In-Person DJ Lessons
London

Individual hands-on sessions tailored to your specific needs.
Help to get started or refine your skills.

Lessons for Every Need

Always wanted to learn to DJ but not sure if it’s something you want to pursue further? Our in person lessons are perfect for beginner DJs with no experience as they offer a chance to come and get a feel for DJing without having to shell out loads of money for gear first.

If you’re a bedroom DJ wanting to step up and play bars or clubs, we can help you prepare for your first gigs and make sure you’re confident performing on club-standard Pioneer CDJs and DJM mixers.

Already got your own DJ controller at home? We can come to you and help with set up and learning all the basics of DJing.

male dj playing pioneer xdj system in dark room with red and blue lights

Key Benefits

SIMPLIFY LEARNING
Engaging sessions providing step-by-step instruction with instant feedback to help you avoid common mistakes beginner DJs make.

SAVE TIME
Get where you want to be faster, without scouring YouTube for endless hours trying to find the right video.

FEEL MORE CONFIDENT
Get reassurance that you're doing things correctly, and gain confidence in your abilities so you're ready to pursue your goals.

TAILORED SESSIONS
Bespoke lessons to help you achieve your specific goals, with relevant advice directly answering your questions and matching your skill level and learning style.

NO EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
Learn how to DJ on pro DJ gear worth over £6k and decide if it's something you want to pursue further, without having to spend any money on equipment first.

FLEXIBLE LESSONS
Fit lessons around your schedule when it suits you, either at home or at fully-equipped DJ studios in convenient locations across London.

PERSONALISED DJ LESSONS
FAST-TRACK YOUR LEARNING

Private DJ lessons are well-suited to anyone wanting to learn a few specific skills, or just looking to grasp the basics before going their own way. Our DJ classes are open to take in whatever direction you like and below are some examples of the areas you can learn in our DJ lessons.

The Essentials

WHERE TO DOWNLOAD MUSIC
Discover popular platforms such as Beatport, Bandcamp, Soundcloud or Tidal, to download or stream music to play in your DJ sets

DJ SOFTWARE
Learn how to set up and use DJ software such as Rekordbox, Virtual DJ, Traktor or Serato, to organise your music library and analyse the BPM and key of your tracks

DJ EQUIPMENT
Learn what everything does on DJ gear, whether it's a club-standard setup or your own DJ controller

BEATMATCHING
Learn to beat match in your headphones and align your tracks by ear using the pitch bending technique

MIXING
Get familiar with using mixing tools like the channel faders, filters and EQs to smoothly blend tracks together

HARMONIC MIXING
Learn how to mix in key to create flawless blends with tracks that are harmonically matched

TRACK STRUCTURE
Learn how electronic music is structured to help with your timing when mixing and ensure you know what type of sections to expect while your tracks are playing

PHRASING
Discover the most important concept in DJing that ties everything together and allows you to create seamless, cohesive mixes

CUE POINTS
Learn how to use hot cues, memory cues and loop cues to improve your mixing and ensure your tracks always line up perfectly

DJ SET PERFORMANCE AND PREPARATION

LIBRARY MANAGEMENT
Learn how to organise your music library and save tracks you know work well together to assist with preparing sets and mixing on the fly

RECORDING DJ MIXES
Learn how to record mixes and upload them to Soundcloud, Mixcloud, or YouTube, and how listening back to your mixes can help improve your DJing

TRACK SELECTION
Develop your ear for track selection and discover the main elements to look out for so you can quickly find tracks that blend together flawlessly

SET PREPARATION
Learn how to test out your tracks and build a cohesive DJ set that ebbs and flows, balancing energy levels and taking the listener on a journey

DJ PERFORMANCE
Learn how to transition between DJs in a club, problem solve equipment issues, and get tips on how to save mixes if you miss your cue points in a live mix

BACK-TO-BACK (B2B) DJING
Practice DJing B2B with your tutor so you can learn how to respond to different music on the spot and get comfortable mixing on the fly

Creative Mixing

LOOPING
Learn how to set auto and manual loops, with tips on using quantize and specific timing to get cleaner loops, as well as when to exit loops to keep your tracks phrased correctly

FX
Explore the range of Color FX, Beat FX, Pad FX and Release FX on Pioneer DJ equipment, developing an understanding of how each effect works and how you can subtly apply them to your mixes

DJ MIXING TECHNIQUES
Experiment with more creative mixing techniques such as call & response, cutting, and chopping, learning how to utilise these techniques to create more interest and impact in your mixes

THREE/FOUR DECK MIXING
Add more layers to your mixes, using three or four decks to create engaging mixes that flow effortlessly, as well as using double or triple drops to increase energy and create high impact moments in your sets

MIXING DIFFERENT GENRES
Learn ways to arrange your mixes and smoothly transition between different genres, while avoiding common mistakes, so you can switch things up and add variety to your DJ sets

INFUSE YOUR STYLE
Get creative and infuse your style in your mixes, using edits, mashups and acapellas to combine recognisable elements with energetic beats, creating unique and interesting mixes that stand out from the crowd

DJ Lesson Details

NUMBER OF STUDENTS
Our in-person DJ lessons can be run with 1-4 people in 2-deck rooms, or up to 7 people in 3-deck rooms.

