Disk Jockey isn't a common term, or at least it wasn't because a couple of years ago no one really knew what a Disk Jockey is and what he or she does. Nowadays everyone knows what a Disk Jockey is and a lot of people think they can have a job like this just because they know how to change the song whenever they don't like it. Becoming a Disk Jockey is hard work, but being a good and respected Disk Jockey is even harder.



One of the factors success is based upon depends on what type of music you like and want to play. Some DJs like house music so they make and play only house music. Others like matching different songs and different types of music to create a melody. There is also the hip-hop type Disk Jockey you might have heard of. To be a complete and skilled NJ DJ you need to be an all around Disk Jockey. Even if you like only house or hip-hop you should be able to play all kinds of music and this doesn't mean that you put a record on and let it play by itself. You should manage to create good house, hip-hop and basically all types of music because in the end a Disk Jockey is a musician. That's supposed to be his job and passion, so he or she should be very good at what they're doing.

Doesn't matter what kind of Disk Jockey you want to be or what type of music you like. You should know that it isn't easy to learn the works. It takes a lot of money and time to become a NJ DJ. After you learn the basic sounds and you learn how to combine them and how to listen to them, then you can create your own style and head for the type of music you like. There are some differences between the types of DJs. For example, a NJ DJ that is into hip-hop doesn't have to be great at mixing different patterns and matching the tempos, but he should be great at scratches. Also he should know how to change the pitch very quickly and he should know how to work the crossfader. On the other hand an NJ DJ that makes house music is not required to know how to scratch or work the crossfader. On a house song you should hear a lot of base.

Today there probably isn't a hip-hop group out there that doesn't have a Disk Jockey. A NJ DJ is an important part of a group just like a good guitarist is an important part of a rock band. A NJ DJ works with an instrument so, to be able to play on stage, he has to be a virtuoso. Nowadays more and more rock bands hire a Disk Jockey. Probably it's because of the fusion between hip-hop and rock. This is how new types of music appeared in the last couple of years, like: rapcore and rapmetal. Besides the classic guitar solo, you can often find Disk Jockey solos. This solo, though it may be hard to imagine what it sounds like, is very much like the guitar solo in technique. The same way a guitarist plays his guitar without anyone talking or singing while he does that, the same way a NJ DJ works the turntables, crossfader and the pitch control.

A lot of people think DJs shouldn't be considered musicians. They think that being a Disk Jockey is not an occupation. Sometimes they even comment that the sound a NJ DJ makes is not music, but only horrible noise. Usually the people that say this are conservative, people with really nearsighted that don't approve of anything outside their judgment. Those are the people that don't understand the music made by a NJ DJ or, better said, they are the people that don't feel the Disk Jockey music. They don't see the work behind being a NJ DJ, "the blood, sweat and tears" and, of course, they don't the beauty of the final product.

If you want to become a Disk Jockey, you can't be judgmental about the kind of DJs there are out there. You can't say that being a house Disk Jockey is easier than being a hip-hop Disk Jockey, or the other way around. It's up to you to say how difficult the job is and if it is worth the effort. Art is always rewarding and music is art. So, if you have a dream to be a Disk Jockey, you should follow your dream, but you should be prepared for a lot of hard work. Even after you break your back into it, no one guarantees you will make it, but you shouldn't stop pursuing your dream. So what all of you new people in this game need to remember is: work hard, practice and think positive. Despite what everyone says, being a Disk Jockey is fun and rewarding, both financially and spiritually.