Asian American Studies 98/198: Intro to DJ’ing
Welcome to DJ’ing 101! This semester you will learn the basic techniques of DJ’ing, and apply these
techniques in class, in section, and eventually in your final presentations. In addition to the technical,
physical skills of DJing, we will take an in-depth look at the social, political, and economic forces that have
played a role in the shaping and creation of Hip-Hop and DJ culture. Be prepared for a lot of information
and some challenging discussions as we try to cover as many angles as we possibly can in 12 weeks.
Course Coordinators
Roza Do
Kris Capello
hiphopdjdecal@gmail.com
Lecture Schedule
Week 1: Introduction: Equipment overview and class policies
Week 2: Finding the beat: Counting and timing/Hip-Hop History lesson
Discussion 1: Your Connection to Hip-Hop
Week 3: 8 Bar Intro/Chorus/Song Structure
Week 4: Mixing It Up: Transitions/Creation & Structure of different genres
Discussion 2: Money and Hip-Hop: Do you choose what you listen to?
Week 5: Speed Limits: Beats per Minute (BPM) and Music Genres/Types/Structure continued
Week 6: Breaking It Down: Looping and rocking doubles
Videos: Wild Style, Tableturns NYC, and A Night At The Knitting Factory
Week 7: DJ Musicianship/Scratch Music/Battling
Super Special Guest: DJ VINROC
Week 8: The Details: Remix Records/Harmonic Mixing/DJ Equipment/Midterm Review
Week 9: The Icing: Fader Tricks, Remixing while DJ’ing, Industry Tips to Enhance your Set
Midterm
Week 10: Final Presentations I
Week 11: Final Presentations II
Week 12: Final Presentations III
The class schedule is flexible and it might be subject to change if needed, but we’ll definitely let you know
beforehand if that happens.
Course Requirements
Attendance: Attendance in lecture (either Hip-hop or House, depending on which one you are enrolled
in) is required for every week of class, no exceptions. Being here every week is crucial, because we will
be covering new topics every week, and each successive class builds on what we went over in the
previous class meeting. Being that this is a small class, and participation and interaction will be essential,
so that everyone can learn from each other. We also had to turn away many many people from the class,
and since you are one of the privileged few who made it into the class, please make it worthwhile and
come to class on time. Only 2 excused absences will be allowed, and on the 3rd absence, we must
give you a failing grade and/or drop you from the course. This is De-Cal policy, and unfortunately, we
can’t do anything about it. We don’t want to have to fail or drop anyone, so please come to class. DJ’ing
takes a good amount of time, patience, and practice, so please use class and section to its full
advantage.
Additionally, the class discussions are of utmost importance to the curriculum. The value of
understanding the context and implications of taking part in Hip-Hop can not be overlooked. This class is
not only about DJing, but also an art that has a very interesting history and future. Just be there and take
part in the discussions. Hopefully we will challenge each other to become more positive forces.
Section: These are like your normal “discussion/lab sections” that you would have for other classes,
except that they are much more hands-on than compared to lecture. They meet once a week for 2 hours
at a time. They are smaller sessions (2-3 students per section) where you will have the chance to
practice the techniques that you learned in lecture. Also, your TA will answer any questions, help you
with the weekly topic, or advise and assist you with your final presentation. The TA’s will post their
section times at the first class meeting, so please sign up for a section by the second week of class. We’ll
have time at the end of the first class to arrange section times and assignments. Section attendance
should be fun, especially since this is where you’ll really get a chance to try out and practice what you
learned. If for whatever reason you can’t make it to section one week, please contact your TA as soon as
you can (preferably within 24 hours) and tell them your situation. Please be respectful of their time,
because it would be unfair to them to have to wait around for people who might not show up.
Midterm: The Midterm will be a written exam, and it will cover everything up to and including Week 8’s
topic. The midterm will not be an overly strenuous exercise, but it will be a considerable part of your
grade. Please take the midterm seriously (because we do) and make sure you go to class and section, so
that you’ll be prepared. We’ll have more information about the midterm in the coming weeks, and you’ll
also get a review handout during Week 8.
Final Presentation/Essay: By the time you take the midterm, you will hopefully have learned and are
comfortable with all of the basic techniques of DJ’ing. Towards the end of the semester, you’ll have a
chance to showcase what you learned. Since performing is what DJ’s do, you’ll get a chance to play a
short set, live in front of the class. This is probably the most fun part of the course. Don’t trip, in past
semesters everyone has done well and had a good time with it. You’ll also be writing an essay to turn in
on the day of your presentation, but more about that later. We’ll pass out a handout with more details
about the final presentation during Week 8 (along with the review handout).
GRADES: The grade breakdown is as follows:
40%
30%
30%
Final Presentation
Midterm Exam
Class Participation
(20% written, 20% performance)
(including class and section attendance)
Lastly, if you have any administrative questions (enrollment, etc.), please feel free to contact the
coordinators at hiphopdjdecal@gmail.com.