You can Bring A Friend For Free to single in-person lessons if you and a mate are keen to try out DJing.

Save over 50% for groups of 4 people.

LESSON DURATION
Our DJ lessons are single sessions and can be booked in hourly blocks, for however long you like. We recommend 2-3 hours for complete beginners, as there's a lot to cover and time can go quite quick in the sessions. 1-2 hours may be suitable for experienced students practicing specific skills.

COURSE LOCATION
We run our DJ lessons at convenient locations across London using the fully-equipped studios at Pirate studios in Earlsfield, Notting Hill, Camden, Dalston, Hackney, and Greenwich.

We also offer home DJ lessons for students based within London TfL Zones 1-3, from Tooting to Stratford, Clapham to Soho.

TIMES AVAILABLE
We offer evening and weekend DJ lessons with flexible booking to easily fit around your schedule.

Mon, Wed, Fri | 12pm-3pm
Mon-Fri | 6pm-11pm
Sat-Sun | 10am-11pm

DJ EQUIPMENT
Sessions at pirate studios use club-standard Pioneer DJ setups with DJM-900 NXS2 mixers and CDJ-2000 NXS2 decks in 2-deck rooms, or the latest CDJ-3000s in 3-deck rooms.

We also offer DJ controller lessons for sessions at your home. Please note, you must have your own DJ equipment for home lessons, as we do not bring our own.

WHAT TO BRING
All you need for sessions at pirate is headphones and a USB with tunes if you’d like to use your own music. But don't worry, we'll have spares if you don't have your own yet.

For home lessons, you’ll need a laptop and a DJ controller with DJ software, or a standalone DJ system and a USB. You’ll also need headphones, speakers, and digital music files or a subscription to Tidal, Beatport, or Soundcloud.

Pricing

Home
DJ Lessons

from

£46

TRAVEL DISCOUNT
£20 travel fee for home lessons can be reduced/removed if you live nearby

Book Now

Pirate Studios
DJ Lessons

from

£26

PIRATE STUDIOS DISCOUNTS
Save 15% on studio hire for 3 hours
Save 25% on studio hire for 4+ hours
£20 free studio credit *

Book Now

DJ WORKSHOPS IN LONDON

If you're after a DJ workshop or intensive 1-day DJ course in London, we can offer extended DJ lessons of 4-6 hours.

Bear in mind, it's a lot of information to take in if you're a complete beginner. But if you're up for it, it can be a great way to fast-track your learning and get a grasp on all the basics in just 1 day. As a bonus, you'll receive 25% off studio hire for 4 or more hours.

Get in touch for custom pricing of DJ workshops.

DJ mixing console with hand adjusting controls in dim lighting.

DJ GIFTS AND EXPERIENCES

Do you have a friend or loved one who loves music and has always wanted to try DJing?

If you'd like to gift a DJ lesson or DJ course, check out our range of DJ experiences in London to find the perfect gift.

Explore DJ Gifts

DJ adjusting knobs on a music mixer with decorated hands

Student Reviews

“I had a fantastic experience working with Alec. His knowledge spans equipment, setup, music theory, and mixing, making him an exceptional resource. As a tutor, he’s structured, well-prepared, and uses great materials to enhance the learning process. Thanks, Alec - much appreciated!”
Danny Spears
“Alec has created a very organised tutoring planning and is extremely knowledgeable. He not only takes the time to help you understand what you should be doing yet also why - this really helped me internalise all the main concepts and components of DJing. I will continue to have classes with Alec during the coming weeks and definitely look forward to it!”
Julia P
“Alec is a very helpful and knowledgeable teacher. He creates a relaxed and informative environment for his session and ensures he explains new concepts thoroughly. As beginners going into the session we learned a lot about track structuring, DJing equipment and got a good initial feel for DJing on the whole which we are going to continue pursuing in the future. Thanks again for the lesson!”
Malcolm W
“Had an amazing class, learned a lot about track structure and how to structure sets. Also went over some music theory and figured out dj software settings. Thank you, looking forward to future classes!”
Arturs
“Alec is a great instructor, knows his stuff, very professional, and would highly recommend him 👍🏻 if you are just starting up or have some knowledge, he can help. It's a great studio, thank you”
Terry aka Orange Terry
“Skilled DJ and awesome teacher, Alec tailors my lessons to fit my needs, thoughtfully knowing what will make a difference. He makes learning fun, and I’m enjoying seeing myself improve. I couldn’t recommend Alec highly enough.”
Ed Weston
“Alec is patient and genuinely invested in your learning. He gives all his time and energy to explain concepts that can be particularly confusing to someone completely new to Djing. He is highly knowledgable and you can see his love and passion for music within his lessons. I felt like he met me where I was (a complete beginner) and helped me to build my confidence to start mixing songs together. I highly recommend Alec as a tutor, you will not be disappointed.”
Danielle
“Alec is an amazing tutor.
He took on a challenge to teach my 6-year-old daughter!
He succeeded!
We thank you for making us such proud parents!!!!”
Florin

