I love this video. Can't see a date but it seems to be from back when UA-cam was a more wholesome lovely place. :) People don't realise how much skill you need to mix soul, funk and disco. Beat-wise, the fact it's not a drum machine isn't the only reason. Not all soul is in 4/4 time, and old disco has a strong 4/4 beat but often it's a syncopated beat - so even if you match the BPMs, if the second track's syncopation is a split second different from your first track, it will sound like a "gallop" / mistake.
its true, you have to have a real feel for the music. Knowing the keys, tempo, lyrical themes, tones etc are essential in mixing this type of music. Mr Scruff is a master at this sorta thing.
It’s a type of music where you just have to spend time practicing your set and eventually you just start mixing by feel without overthinking it. Quite different to house and techno where long buttery transitions are relatively easy. When mixing funk and soul I tend to 1, 2, 3, 4 CUT 90% of the time and nobody cares. Where I can get a good beat matched gradual transition (rarely possibly over more than 2-4 bars) I will. But you really need to know your set and practice.
you are so right. i have been playing house music for years in chicago. it is hard to blend disco and soul you have to really study the music. tracks are very easy to me.
I started learning by mixing soul and funk on vinyl so basically started learning about the hardest way possible. You definitely learn to ride the pitch fader. I like to play a lot of boogie funk and will mark the tempo of the intro and the breakdown on a sticker I put on the protective sleeve of the records. Tracks speed up more often then they slow down - one track that changes a lot is Steve Shelto - don't give your love away which is 114 bpm at the first 4 bars of the intro, then jumps to 117 bpm when the drums kick in and speeds up to 121 bpm at the break. Around the early to mid 80s you start to hear drum machines being used in some tracks which makes beat-matching a lot easier as the tempo stays constant
Yes, I was just gonna suggest that myself! When you get to the part (maybe a break) on the 1st tune where you want to mix in the next one, make a 1 or 2 bar loop of that section on the 1st tune, so the BPM will stay fairly constant, then while it's looping, mix in the 2nd tune.
Looks like your playing on some prizes there. :) What helps me with older stuff is looping sometimes. I think those fancy CDJ's you got there have a loop function.
man, u are a greath teacher, and a very very good dj. I noticed htat u mix everything without using effects, but only with levels, crossfade and other stuffs. I'm a drummer, but when i listen this kind of mixes, i enjoy, coz u mix with passion and with SENSE. Good job man. ;-)
In post-disco, and early 80's and even 90's house, the tempo often fluctuates a lot too, even though it uses drum machines due to the analogue equipment used.
That's exactly what I was discusting with DjCamcorder lately ,We were wondering how to mix these records that are not in time. Great tutorial thanks a lot mate
haha like the mists words (miki.. ahuehauehuae) nice video johnathan.. i ask you a long time ago about mix other kind of styles.. but this one helped me a lot.. thanks for the vd again! PnJ!!
This helped a lot, Im djing at my dads wedding In may and I'm doing a 70s mix, thelma Houston, Gwen macrea, the trammps etc. I was wondering if you could do a mix with them kinda tracks. Would be a big help if you could do a mix or tutorial! Thanks man
Regrading your comment on mixing "Just kissed my baby" with " Movin" I agree. To me, the first is "Cool Funk" while the latter is "Hot Funk". Both great tunes, but with a total different feel. Nevertheless, J is a Funk-buff and you are not to tell him that he is out of his league.
am i the only guy who got this pb in 2020? or maybe there’s nobody mixing soul & funk at this time.. anyway, thanks a lot for the video, i’m gonna watch the others!
I'm just starting out in DJing in London- playing 70's-80's (so these videos are frigging amazing, not a fan of house, EDM etc)... when you tap the cue button and it plays a quick beat, how are you achieving that? I'm using Numark DDJ MixTrack Pro 2, which has all the same stuff just a bit more basic, cheers x
Do you just mix straight through or have u been able to pull enough vocal, bass, and percussive sections to do fully live mixes? I would love to get to that point, but for me and most disco house DJs, we are pretty limited to cutting straight. I'd love to be able to do full live recreations like minimal and DnB DJs can do, but its near impossible to find isolated vocals and bass sections in disco tracks.
