Intro to Vinyl DJing

This course is a deep dive into the traditional craft of DJing with vinyl records. Students learn to set up and maintain turntables, handle vinyl properly, and develop essential skills like manual beatmatching, cueing, and mixing without digital assistance. The course emphasizes listening skills, muscle memory, and tactile performance, culminating in a complete vinyl DJ set.

Topics

• Turntable Setup & Calibration
  Students assemble, balance, and configure turntables and mixers.
• Vinyl Handling & Cueing
  Students handle records safely and develop needle drop accuracy.
• Beatmatching by Ear
  Students align tempos and keep tracks in sync without BPM displays.
• Marking & Prepping Records
  Students master vinyl preparation using stickers, notes, and markers.
• Transition Techniques
  Students apply EQ, fader, and crossfader for clean transitions.
• Set Construction
  Students plan and perform complete vinyl sets with phrasing and flow.

Goals

• Properly set up and calibrate turntables and mixers.
• Handle vinyl records safely and cue tracks accurately.
• Beatmatch two tracks entirely by ear over extended bars.
• Control tempo using platter nudges and pitch adjustments.
• Perform clean EQ-based blends, quick cuts, and creative transitions.
• Build and perform a vinyl DJ set with professional sequencing.
• Develop listening, timing, and tactile performance skills unique to vinyl.