MORE ABOUT MUSIC STRUCTURE

Reading my own post again, just want make the part about music structure in a mix a little clearer…It’s not easy to explain, as I said before, its like trying to explain you how to dance..

(a special note : there are many names to these “divisions” of a song, I call them bars, phrase, verse etc – someone else might use a different name to those parts)

*** SENSE OF RYTHM ***
Now, some of you have a intuitive sense for music, or have a good rhythm sense, and can “tell” intuitively when to mix. Some of us for sure do not have this quality.. And that’s sometimes the dj’s draw-back, as you know, the stereotype of a dj is the guy that did not dance with the girls when younger, because he couldn’t dance, and therefore became the dj.. lol … it is somewhat true for some of us And that’s why a little “crash-course” into getting a better sense of music might be needed..

Trying to “learn music” is not an easy task – some might even say you ether have a music sense, or you don’t. But you CAN “teach” yourself a bit…

****4 BEAT LOOP OR ONE BAR****
Put on a song, and cue at that first beat of a song.
Put loop at 4 beats – and listen… (I take it you have adjusted bpm and cbg, and have a perfect loop). A 4 beat loop that repeats itself over and over, sounds almost “melodic” but not quite.. it lacks a bit of transition and a bit of difference…

***8 BEAT LOOP OR HALF A PHRASE***
Now, do the same, but with 8 beat loop – and listen while it repeats itself over and over. Now hear how much more “melodic -like” a 8 beat loop sounds, compared to a 4 beat loop. It has more if an end and a beginning. The clue here is to try to make a 8 beat loop (at minimum) when looping a song for mixing, because it sounds a LOT better.

****16 BEAT LOOP OR A PHRASE****
Now, do the same again, with 16 beat loop (4 bars, a phrase). Now, listen to it over and over… This can almost be looped for ever, because it sounds more like a melody. Of course it gets boring.. lol… but it has a definitive start and end, and a difference in first half phrase (8 beats) and the second half phrase (next 8 beats). But its not easy to tell, and don’t worry yet too.

****32 BEAT LOOP OR HALF A VERSE****
Try to distinguish the first part (a phrase, 16 beats) from the second part! Try to listen how the second part (almost always) have a build up to it, and often a bit of transition from first phrase to second phrase with a more sound, high hat or something else… and after the 2nd phrase there will be an even more clear transition to the 2nd half of the verse (next 32 beats).

****64 BEAT LOOP OR A VERSE***
You can clearly tell (I hope) the difference from the first 32 beats and the next 32 beats of this loop. There is almost always a clear transition of some type from the first half verse (32 beats) to the 2nd half verse (next 32 beats), like a “whoosh”, drum roll, drop in the beat for a bar etc.
The reason for this is to mark the transition to the 2nd half verse where u are likely to here there is more energy, maybe more sound – like a more powerful bass line, a chance of key etc
NOW, this is the really important part, to distinguish this first half verse from the 2nd …

Now – why does the mad dj from Norway go on with this blah blah another time?!?!? Lol… well, there IS a difference from a DJ beat-mixing “on luck” and a DJ that’s also a “musician” or an artist… what u mean?? Well, there is a reason for VDJ to have loop buttons ordered in the numbers of 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 beat loops. The reason being that’s how music is structured now…. What u mean?

well lets give it a shot :
- when mixing to a new song, try to have the same rhythm/structure of BOTH songs when mixing, that they BOTH have the same build up in 2nd half ot the verse (32 beats). This will make a really pro and prefect mix!! Practice; see if you can tell the difference in each song.

The reason for the practice above with 4 – 8 – 16 – 32 and 64 beat loops where to make you have more an “ear” for music, its structure, and how its built. It its not an easy one to grasp or hear, but hey… not all of us can play guitar in good melody and rhythm as well. I for sure cant play guitar.. lol

Now, don’t go kill yourself if you can’t tell the difference, or can’t mix like that, because you are not alone. I’m one for sure that try to mix like this still… Remember, there IS a reason for guys like Pete Tong getting to remix Madonna and get mad amount of money to play at Ibiza!! It’s because these DJ’s “make music” when they mix… they not only mix on the right structure, they also expand even more by having a insane sense of what instruments go together, how much a frequency of a song should be lowered or increased… no matter what a wanna-be-dj might say, it’s well deserved stardom some of these dj’s have… they are true artist! Doing it live!!

**** STRUCTURE AND GENRE ****
But as a start, try listen to your mix when mixing, not only to see if they are in structure (an important issue), but also that they “fit” together. Even if two songs are perfectly beat synced, and in the same structure of each other, it does not make the mix sound good, always… because some bass drums go well with others, and some instruments fits others.. in sum, some songs just don’t go well with some other songs! That’s why u need to know your songs, and practice at home, and have a few preferred songs to mix into when playing a song live.

Now, you almost have to be Pete Tong or and Orchestral director to get this fully working But you can come close as a dj thinking more about the music and the music style you play. Say a latin club house song. Latin beats have a distinguish sound to it, made by selected instruments that and rhythm that give that latin feel. When mixing that to another song, find one that has a similarity to it… either to mix up to a even higher latin groove by finding a take-off samba-techno song for example, or one to mix away from the latin groove by using a song with less latin “feel” to it. What I’m trying to say, is that some songs go well with other songs, some don’t. Try, and if it doesn’t go well together, find a transition song that you can use as a “link” between them, and use that before going to the song you where trying to use. Also, if moving from one “genre” to another, make it a smooth transition.. by adding more and more latin grooves to the mix (in this example) or removing… depending on your direction for the mix

Again, its all about practice, and listen to your own remixes to try to hear what can be done better and as always, happy mixing