Realising how shite I am on the decks, I’ve got too used to mixing mindless techno and house but soul and funk is the music I actually want to play. It’s gonna be a struggle but brilliant video as always.
I found myself in this same dilemma. Or realizing soul and funk should have been incorporated all along! Here I am back to good ol ellaskins lol. Legit the guy who taught me everything I know.
Its easy to mix soul funk disco you cheat and use cd players or a stick like youre using. The only good djs are those that mix it on vinyl because they are really doing the mixing. On cds sticks and laptops you have cheat buttons and beat counters. Be a real dj and do it on vinyl. Sorry but thats not mixing what youre doing.
Sorry mate but a real drummer is so much funkier than 'drum machine' tracks. I find most clubs music so boring to listen to becuase of the robotic tempo.
I love this video. Can't see a date but it seems to be from back when UA-cam was a more wholesome lovely place. :) People don't realise how much skill you need to mix soul, funk and disco. Beat-wise, the fact it's not a drum machine isn't the only reason. Not all soul is in 4/4 time, and old disco has a strong 4/4 beat but often it's a syncopated beat - so even if you match the BPMs, if the second track's syncopation is a split second different from your first track, it will sound like a "gallop" / mistake.
Hah! Just rediscovered this channel. I used to watch your videos in '07 when I was a teenager and getting my first decks.
its true, you have to have a real feel for the music. Knowing the keys, tempo, lyrical themes, tones etc are essential in mixing this type of music. Mr Scruff is a master at this sorta thing.
It’s a type of music where you just have to spend time practicing your set and eventually you just start mixing by feel without overthinking it. Quite different to house and techno where long buttery transitions are relatively easy.
When mixing funk and soul I tend to 1, 2, 3, 4 CUT 90% of the time and nobody cares. Where I can get a good beat matched gradual transition (rarely possibly over more than 2-4 bars) I will. But you really need to know your set and practice.
you are so right. i have been playing house music for years in chicago. it is hard to blend disco and soul you have to really study the music. tracks are very easy to me.
I started learning by mixing soul and funk on vinyl so basically started learning about the hardest way possible. You definitely learn to ride the pitch fader. I like to play a lot of boogie funk and will mark the tempo of the intro and the breakdown on a sticker I put on the protective sleeve of the records. Tracks speed up more often then they slow down - one track that changes a lot is Steve Shelto - don't give your love away which is 114 bpm at the first 4 bars of the intro, then jumps to 117 bpm when the drums kick in and speeds up to 121 bpm at the break. Around the early to mid 80s you start to hear drum machines being used in some tracks which makes beat-matching a lot easier as the tempo stays constant
Yes, I was just gonna suggest that myself! When you get to the part (maybe a break) on the 1st tune where you want to mix in the next one, make a 1 or 2 bar loop of that section on the 1st tune, so the BPM will stay fairly constant, then while it's looping, mix in the 2nd tune.
Just watching your vids to learn how to mix old disco that I love xx
nuff respect. nuff ppl owe you money for your careful advice. nice one.
you truly are the gold standard
Looks like your playing on some prizes there. :)
What helps me with older stuff is looping sometimes. I think those fancy CDJ's you got there have a loop function.
2021 and this is still a great vid, thank you!
Well mate, that's what I call a great mix!!! Because it isn't electronic, and that's not what I call easy :')
on turntables manully cueing on the hardest snare or bass drum with blending / beat matching helps
man, u are a greath teacher, and a very very good dj. I noticed htat u mix everything without using effects, but only with levels, crossfade and other stuffs.
I'm a drummer, but when i listen this kind of mixes, i enjoy, coz u mix with passion and with SENSE. Good job man. ;-)
What I was waiting for...Thank you.
Really enjoyed this! Very informative and entertaining... Thanks for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm!
Vem pro Brasil aprender com agente...Vocês invetaram nós aprefeiçoamos.
excellent !
