strategy tips on how to “Read a crowd”.
    Additionally, I have included quick reference guides for a spectacular performance and tips for how to get “an edge “on your competition.
    If you are ready to start, then let’s “Keep ‘Em Dancin’!!”

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStephen C. Hill
    Release dateJun 7, 2018
    ISBN9780986009204
    Keep 'em Dancin', Secrets of the Dance Floor
    Author

    Stephen C. Hill

    Born in Atlanta, Georgia. Graduate of Georgia State University. Divorced. Lives in Sarasota, Florida.

    Read more from Stephen C. Hill

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      Book preview

      Keep 'em Dancin', Secrets of the Dance Floor - Stephen C. Hill

      Mix Track pro/mixer controller /by permission/www.numark.com

      KEEP‘EM DANCIN’, Secrets of the Dance Floor

      Copyright 2012/ Stephen C. Hill author

      International Standard Book Number 978-0-986-0092-0-4

      Cover design and Diagram by Brooke Jensen

      All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo copying, file sharing, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.

      Smash words edition 2018

      Liability disclaimer! The information in this book is not guaranteed to be applicable in every situation. The author, publisher and all others involved make no express representations and disclaim all warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the information, compiled in this book. This work is sold with the understanding that the author, publisher and those who may be mentioned are not engaged in providing legal or accounting services. When seeking advice always ask for a professional opinion. The author and the publisher shall not be held liable for damages should the information contained be considered actionable, derogatory or inflammatory.

      This book is not intended to guarantee employment.

      Forward

      So, you want to be a Disc Jockey and you are ready to make the leap of faith to learn the skills and art of being a DJ.

      Excellent choice for an occupation!

      Do you have a burning desire to get people up to dance and want to make money for your efforts?

      If you do, this book will help you to excel in the field and hopefully become a very popular DJ.

      You may not be playing Madison Square Garden or stadium shows in the beginning, but the information inside this book will instruct you in what you need to know, to have great fun as a DJ, for one night or a lifetime.

      This book will not improve your ability to mix the songs together, or how

      to scratch.

      Mixing is a fundamental requirement of being a top-notch DJ.

      There are several DVD’s available to learn proper mixing techniques.

      I recommend you view one or more DVD’s after you have read this book.

      Keep ‘Em Dancin, Secrets of the Dance Floor, gives you an easy approach of what to do before you play a gig, what to do while you are spinning music in front of a crowd, how to get DJ jobs, what to do after the job, and the ins and outs of programming.

      I cover what being a DJ is all about for the beginner or for the DJ looking to rise in the ranks.

      I mention paying money for a DJ school, setting up the equipment, tuning your sound system, what to wear on the job, how to make announcements, working with live bands, travel, and the most common FAQ’s and comments you will hear.

      I’ve included seldom revealed secrets for making your sound system sound better and I give you simple strategy tips on how to Read a crowd.

      Additionally, I have included quick reference guides for a spectacular performance and tips for how to get an edge on your competition.

      If you are ready to start, then let’s Keep ‘Em Dancin’!!

      Figure 1. An original record player late 50’s-early 60’s.

      You had to have very fast hands in the early days of being a Disc Jockey. Wow!

      Squeeze a plastic disc into a 45 rpm record as fast as you can, then place the 45 on the spindle, slide it to the rotating platter and swing the needle onto the rim of the record and hope the music would play.

      If you missed you had horrible noise and lots of it.

      This 60’s model record player has a spindle and stabilizer bar for a 33 and 1/3 album, 45’s or a 78 rpm album.

      Three speeds (33-45-78) and no pitch control. To adjust the speed of the record you had to drag your finger on the rim of the record.

      Play one song and the kids would dance.

      Then repeat the process for the next record, after the first song has completely ended.

      And then race to get the next record ready to play.

      Doing an early Record Hop or a Sock Hop (wearing your socks on a polished hardwood floor) was a two person operation.

      Radio Stations DJ’s did the majority of the Hops with the occasional amateur event done by the person who had the records.

      You had the Voice guy and the record guy.

      You had much less than a minute to switch the records, start the next song, all the while telling the Voice guy, what song it was next, while handling the crowds requests.

      The Voice guy would work the crowd with all kinds of verbal comments.

      More like a cheerleader for each song.

      And of course, Radio Station promo announcements.

