Turntablist transcription methodology

Last updated

Turntablist Transcription Methodology, or TTM, is a notation system for scratching and turntablism. The system was founded by John Carluccio in 1997. [1] A seminal booklet detailing the system was written and published by John Carluccio, industrial designer Ethan Imboden and DJ Raedawn in 2000. [2] It is an intuitive graphical representation of the movement of a record whilst performing with a turntable, and was originally documented in a booklet form for distribution used by turntablists around the world. [3]

Contents

The system has achieved acclaim from a number of recognizable turntablists, and is becoming increasingly accepted as a valuable method for transcribing turntablist music as it used by public schools in the UK, as well as DJ schools, and has appeared in numerous university dissertations. Thousands of DJ techniques, tutorials and musical scores have been transcribed using this system. Some of the world's top turntablist dj battle champions use the system such as DJ Qbert, DJ Babu, DJ Shiftee, DJ Nelson, DJ Woody, DJ Wundrkut, DJ K-Swizz and Ritchie Rufftone.

The TTM musical notation system has aided in the communication and collaboration among DJs, turntablists, musicians and producers. It has been recognized as the industry standard of musical notation for turntablists worldwide.[ citation needed ] The TTM system is used by renowned DJ instructors at Electronic Music Collective, Scratch DJ Academy, School of Scratch, The Beat Junkies Institute of Sound, and Q-bert’s Skratch University. [ citation needed ]

In 2021, Sxratch publicly released the "Scratch Visualizer'" a DJ software that in real time creates TTM illustrations. [4] Using this software, Carluccio created and hosted a web series entitled "Sxratch Essentials" [5] highlighting the TTM of key scratch techniques as demonstrated live by the pioneer DJs who made them famous.

TTM origins

While documenting the X-ecutioners first studio recording X-pressions, John Carluccio envisioned the notation system in 1997 [1] and started testing his rough concept with DJ Rob Swift [6] and turntablists.  [7] In 1998 he partnered with industrial designer Ethan Imboden to create a TTM booklet, and by 2000, with additional aid from DJ Raedawn (Raymond Pirtle), a full detailed booklet was distributed at The Battle Sounds Turntablist Festival  #4 at New City’s Symphony Space on February 17, 2000. The TTM booklet has been downloaded, shared, and translated versions in Italian, French, Spanish [8] have been created by turntablist enthusiasts. [9] In 2001, John Carluccio was named by Time Magazine as one of the next 100 Innovators in music for TTM. [10] In 2004, Scratch Magazine (issues #1- #6) featured TTM notations in a reoccurring column that explained iconic hip-hop scratch patterns. In 2022, Carluccio spoke at the Sample Music Festival in Berlin about the origins of TTM. [11] In 2023 Carluccio created and hosted a web series illustrating the pioneering scratch techniques with its makers entitled "Sxratch Essentials" [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disc jockey</span> Person who plays recorded music for an audience

A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs, club DJs, mobile DJs, and turntablists. Originally, the "disc" in "disc jockey" referred to shellac and later vinyl records, but nowadays DJ is used as an all-encompassing term to also describe persons who mix music from other recording media such as cassettes, CDs or digital audio files on a CDJ, controller, or even a laptop. DJs may adopt the title "DJ" in front of their real names, adopted pseudonyms, or stage names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scratching</span> Turntablism technique

Scratching, sometimes referred to as scrubbing, is a DJ and turntablist technique of moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable to produce percussive or rhythmic sounds. A crossfader on a DJ mixer may be used to fade between two records simultaneously.

A battle record, also often called a battle tool or battle breaks, is a vinyl record made up of brief samples from songs, film dialogue, sound effects, and drum loops for use by a DJ. The samples and drum loops are used for scratching and performances by turntablists. The most famous example of this format is Super Duck Breaks, a 1996 release by "The Turntablist," a pseudonym of DJ Babu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turntablism</span> Art of manipulating sound using turntables

Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating new music, sound effects, mixes and other creative sounds and beats, typically by using two or more turntables and a cross fader-equipped DJ mixer. The mixer is plugged into a PA system and/or broadcasting equipment so that a wider audience can hear the turntablist's music. Turntablists typically manipulate records on a turntable by moving the record with their hand to cue the stylus to exact points on a record, and by touching or moving the platter or record to stop, slow down, speed up or, spin the record backwards, or moving the turntable platter back and forth, all while using a DJ mixer's crossfader control and the mixer's gain and equalization controls to adjust the sound and level of each turntable. Turntablists typically use two or more turntables and headphones to cue up desired start points on different records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Direct-drive turntable</span>

A direct-drive turntable is one of the three main phonograph designs currently being produced. The other styles are the belt-drive turntable and the idler-wheel type. Each name is based upon the type of coupling used between the platter of the turntable and the motor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Qbert</span> American DJ

Richard Quitevis known by his stage name DJ Qbert or Qbert, is an American turntablist and composer who has heavily influenced the History of DJing. He was awarded America's Best DJ in 2010, was DMC USA Champion 1991 (solo) and achieved titles as DMC World Champion in 1992 and 1993.