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! No prior experience is required to get started with our DJ lessons. In fact, this is often the best way to start as complete beginners won’t have potentially learnt incorrect habits.
We primarily work with beginner or intermediate DJs as these people stand to benefit the most from lessons and have a lot to learn when starting out.
A lot of your growth once you pass these levels will come from experience, experimentation, and developing your own sound and style of mixing. While you can receive some guidance for this, it is quite personal and not necessarily something that can be taught, but rather discovered, by the individual.
Having your own DJ equipment helps so you can practice between sessions, but it’s not essential to get started.
You can start learning the basic theory concepts of DJing with online lessons, or get hands-on with the club-standard equipment at Pirate studios. We’ll have everything you need for sessions at Pirate studios, including headphones and music, so you don’t need to bring anything if you don’t have any gear yet.
Please note: You will need your own DJ equipment for home lessons as we don’t bring our own equipment to home lessons, besides headphones and music if required.
We primarily work with Pioneer DJ controllers, or Pioneer CDJs and DJM mixers at Pirate Studios. However, if you have your own equipment at home, we can work with all the major brands, including Pioneer DJ, Denon DJ, Native Instruments, Numark and Hercules DJ.
We primarily work with Rekordbox. However, we can also work with the other major brands, including Virtual DJ, Traktor and Serato if you’re using one of these.
We work with all electronic music genres including Drum & Bass, Jungle, Breakbeat, House, Techno, Trance, Garage and Dubstep.
While we can still teach the basic concepts of DJing for more commercial genres such as Hip-Hop and Pop, these aren’t genres we regularly work with or mix often ourselves. Depending on your needs, you may wish to find a DJ tutor specialising in these genres if they’re what you’d like to mix.
This will vary from person to person as everybody learns at their own pace. Having some form of musical background, playing an instrument for example, or even just listening to a lot of music can help with picking up DJing faster, as you’ll already have a sense of rhythm and timing, as well as being somewhat familiar with track structure.
Most people starting from scratch will be able to develop a decent understanding and have the ability to beatmatch and perform transitions after 2-4 sessions. Some may even pick it up in 1 session.
However, DJing is a much longer journey than just learning these basic skills. Being able to craft sets that flow really well and take the listener on a journey comes from many years of practice and listening to music, developing your own sound and style along the way. Your sound and musical taste is also something that will constantly evolve over time and you’ll continue to learn new things as you go.
Anyone can learn the basic skills relatively quickly if they’re consistent. The harder part is getting to know your tunes really well and the general structure of tracks in your chosen genres. Being able to identify and differentiate the characteristics and energy levels of your tracks will enable you to piece them together in a logical and cohesive way to create seamless mixes. These skills take time to learn and will only come through practice and experience.
You’re free to purchase a lesson with whichever tutor you like, based on who you feel aligns with your needs. Feel free to check out each tutor’s profile for more info.
The cost of DJ lessons in London can vary depending on the location, tutor and length of the lesson.
We have DJ lessons starting from just £26 for DJ lessons at your home if you happen to live nearby, or £26 plus studio hire for DJ lessons at pirate studios. Prices include studio hire for sessions at pirate studio. If choosing to book the studio yourself, the price will be reduced for just the lessons and you'll pay for the studio hire separately.
* The pirate studios referral code is currently only available to new students who haven’t previously created an account and booked a session at pirate studios.
Use referral code ‘ALEC256563’ when creating an account at Pirate.com to receive £20 of free studio credit. You’ll receive the credit in your account after booking and attending your first session.
Students must create an account and book the studio themselves to use the referral code.
You can find a video on how to create an account and book a studio here.
Studio hire discounts for sessions of 3 or more hours are already factored into the price.