Wax Paper: Don't Sweat the "Technique"

Article by Chhay Chhun

From the opening jams of Hiphop history, the Hiphop DJ has used the turntable as more than a device for playing music. At his first party in the Bronx in 1972, Kool Herc gave birth to the Hiphop DJ by repeating the break-downs of songs. When he extended the breaks, dancers whom Herc called "b-boys" or "break boys" would throw down with body rockin' moves. Two years later, the sonic spit of turntable lacerations would be heard alongside the squeaks and squeals of shell-top adidas. Indeed, Grand Wizard Theodore's accidental discovery of the scratch in 1975 would forever change Hiphop's soundscape. Through the dexterous talents of innovators such as Grandmaster Flash, DST, Cash Money, Q-Bert, Shortkut and many others, the turntable has been transformed into a musical instrument. In 1995, DJ Babu coined the term "turntablism" to describe the art of using two turntables and a mixer to create music by manipulating records through scratching and beat juggling.

As the first book to detail a methodology of turntablism, Stephen Webber's Turntable Technique: The Art of the DJ attempts to write a heavyweight chapter in the history of phonographic wizardry. The guidebook and companion two-record set made its debut in 2000, quickly following on the heels of turntablism's success as evidenced in Skratchcon, the first-ever convention for the art of the turntable. One can't help but wonder if Turntable Technique's publication is an effort to capitalize on that success--its “suspect chin” suggests that its production may have been rushed.

To be fair, Turntable Technique is a serious work. With its minor sections on DJ'ing equipment and history/interviews, the guidebook helps the beginning DJ understand his/her hardware and seeks to contextualize turntablism for the beginning DJ. The body of Turntable Technique consists of the fifty-eight scratch exercises, which succeed as a sort of scratch boot camp. New recruits will have undeniably advanced their skills upon mastery of the exercises, which require the reading of notes and the proficient execution of various scratches. Webber lays out scratch patterns and rhythms by using conventional musical notation as scratch notation. For the musically illiterate, Webber explains everything from time signatures and rests to accents and dotted notes, but using notation for the crossfader and record hand on the same scratch staff may leave some DJs with brain cramps. Fortunately, DJs can play along with Side Two of the accompanying vinyl and hear how the scratches should sound. Webber's explanation of musical techniques like dynamics, articulation and syncopation will definitely enhance one's scratch repertoire and understanding of how to use the turntable in the spirit of a musical instrument.

Unfortunately, the bedroom DJ or veteran turntablist will most likely advise aspiring DJs that their $34.95+tax will be better spent on six to seven 12" singles. Although the scratch exercises are beneficial to practice, Webber's decision to include the very difficult crab scratch, which requires the use of three or four fingers on the crossfader in rapid succession, while omitting chirps, one of the foundational scratches, is questionable and will impede the progress of beginning DJs. Another, but more serious, omission is the proper method for balancing one's needles. This is perhaps Webber's greatest oversight, since beginning DJs usually do not balance their needles and unbalanced needles will skip, break and/or destroy one's vinyl.

Despite Webber's efforts, Turntable Technique lacks the flavor that would qualify it for classic status. Perhaps this lack of flavor is due to the medium, but even Side One of the companion records contains mostly weak samples, dry beats and minimal scratch sentences. Webber's shameless plugs throughout the guidebook for his Vital Vinyl record series (see pages 28 and 58) might even fool some DJs into coppin' his products for more exciting beats and samples. Moreover, Webber is linguistically out of touch with the Hiphop community-The guidebook reads like a turntablism version of Hooked on Phonics.

In an unforgiving culture that often gives dap to its pioneers with the right hand while pimp-smacking them with the left, Turntable Technique is more of a footnote than a signpost in the world of turntablism instruction. Sidenote: who can physically scratch while wearing that colossal leather restraint (or bracelet) that the woman on pages 15, 16, 27, 33, 39, 65, 68 and 85 is sporting on her wrist?

Webber, Stephen. Turntable Technique: The Art of the DJ. Boston: Stephen M. Webber and Berklee Press, 2000.

Contact: Chhay Chhun chhun@hiphoparchive.org

Hiphop at Half Mast by Paul Farber