That depends on what type of DJ you want to be! If someone just wants to learn how the equipment functions and how to perform basic transitions (which may be all that is necessary for DJs playing certain genres) this can be done in a relatively short space of time, but obviously the longer someone uses equipment and practises with music they are going to DJ with, the more fluid and comfortable they will become when performing. It can take just a few weeks to learn the basics of beat matching, and from then on it is simply a matter of improving one’s listening abilities, refining techniques, and learning more advanced skills and combinations. If you want to become an expert scratch DJ/turntablist who can perform technical scratch techniques and complex routines it can obviously take a lot longer. In fact, most DJs will probably tell you that they are always learning and there is never a point where they can say they have finished the process! Learning to DJ is a lot like learning a musical instrument, in that there are always new ways that the equipment can be used, and new tracks that can be played and manipulated in different ways. Being a DJ is a never-ending learning process as there is always new equipment being released and new mixes to perfect.
