Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 1: Calculating the pace
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

For a good DJ, it is important to be able to make transitions between tracks that will not cut your ear and attract attention. For a smooth and imperceptible transition, you need to combine the end of the previous and the beginning of the next track so that they rhythmically and naturally merge into a single whole. A large part of this task is to determine the tempo of each song, which is expressed in beats per minute. This will help you understand how you need to slow down or speed up one track so that it coincides with the tempo of another.

Steps

Method 1 of 1: Calculating the pace

1. 1 Listen to the track and notice the rhythm. Try to close your eyes, relax, and feel the pulsation of the music. Stomp, snap your fingers, or shake your head to the rhythm.
   • If you're having trouble, try listening only to the drums and separating them from the rest of the instruments and vocals. A simple instrumental version of the song may be enough for you to start with.
2. 2 Take a look at a watch with a second hand or use a stopwatch (almost all phones have one). When you feel the rhythm of the song, measure how many toe clicks, nods, or taps you will make in 15 seconds.
   • Multiply the resulting number by 4 and get the number of beats per minute.
   • For example, if you counted 24 beats in 15 seconds, then multiply 24 by 4, you get 96. This will be the tempo of the song.
   • You can choose a longer time frame to increase accuracy. For example, if you counted 50 beats in half a minute, then multiplying this number by 2, we get 100 beats per minute.

Tips

• There are special devices that can automatically detect the tempo with high precision. Such devices are often built into mixers.
• If you are into music, you may already have a metronome. Some of them know how to determine the tempo by counting the pressing of the button. Just listen to the song while pressing the metronome button, and you will get an approximate (with an error of 1-2) the number of beats per second.
• Remember that smooth transitions are not the only way to change tracks. You can simply switch them without worrying about the timing.
• Do not try to shift tracks that are more than 5 beats apart, and always increase the tempo. Follow the boost rule until you reach the fastest track in your set or start moving to another set.
• If you are using music recorded before the 80s, you will notice that the tempo can change over the course of a single song. It increases and decreases slightly due to the drums that set the speed.
• Most hip-hop recordings have a tempo of 88-122 beats. Most House-style recordings have an average of 120 beats.
• There are many free smartphone apps that can calculate your click rate.
• It will be helpful for a beginner DJ to record the tempo of each recording on the cover of the disc and sort them from lowest to highest. This method will greatly simplify the creation of transitions between them.

Warnings

• Don't confuse beats per minute with rpm. Modern records rotate at 33-35 revolutions, while some older ones can rotate at 78 revolutions.

What do you need

• Music (in any form, from vinyl to discs).
• Headphones or speakers.
• Chronometer (clock, timer, stopwatch, etc.)