Rekordbox Online DJ Courses

Browse topics show

Learn to DJ with a Rekordbox Controller

Do you own a Rekordbox DJ controller and want to learn more? Have you just bought your first piece of DJ equipment, but you’re unsure how to get started? Have you’ve been playing for years but need some new inspiration and creative ideas to add to your mixes? Read on to find out more about our Rekordbox online DJ courses…

Easy to follow video tutorials.
Access 24/7 from any device.
Comments section on every lesson with direct responses from tutor.

Which DJ controllers are the Rekordbox courses applicable to?

Any controller running Rekordbox performance mode is suitable. The most popular are the Pioneer DDJ RB, DDJ RR, DDJ RX, DDJ RZ, DDJ RZX, Pioneer DDJ 400, DDJ 800 & Pioneer DDJ 1000. If you use something like an SX2 with Rekordbox these courses will still apply. We wouldn’t recommend these particular courses if you own the XDJ RX or CDJ/XDJ players running Rekordbox performance mode unless you own the DDJ SP1 add on controller. We have separate courses for the XDJ RX here.

Who will be teaching me?

Our DJ tutor Jamie Hartley has been working in the industry for over 10 years, from local resident gigs to national festivals, abroad in Ibiza and Croatia amongst much more. The last 3 years he has dedicated his time to teaching DJs one to one at our studio in the UK. In those 3 years of teaching he has taken all the theory, DJ skills, tricks, and knowledge to create a comprehensive lesson plan. This lesson structure means DJ’s at any level will easily be able to join and improve on your current skills.

How did Jamie develop the courses?

This lesson plan has come from teaching hundreds of students, all different ages, abilities and with all different musical tastes. It is designed in a chronological way, firstly focusing on the foundation skills every DJ needs. It then introduces the rest of the technical elements available to us in this digital age of DJ equipment, before combining performance features in a practical way to help a DJ build confidence with their music library and make their sets unique and creative to help them stand out from the crowd.

This is why the Rekordbox courses have been split into 3 categories. Lets take a closer look at what each course covers.

Rekordbox – Beginner DJ Course

Part 1 – Installing Rekordbox, Importing and Analysing Your Music Correctly

After unboxing your new DJ controller you may feel unsure how to get the software up and running. Maybe you’ve got that far but you’re not sure whether your music is being analysed correctly. If so, we have all of this covered at the start of the course.

Part 2 – The Foundation Skills: Timing & Beat Matching

We believe every DJ needs to master some core skills in order to excel in the industry and as a DJ. One of those core skills is being able to beat match by ear without the aid of BPM counters or visual aids. Mastering this skill in particular provides a solid foundation for some of the more advanced DJ skills further down the road.

With our Crossfader DJ Tools downloadable pack within the course, you will train your ears and master these vital skills with different genres and style of music!

Part 3 – Understanding Basic Music Theory

There are a few golden tips and key rules that if understood at the beginning of your journey, will help make your mixes sound extremely professional. We cover some basic music theory at this stage to help you better understand the structure of the music you’re mixing.

Part 4 – Learning How to Create a Seamless Mix Using the EQs and Mixer

We also need to be able to train our ears to what sounds right and what doesn’t. When mixing between various songs no visual aid can tell us wether something sounds good or not. This is the job of our ears. Using the EQs and mixer effectively to create a seamless transition between songs is a vital foundation skill. This is the next skill you will learn in the Rekordbox Beginner DJ Course.

Part 5 – Use the Foundation Skills to Confidently Perform Extended Sets

Now its time to put all you have learnt into practice. By combining those foundation skills that make for a solid DJ together, we will help you play with confidence for hours on end.

Who would we recommend this course for?

This course is perfect for any beginner DJ who has just started out. It’s also recommended to any DJ that feels they need to work on manual beat matching by ear. If you feel trapped in using the sync feature of having to rely on the visuals to mix then this course is the perfect option to help you break that habit.

Rekordbox – Intermediate DJ Course

Part 1 – Using the Performance Pads

DJs have access to all sorts of performance features when mixing thanks to the 8 performance pads the controllers have. With so many different modes, we teach you not only what they do but how to start using them creatively. Such as where to set up hot cues to make your music work for you. How to use the beat jump creatively, plus how and where to set and saves loops. Music preparation is 80% of becoming a creative DJ. This is where we start to focus on mixing in new ways and taking advantage of the features Rekordbox has to offer.

Part 2 – Mixing Different Styles of Music

Maybe you have some songs that don’t have an intro? Or you’re not sure where you should be mixing in or out from a particular song. Do you find that when mixing music with vocals they’re always clashing and causing a messy mix? During this part of the course we focus on how to play those awkward tracks and how to start taking charge of your music library. You should make the music work for you, to be in control of the mix, not the other way around.

Part 3 – In Depth Look at the Effects

Effects are there to help you make your mixes more unique and interesting. They can help you get out of tricky situations and also add to the energy created in the mix. The PAD FX within Rekordbox are so useful and tactile. We take a much closer look at every single effect, the best parameters and settings to use for each. Examples of how to use those effects and combine them creatively in your mixes. We’ve even developed a unique way of grouping the FX into the different pads. This will help you combine the best ones together.

Part 4 – New Mixing Techniques

If you find that your mixes have become predictable, using the same sort of fade in and out, then this part will help you break out of the repetitive mix syndrome. Focusing on the rhythmic elements in tracks you will learn new ways to bring a track into the mix. We even teach things such as how to perform a backspin properly at the end of your transitions, something that may seem simple but is often not done well.

Part 5 – Using the Slicer & Sampler to Remix Live and Create Unique DJ Sets

The slicer in Rekordbox is such a fun feature but often DJs aren’t sure how to incorporate it into their sets. We break the process down and show examples of how it can be used in a unique way. You will be performing live remixed or edited versions of songs within your sets in no time!

In Rekordbox the sampler is a very robust tool. It can be quite complicated to fully understand its capabilities. We dive deep into the capture and sampler, learning how to save up to 64 other songs and samples that call all be mixed simultaneously. This is where you will be able to really make your DJ sets unique and stand out!

Who would we recommend this course for?

This course is perfect for DJs who are confident at beat matching by ear and transition between two songs but need some new creative ways to mix. If you understand the basics of mixing and your controller but haven’t quite mastered all the performance features Rekordbox has to offer. If you’re stuck performing the same style transitions over and over then this is the perfect course for you!

Want a Sneak Peak?

By clicking here and signing up you can watch lessons from a variety of our DJ courses. Get a feel for the format and pick up some new tricks for free before taking a paid course.

What if I Don’t Understand a Lesson?

Each lesson has its own comments section. Post your question and our tutor Jamie will get back to you within 24 hours. This means you have constant support throughout your course.