Skip to main content
12:46

How to Mix Arabian Arabic Dance Music BY Ellaskins the DJ Tutor

Lesson Intermediate Stage 4: Mixing & Transitions November 2014

Contents of the video

0:00 New country, I try and get

Hi guys, Jonathan here. I'm still in Dubai and I'm now going to do a DJ mixing tutorial on mixing Arabic style dance music. Now what I find when I go to a new country, I try and get involved as much as I can with the country itself. I don't take my ways to the country. I hopefully try and become a part of that country. So I like to go to real markets. I like to go and see the real people, not just go to the holiday resorts. And I also like to take advantage of the music they've got and see if it inspires me. And I've always liked different genres of music. I have to admit this is absolutely stunning. I picked up this album. It is the Arabian Club Night No. 2. There it is. I'm going to use two tracks and

Right, on the way back from picking these up we put this CD in the car. We put the first track in and to begin with I was thinking alright it's not that bad but then you ended up having this just thumping bass The way of describing it, it's almost like Arabic style progressive house with a very, very mellow vibe. It's almost as though you could feel as though you're just floating away on a magic carpet. I will put, if I can find the videos on YouTube, I'll put the links in the description so you can go and check it out. Check the two tunes out. And if you do have the time and you've got a PA system or a banging PA system turn it up because the bass is phenomenal. Now one thing with this style of music, there is a lot of music going on.

2:21 Rarely form, form introduction

So you need to be careful about mixing it up. You need to be careful about mixing the tracks. So what I've got here, I've got track 14 from disc 2 track 1 from disc 1 is I'm going to mix in the beginning like so it's a tiny bit at the beginning and then we have track 1 from disc 1 It's almost got that psytrance feel as well but it hasn't got that gurgling kind of psytrance bass Like I said, it's very progressive. It's just, oh wrong one. But it's honestly, there was something about this we played it and it was like you know what immense, absolutely immense Okay so let's just put that down a minute Now with most European dance music when you have a dance track it will start off from the count of 1 Very very rarely will you have some form of introduction

And even more rarely will you have some form of introduction where there's no real beat There's nowhere where you can say 1, 2, 3, 4 So if you haven't listened to this one here Crossfade Start again This is how it starts This is exactly how it starts Right I'm just going to pause it We'll put it back It's right at the beginning I'm now going to take some hot cues I'm going to record right at the beginning of the track Making note of my levels as well Very important That will become apparent later on in this tutorial If I just do this now If I actually put the camera there So it's a little bit closer Get a hot cue on the first kick Of the first beat 1, 2 I've got one more hot cue left So we'll go back to the beginning

Get onto record again And now I've got B here That I can

4:34 Timing beginning, listen

Have a listen I think just Maybe we'll do it about there No actually We should have done it from the first place there That's already got It's got melody It's got a bit of feel What I want to try and do now Is add an effect to that But I don't want to Take over from the beauty Of the sound that we're getting So I'm going to go for a flanger And Really Timing here There isn't much timing with the beginning Well there is Timing with the beginning of this track But This is down to your ear How much you want the flanger To work over The beginning of the track So if we just press play again Have a listen

There you go Right that's all well and good But that's the track We want to mix in To This one here

And I think this is an absolutely Killer cut On my travels around the world I do get to listen To some wicked music And this is no exception With this sort of track

7:54 Tells story, start counting, single track

Every single track is different Every single track tells a story So My Own thought On this cut here Is I don't think I'd want to Mix Oops I don't think I'd want to mix Another track in Halfway through It's almost as though This is an Arabian night field Some guy on a camel Is going out there Into the desert And he's coming back He doesn't want to Go half way To the desert And be told He's got to come back He needs To take his journey This track Is the entire journey So I wouldn't Want to touch When I say Wouldn't want to touch The track I don't think I'd want to mix Something in Halfway through If you took away This beat The bassline You're left with that Beautiful melody In the background And that melody Tells a story And it would be a shame

To stop That Taurus Story From being told I do apologise Okay What I'll do Pause that out Remember we've got our Hot cue Get that ready So I'm going to put it forward Right I'm going to pause That as well Now If you're not familiar With mixing tracks That you've ever seen Of mine What you will always Need to make sure Is This isn't Obligatory You don't Have to do this This isn't like In one of the Major rule books If you don't do this You know You're going To get electrocuted But it's Highly advisable To listen To the end Of the track And count Back So for example At the last Kick You start counting Back So you don't Count bars But you start Counting Back So that's How this track That you're going To mix in Builds up For example If from the start To let's say

10:12 Progressive side, four, desert

The first change Is 16 bars Then maybe You want to then Count back 16 bars Bring this one In On the 16th bar Before the end And then work Them both together So of course As soon as That one finishes The build Starts Okay Pretty much The same All the way through You see again A different genre Different styles If this was EDM Electronic dance music It's highly unlikely It would finish Like this So if we have Another listen Again This is sort of Breaking all The rules Of EDM They've just gone We're going To do our own Way Just to fade Out So it doesn't Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Four Four Three Two One And We're going To take our camel Out into the desert And you're just Going to see us Disappear Over the brow Of a sand dune And you're never

Going to see Us again So Hold on Right Around about Here Anyway Here we go Could have Spent More time Mixing this track In But then I hope you get The idea This is just Beautiful Very mellow Very chilled Out It's on A progressive Side Side It's on a Progressive Side Of things But it's got Its own Character That's been A help To me And I think It's Really Important For You To Get Out Of The Desert And To Get Out Of The Desert So I Would Like To Say A Big Shout

This transcript was produced automatically from the audio of the video and may contain mistakes.

The stages are the way through

Below this line is the back catalogue, newest first. Useful for browsing, but it is not a course - the videos are in the order they were filmed, not the order to learn them in. Work the stages instead: each one assumes the one before it.

Latest DJ Tutor Videos