In post-disco, and early 80's and even 90's house, the tempo often fluctuates a lot too, even though it uses drum machines due to the analogue equipment used.
agreed! e.g frankie knuckes/derrick may / marshall jefferson !
Dope video, if you can mix Disco Funk and Soul u can mix anything.
I used to do that with 2 cheap analog turntables (slow starting..) way back in the late seventies. Now THAT was a challenge... LOL!!
dude I dig your style homie
That's exactly what I was discusting with DjCamcorder lately ,We were wondering how to mix these records that are not in time.
Great tutorial thanks a lot mate
haha like the mists words (miki.. ahuehauehuae) nice video johnathan.. i ask you a long time ago about mix other kind of styles.. but this one helped me a lot.. thanks for the vd again!
PnJ!!
@MedicMind91 nah dood, if you check out old school bboy dj's and shit like that, they don't plan, they just know their toons really well
This helped a lot, Im djing at my dads wedding In may and I'm doing a 70s mix, thelma Houston, Gwen macrea, the trammps etc. I was wondering if you could do a mix with them kinda tracks. Would be a big help if you could do a mix or tutorial! Thanks man
Cool!
Could you do a special on mashing up tracks (like 2 Many DJ's and Ben Liebrand do) one day as well?
I realy dont care because this is helping people who dont know how to mix!
i enjoyed your video.. thank you for making it
Regrading your comment on mixing "Just kissed my baby" with " Movin" I agree. To me, the first is "Cool Funk" while the latter is "Hot Funk". Both great tunes, but with a total different feel.
Nevertheless, J is a Funk-buff and you are not to tell him that he is out of his league.
am i the only guy who got this pb in 2020? or maybe there’s nobody mixing soul & funk at this time..
anyway, thanks a lot for the video, i’m gonna watch the others!
I'm just starting out in DJing in London- playing 70's-80's (so these videos are frigging amazing, not a fan of house, EDM etc)... when you tap the cue button and it plays a quick beat, how are you achieving that? I'm using Numark DDJ MixTrack Pro 2, which has all the same stuff just a bit more basic, cheers x
what software are you using? a mix track pro still has a cue button but you need to change the settings so that it plays on press not on release
Btw , great track selection !
Do you just mix straight through or have u been able to pull enough vocal, bass, and percussive sections to do fully live mixes? I would love to get to that point, but for me and most disco house DJs, we are pretty limited to cutting straight. I'd love to be able to do full live recreations like minimal and DnB DJs can do, but its near impossible to find isolated vocals and bass sections in disco tracks.
still very useful
Mad useful video
what kind of turntable device is that on your right? Thanks for the tips
lot of help, many thanks
thank you so much for your help!
a very mature response
Thank so much! You rule.
Thanks man!
where's the guide for disco?
i love you x
Cmon dude how about u watching his vids n doin it on ur own?
im tryin myself as well :)
nice tut .. but I am using vinyl ! so this isn't for me. damn. :D
ahh by the way... NICE HAT!
\0/
Realising how shite I am on the decks, I’ve got too used to mixing mindless techno and house but soul and funk is the music I actually want to play. It’s gonna be a struggle but brilliant video as always.
I found myself in this same dilemma. Or realizing soul and funk should have been incorporated all along! Here I am back to good ol ellaskins lol. Legit the guy who taught me everything I know.
yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees
thax man
Right on, man. Great fuckin' video!
it's funny because he's probably done more for people than you ever will....
Its easy to mix soul funk disco you cheat and use cd players or a stick like youre using. The only good djs are those that mix it on vinyl because they are really doing the mixing. On cds sticks and laptops you have cheat buttons and beat counters. Be a real dj and do it on vinyl. Sorry but thats not mixing what youre doing.
the cut is terrible...
120 bpm all the way through 120 bpm all the way through hahaha
This is a very outdated video
that was horrible he has the ability to time strech aka wide in the beginning gees most Djs woud never do that
Sorry mate but a real drummer is so much funkier than 'drum machine' tracks. I find most clubs music so boring to listen to becuase of the robotic tempo.
UM DUH
just kiddin its terrible!
all you need to have is soul and rythm, this dude is just runnin a bunch of blablabla