For each lesson: what kind of song works, and a few songs that fit. Use clean versions only.
The turntables come with a Starter crate: eleven short tracks we made, from 80 to 128 BPM. Press Load the starter crate on the turntables. They work for every lesson.
BPM numbers below are about right. Recordings differ a little. The deck will measure the real tempo when you load a song.
Needs: Any song with a clear beat. Short is fine.
From the starter crate: Paper Kites (90)
Bill Withers · Lovely Day about 98 BPM
Warm, steady and friendly. A calm first record.
Stevie Wonder · Superstition about 100 BPM
Starts with drums alone, so you hear it begin right away.
Needs: A song that starts strong, so you hear the motor start and stop.
From the starter crate: Sunday Clap (100)
Queen · We Will Rock You about 81 BPM
Stomp, stomp, clap. Easy to hear when it stops.
Earth, Wind & Fire · September about 126 BPM
Bright from the first second.
Needs: Two songs that sound very different, so you can tell which deck you hear.
From the starter crate: Porch Light (80), Fast Lane (128)
Bob Marley & The Wailers · Three Little Birds about 75 BPM
Slow and soft. Pair it with a fast song.
Earth, Wind & Fire · September about 126 BPM
Fast and bright. The other side of the fader.
Needs: A song with a clear first beat, so the cue point is easy to find.
From the starter crate: Paper Kites (90)
Michael Jackson · Billie Jean about 117 BPM
The drums start alone. Beat one is easy to see.
Stevie Wonder · Superstition about 100 BPM
A drum intro with a clear first hit.
Needs: One slow song and one fast song, to feel the difference.
From the starter crate: Porch Light (80), Fast Lane (128)
Queen · We Will Rock You about 81 BPM
Slow and easy to tap along to.
Pharrell Williams · Happy about 160 BPM
Fast. Some people tap it at 80. Both are right: it is double.
Bee Gees · Stayin' Alive about 104 BPM
A steady middle speed. Nurses use it to learn CPR timing.
Needs: Any song with a steady beat. You will hear it speed up and slow down.
From the starter crate: Practice Pair (102)
Stevie Wonder · Superstition about 100 BPM
Steady drums, so small changes are easy to hear.
Bill Withers · Lovely Day about 98 BPM
Calm and steady.
Needs: Two songs within a few BPM of each other, both with steady drums.
From the starter crate: Sunday Clap (100), Practice Pair (102)
Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams · Get Lucky (radio edit) about 116 BPM
Pairs well with Billie Jean: only 1 BPM apart.
Michael Jackson · Billie Jean about 117 BPM
Steady drum machine beat. A classic practice pair.
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars · Uptown Funk (clean edit) about 115 BPM
A third song in the same speed range.
Needs: Two songs with a strong bass line.
From the starter crate: Bell Garden (110), Rooftop Break (114)
Queen · Another One Bites the Dust about 110 BPM
The bass line is the whole song. Cut it and you will hear it go.
Michael Jackson · Billie Jean about 117 BPM
A famous bass line that walks the whole way.
Needs: Two songs close in BPM, with long intros and outros.
From the starter crate: Blue Lamp (120), Night Market (124)
Daft Punk · Around the World about 121 BPM
Long, steady, and the same loop for minutes. Easy to blend.
Kool & The Gang · Celebration about 121 BPM
Near the same speed. A good song to blend into.
Needs: A song where the beat or bass comes in hard on the one.
From the starter crate: Rooftop Break (114)
Queen · Another One Bites the Dust about 110 BPM
The bass enters alone. Set your cue right there.
Stevie Wonder · Superstition about 100 BPM
The first drum hit is a clean place for a cue.
Needs: A short, clear sound: one drum hit, one word, one horn stab.
From the starter crate: Brass Bus (106), Sunday Clap (100)
The Winstons · Amen, Brother about 136 BPM
An instrumental. The drum break has single, clear hits.
Queen · We Will Rock You about 81 BPM
The clap is one clear sound. Push it and pull it back.
Needs: A song with gaps, so the cut on and off is easy to hear.
From the starter crate: Paper Kites (90), Rooftop Break (114)
The Winstons · Amen, Brother about 136 BPM
The drum break: short hits you can chop.
Queen · We Will Rock You about 81 BPM
Big gaps between the stomps.
Needs: A song with clear sections that change every 8 or 16 bars.
From the starter crate: Blue Lamp (120), Night Market (124)
Earth, Wind & Fire · September about 126 BPM
Verses and chorus change on even 8-bar lines.
Chic · Good Times about 110 BPM
A steady groove that moves in 8-bar blocks.
Needs: Dance music with a clear intro and a big return of the beat.
From the starter crate: Night Market (124), Fast Lane (128)
Daft Punk · One More Time (radio edit) about 123 BPM
Famous for a long break and a big return.
Daft Punk · Around the World about 121 BPM
Parts drop out and come back. Good for filter practice.
Needs: Three songs close in BPM that feel good together.
From the starter crate: Brass Bus (106), Bell Garden (110), Rooftop Break (114)
Bee Gees · Stayin' Alive about 104 BPM
Start here…
Queen · Another One Bites the Dust about 110 BPM
…then a little faster…
Justin Timberlake · Can't Stop the Feeling! about 113 BPM
…and end bright.
Needs: The three songs you planned. Each at least 2 minutes long.
From the starter crate: Blue Lamp (120), Night Market (124), Fast Lane (128)
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars · Uptown Funk (clean edit) about 115 BPM
Start…
Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams · Get Lucky (radio edit) about 116 BPM
…blend…
Michael Jackson · Billie Jean about 117 BPM
…and finish. Three songs, three BPM apart.
Needs: The same songs as your set. If you share the recording, use free-to-use music.
From the starter crate: Paper Kites (90), Sunday Clap (100), Practice Pair (102)
Starter crate tracks 80 to 128 BPM
We made them for this site. You may share mixes made with them.
Free Music Archive, CC0 songs varies
See Free and legal below. Give credit when the license asks.
The same free sites the turntables list. Each one says how you may use its music. Check before you share a mix.
Acapellas, beats and remixes shared for remixing.
License: Mostly CC BY or CC BY-NC. Name the artist; BY-NC means no selling.
Loops and acapellas from musicians.
License: Loops are free to use. Each acapella has its own terms, set by the person who shared it.
Single sounds, voices and samples.
License: Each sound has its own license. CC0 is free; CC BY needs credit.
Full songs in many styles.
License: Free under the Pixabay Content License. Credit is not required.
Full songs. You can filter by license.
License: Check each track's Creative Commons license. CC0 is free; CC BY needs credit.
Classical music recordings.
License: Public-domain recordings. Free to use.
Sound effects from the BBC.
License: Free for personal, education and research use. Fine in class; do not post mixes with them publicly.
Very old records: jazz, swing, blues, Latin.
License: Many are in the public domain in the U.S. Read each item's page first.
Free songs inside YouTube Studio (sign in, then Audio Library).
License: Free to use. Some songs ask for credit, and it says which.