Turntablism, by some referred to as ‘the art of the Scratch DJ’. In my opinion the following definitions describe the terms the best:
Turntablist: ‘One who uses the phonograph turntable as component to make music as well as an instrument to literally play music.’ (Official International Turntablism Federation Newsletter, 1996)
Turntablism: ‘Manipulation of previously recorded track(s) to the extent that they are substantially altered from their original format, and that the continuous or consistent alteration of the previously existing tracks(s) continues for one minute or more.’ (NCRA’s submission to the CRTC’s review of campus radio policy)
For the ones who are totally new to the turntablism concept it is important to bear in mind the following. In general turntablists normally use the turntables for two things:
- Scratching
- Beat-juggling
Before you start getting ahead of yourself and try some techniques I advice you to adjust your turntable and mixer. This is important because a normal turntable is not meant for, and certainly not set up for scratching.
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