Frank Broughton Bücher

The first comprehensive history of the disc jockey

DJing is like modelling: most people could have a stab at it, some can earn money doing it, but only a very few can become supermodels. This book both forms the introduction for the novice and contains advice and advanced instruction for more experienced DJs. It includes tutorials on mixing techniques and styles, digital mixing, and more.

The book features insights from renowned authors and music historians Brewster and Broughton, who have dedicated years to interviewing influential DJs that transformed pop music over the past fifty years. Their travels and extensive research uncover the stories and contributions of these revolutionary figures, highlighting the outrageous and groundbreaking elements that have defined the genre.

DJs have gone from being underpaid live jukeboxes to becoming premier entertainers, producers, businessmen, and musicians capable of commanding admiration from thousands and earning serious money. Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton's Last Night a DJ Saved My Life was the definitive history of the DJ. Now they gather their mastery of the artistic and technical aspects of being a DJ into a clear, accessible, and entertaining guide. How to DJ is the perfect guide -- from the most basic keys to establishing a music collection and a distinctive sound, to elementary record-spinning, to the complex skills of scratching, hot-mixing, and beat-juggling, as well as the inimitable art of creating an evening of sound that is perfectly timed, balanced, and unforgettable. Diagrams throughout illustrate phrases, beat timing, and song structure with no reliance on music theory, and resource lists recommend everything from which songs are best (and most fun) to learn with, to good sources for building a library of disks, CDs, and MP3s. For those who want to turn pro, the authors give sage advice on the vagaries of the club and music business. Short quotes, anecdotes, and photos of famous DJs such as Grandmaster Flash and Derrick Carter are featured.