      You could play an album cut but, you had to change the record speed and use the LP stabilizer bar.

      Playing an album on a record player like this was nearly impossible.

      Finding the dead air where one song starts and the next song begins was done by trial and error.

      And the Voice guy would just keep talking, until he heard the musical introduction.

      These two men (no women in late 50-60’s radio) were the usually the most

      popular DJ’s on the local Top 40 AM radio station.

      Today, Radio Station remotes and on location shows are now far more sophisticated than in the old days.

      But the basics are still the same.

      A great local DJ would have hundreds of happy dancers pay money to attend the Record Hop or a Sock Hop!

      This process of playing the records was Stone Age Old Skool and very difficult.

      Early sound systems, like the Public address system in a gymnasium only had one input for a record player and several for microphones. But they danced!

      Shawn O’Brien’s Road House, Jackson Ga. DJ Steve O at the controls 2011!

      This book is dedicated to GOD, my Mother, and my former friend, Patsy.

      A practical, easy-to-read guide to becoming a party Disc Jockey or a professional Club Disc Jockey for a night or a lifetime! Remember, practice makes for perfect.

      Introduction

      Long before many of us were born, people danced to records played on one record player (turntable) by a Disc Jockey (DJ).

      My dad who passed at age 93 said they had record hops at dances when he was in college in late forties and early fifties, while in the military.

      So what we are doing today as Disc Jockeys is not a new idea, however, we are far more technically advanced than those days.

      Way back then, being a DJ required loads of personality.

      You had to fill the Dead Air between songs with upbeat and topical patter (talk) about the artist and their songs. The patter today is a lost art.

      Today, most DJ‟s speak with their music.

      You still need fast hand and eye coordination to be successful.

      In the beginning, the equipment was one turntable with no speed control, a stack of 45‟rpm vinyl records, a table and a microphone and a

      crowd of eager dancers.

      Speakers were the Public address system and there were no special effects or multicolor spinning, rotating or chase lights.

      Just music and dancing! And requests! You talked on the microphone as you one-handedly changed out the records.

      Or if you had an assistant like the early days you still had to Keep Em Dancin.

      Working one-handed was a technique I learned early in my career.

      Knowing this technique was especially helpful when you have technical problems with the dual turntables, CD players or tape machines.

      "It’s only records, Jim Old Bear" Davenport. Famous Independent record promoter

      Chapter One

      Basic equipment.

      Today, the basic equipment requires at least two sources of music input.

      That can be a computer program feed, dual turntables, or dual CD players or a combination of all.

      I believe in using a digital format.

      Some jocks still use tape, but I haven’t seen too many tape players since the ⁹⁰‟s.

      With the more sophisticated mixers, multiple sources of music/audio can be produced in the mix.

      Multi track rigs are quite popular. MIDI is popular.

      Many DJ’s pre-record their shows prior to playing the show.

      This requires equipment that you would not always use in a club or on the road.

      Ableton, Tractor and others manufacturers are creating new controllers.

      Audio equipment innovation is going through the roof!

      If you desire to be a legitimate or real DJ, you need to have a 2 channel (minimum) music controller/ mixer.

      Any music store person who says to you, you can mix off the computer program is correct, but you are limited to the tricks you can do and

      you want the advantage of the tactile feel of the mixer, the CD players or the vinyl records.

      So purchase a mixer/controller with a cross fader and multiple audio inputs.

      You also need multiple outputs for a monitor or for recording.

      If your mixer is not a powered mixer you’ll need to add an additional pre amp or small audio 4-8 mixer to be able to send a signal to the amplifiers.

      Your new mixer MUST have the cue function.

      You have to be able to hear the other audio source before you add it to the mix.

      Without cueing capacity you are a jukebox without control.

      Designed abrupt stops and jumps back and forth between two songs or three songs cannot be done without a DJ controller/ DJ mixer.

      Drop-ins and fades are so much easier with a cross fader.

      Scratching is virtually uncontrolled without a cross fader.

      Remember one thing; you cannot mix multiple sources of music at the same time, if you do not have a CROSS-FADER and HEADPHONES.

      And you want to be a good DJ right? Then you have to …

      PRACTICE-PRACTICE-PRACTICE.

      If you are going to do a party or working to become a headlining DJ, then you have to practice what you are planning on playing in your show

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