DJ Beatmatching and Tempo Control

Question 1

What does BPM stand for in DJ and music terminology?

Accepted Answer

Beats Per Minute

Answer

BPM stands for Beats Per Minute, the standard measurement of a song's tempo used by DJs to match tracks during mixing.

Question 2

What is the technique of manually adjusting two records to the same tempo called?

Accepted Answer

Beatmatching

Answer

Beatmatching is the skill of manually adjusting turntable speeds until two tracks play at exactly the same BPM for a seamless mix.

Question 3

When beatmatching, if the incoming track sounds like it is 'rushing' ahead, what should you do?

Accepted Answer

Decrease the pitch fader slightly

Answer

If the incoming track rushes ahead, its tempo is too fast, so you must decrease the pitch fader to slow it down to match.

Question 4

What is 'phase alignment' in the context of beatmatching?

Accepted Answer

Aligning the beat positions of two tracks so their downbeats coincide

Answer

Phase alignment ensures the beat positions of two tracks line up so their kick drums and downbeats hit at exactly the same moment.

Question 5

What percentage of pitch change does a standard DJ pitch fader cover on most CDJs?

Accepted Answer

±8%

Answer

Most CDJs offer ±8% pitch range as their standard setting, providing enough range to match most tracks without noticeable key change.

DJ - Mixing Practice Test