How to count Music like a DJ? Beats, Bars and Phrases | ‘From 0 to DJ’ #4 ✅
In this chapter we will go a little deeper into the structures of electronic music and how to recognize the parts by counting the music. We will see how to count beats, bars, musical phrases and thus differentiate the blocks properly to be able to make mixes like a professional DJ. 🙂
1. Beats, Bars and Phrases: The Structures that DJs must know.
1.1 Beat
In musical language adapted to these styles a beat would be a quarter note. In most styles of electronic music a quarter note is usually equivalent to the kick drum*.
*In styles such as EDM, Dance, House and its derivatives… but not in others such as Trap, Drum&Bass or Dubstep…
A song or a piece of music regardless of its style, has a rhythm, this rhythm is the one that any person would unconsciously mark with the foot or clapping. Each foot tap or clap would be equivalent to a beat. In the next chapter we will see this in more depth, with the help of concepts such as Tempo and BPM.
On part-time lines, most DJ software and some controllers indicate the beats.
1.2 The Bar
In electronic music, a bar is usually formed by 4 beats or 4 quarter notes.
Bar of 4 beats or quarter notes
1.3 The Musical Phrase
The musical phrase in these styles will be composed of 8 bars, or what is the same, 32 beats. Although we could also divide the phrases in 16 beats instead of 32.
We need to be clear about the concept to begin to understand the classic mix that a DJ would do to make a transition from one track to another.
1 phrase = 8 bars = 32 beats
8 Bar phrase structure
2. How to Recognize the Phrases within the Track for Mixing: Counting Music
First let’s do a little review. Usually to mix two tracks or songs:
- We will match in the outgoing and incoming tracks the beginning of a phrase, so that the two tracks start and end together a block of 32 beats.
- Ideally, in basic mixes we will use the final phrase of the outgoing track (the last 32 beats), and the initial phrase (the first 32 beats) of the incoming track.
- If we don’t do it this way the results can be confusing and the transition from one song to another can be very noticeable.
In order to be able to perform this task, we will have to recognize the phrases within the track and for this we will have to know how to count beats and bars.
2.1 Counting Beats, Bars and Phrases with DJ Softwares or Help Tools ( e.g. Virtual DJ)
At the top of Virtual DJ (I think from version 8 onwards) we have a module composed of 4 rectangles for each track that light up to the rhythm of the music.
Help tool for counting Beats, Bars and Phrases in Virtual DJ
Each rectangle corresponds to 1 beat or 1 quarter note, the color goes through the 4 rectangles from left to right, i.e. completes a path of 4 beats. This is a bar.
In addition we have two circles that are filled and completed each time we finish a phrase of 16 beats*, or what is the same, 4 bars.
*Phrases can be 32 or 16 beats.
The main purpose of this is to provide the DJ with information about the start of the bars and 16-beat phrases and thus make it easier to match the phrase beginnings. It is useful if the DJ feels confused and can quickly know when a 16-beat phrase is about to end.
Although this tool (like many others, in any software) can fail, so the essential thing is to learn to do it without aids. We can make use of them at the beginning to understand the concepts and experiment with the first mixes, but then it is advisable to stop looking at them to not generate a dependency and subtract us in the development of our ear as a DJ.
2.2 How to count Beats, Bars and Phrases like a professional DJ (traditional method)
Now we are going to count ourselves in a ‘manual’, artisan way, without the tools to help us, in order to internalize the concept well. Every DJ has to know how to do it.
Let’s learn in a practical way with the following exercise:
- We select a song with an extended structure (a little further down I leave you a couple of example songs that will help you to practice).
- Our goal will be to count numerically each beat, so we know when we finish a phrase of 32 beats.
- We will start on the first beat of the song and we will observe the evolution of the track with each phrase we finish.
To make your practice easier, I advise you to learn to mix with styles in which the kick drum corresponds to a beat, so you only have to count those kicks.
▼ We have 2 ways to Count the Music ▼
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32
Or
1 2 3 4
2 2 3 4
3 2 3 4
4 2 3 4
5 2 3 4
6 2 3 4
7 2 3 4
8 2 3 4
In this second method we would be assigning the bar number at the beginning of each group of 4 beats. So when we reach 8 bars, we know that we have a sum of 32 beats.
Once learned, the second method is the easiest system for counting without aids.
With time, practice and patience there are DJs who don’t need to count to know when each phrase starts. They develop a skill and a DJ’s ear that makes their job much easier.
👇 I leave you some themes with which you can do this practice (they have the right structure for it):👇
Now it’s your turn 👇
In this chapter we have seen the types of musical structures and how to count beats, bars and phrases in electronic music (by two ways). With this knowledge you will be able to start mixing like a professional DJ.
If it is the first time you read about all this you may find it a little complex, but do not worry, go back to review it, reread it and do exercises as many times as necessary, until you internalize it. Also, as you progress through the course you will fix the concepts.
In the next chapter we will talk about speed and tempo.
‘From 0 to DJ’ – IndexHow was your experience counting beats? Did it surprise you that music is so mathematical? Let us know in the comments.
Best regards and see you in the next one! 🙂
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I hope to provide you with the best tools and knowledge for your journey as a DJ Producer
