If you want to become a DJ, making club songs is fun and easy to do. Software beat programs and synthesizers are helpful tools. All it takes to make a song is a some computer skill and a good ear for dance tune style. With a bit of composing on computer music programs, you can create DJ songs that will impress your friends. If your DJ songs show enough promise, you can even get paid to play your original songs at events and parties.
Instructions
1. Open your computer music program. If you are just starting out, you can try out a free version of beat programs like FruityLoops or Sony AcidXpress. Acid Xpress records audio and controls MIDI, but the free version has the disadvantage of being limited to one track.
If you are using a basic drum machine program like Rebirth, the program will open straight to the drum machine. If you are using Reason, which also emulates synthesizers, you will need to set up that program's mixer and the included Redrum sample-based drum machine to get started.
2. Choose your sounds based on the style of DJ song you wish to make. Your computer beat program will come with several sounds that you can arrange in various combinations. In Redrum you can import and adjust the properties of your own aif sound files to use as part of your beat. If your file type is not aif, you can convert it using the free multitrack recording program Audacity, Pro Tools, or other professional sound software.
3. Lay down the bass drum. This can alter the whole feel of a beat. Listen to a few songs and figure out where the bass fits in the 4/4 measure. Often, the bass hit appears on the first and third or second and fourth beats of the measure. You can always make changes later.
4. Lay down the snare. The snare is the high-end pop you hear when a marching band passes at a parade. You may not literally have a snare drum sample if you are using an electronic or techno-sounding kit, but they all have a sound that will serve a similar purpose. Experiment with placing one or two snare hits in each measure to determine how it sounds with your bass.
5. Add other sounds. Once you have spelled out your basic bass and snare, you have a solid framework upon which to experiment with adding sounds. Adding more beats to the pattern will create a fuller feel, but take care not to add too many sounds or the beat may become cacophonous and overwhelming. If you want to record your own loops to include in your DJ song, you can record your sounds in Audacity and export the audio to your looping program.
6. Dance to your beat. If you don't dance, you should not be writing dance beats, and if you can't dance to your beat, you need to fix it. Make changes to the structure of the beat to make it a more dance-worthy piece.