<i>Scratch</i> (2001 film) 2001 documentary film directed by Doug Pray

Scratch is a 2001 documentary film, directed and edited by Doug Pray. The film explores the world of the hip-hop DJ from the birth of hip-hop when pioneering DJs began extending breaks on records, to the invention of scratching and beat juggling, to the more recent explosion of turntablism. Throughout the documentary, many artists explain how they were introduced to hip-hop while providing stories of their personal experiences.

The Invisibl Skratch Piklz are an American group of turntablists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scratch Perverts</span> UK musical group

The Scratch Perverts are a collective of turntablist DJs from London, formed in 1996 by Tony Vegas, Prime Cuts and DJ Renegade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mix Master Mike</span> Musical artist

Michael Schwartz, better known by his stage name Mix Master Mike, is an American turntablist best known for his work with Beastie Boys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Craze</span> Nicaraguan DJ and record producer

DJ Craze is a Nicaraguan American DJ and record producer who plays hip hop, Miami bass, trap, breaks, dubstep, drum and bass, and practices turntablism. He was, until 2020, the only solo DJ in history to win the DMC World DJ Championships trophy three times consecutively (1998–2000).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ mixer</span> Type of audio mixing console

A DJ mixer is a type of audio mixing console used by disc jockeys (DJs) to control and manipulate multiple audio signals. Some DJs use the mixer to make seamless transitions from one song to another when they are playing records at a dance club. Hip hop DJs and turntablists use the DJ mixer to play record players like a musical instrument and create new sounds. DJs in the disco, house music, electronic dance music and other dance-oriented genres use the mixer to make smooth transitions between different sound recordings as they are playing. The sources are typically record turntables, compact cassettes, CDJs, or DJ software on a laptop. DJ mixers allow the DJ to use headphones to preview the next song before playing it to the audience. Most low- to mid-priced DJ mixers can only accommodate two turntables or CD players, but some mixers can accommodate up to four turntables or CD players. DJs and turntablists in hip hop music and nu metal use DJ mixers to create beats, loops and so-called scratching sound effects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hip hop production</span> Creation of hip hop music in a recording studio

Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording the rapping of an MC, a turntablist or DJ providing a beat, playing samples and "scratching" using record players and the creation of a rhythmic backing track, using a drum machine or sequencer, it is most commonly used to refer to recording the instrumental, non-lyrical and non-vocal aspects of hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Swift</span> Musical artist

Rob Swift is an American hip hop DJ and turntablist. He was an original member of the turntablist group The X-Ecutioners until 2004. He has also released numerous solo albums and collaborated with various artists, including Mike Patton, Patton's project Peeping Tom, Dan the Automator and Handsome Boy Modeling School, Lords of Acid, Portugal. The Man, and Herbie Hancock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A-Trak</span> Musical artist

Alain Macklovitch, known by his stage name A-Trak, is a Canadian DJ, record producer, and record executive. He came to prominence in the late 2000s as an international club DJ and remix artist, known for incorporating highly technical turntable skills and scratching into his genre-spanning work. He is also president of the record label Fool's Gold, which was founded in 2007, and is credited for developing the careers of artists such as Kid Cudi, Danny Brown, and Flosstradamus. Among other collaborative projects, he is part of the DJ duo Duck Sauce with Armand Van Helden and was nominated for a Grammy in 2012 for their song "Barbra Streisand".

DJ Disk is a turntablist from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is of Panamanian, Colombian, and Nicaraguan descent. Born Luis Quintanilla on October 7, 1970, in San Francisco, Disk began scratching and mixing vinyl at a young age. In 1992, he joined his long-time friend DJ Qbert among the Rock Steady Crew DJs, later changing the group's name to the Invisibl Skratch Piklz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel</span> 1981 single by Grandmaster Flash

"The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" is a single released by American disc jockey Grandmaster Flash in 1981. It is a live DJ mix recording of Flash scratching and mixing records from various groups using three turntables. The musician employed several DJ techniques in the recording, including crossfading, cutting, rubbing and backspins.

John Francis Carluccio is an American filmmaker, artist, and inventor. Carluccio is a two-time Emmy-nominated filmmaker who is best known for documenting obscure pockets of urban society and the creative process.

Gee Bayss is one of the pioneer DJs in West Africa. Member of the group, Pee Froiss, he toured throughout the world with his sure-fire turntablism which had crowds jumping whenever the group was performing. Combining solo projects with international tours of the Pee Froiss, Gee Bayss is actively engaged in transmitting his deejaying art to the younger generations.

The International Turntablist Federation (ITF) was an organization which held a series of DJ battles during the rise of turntablism in the late 90s and early 2000s. The ITF is notable for introducing the concept of category competitions. The categories included advancement, scratching, beat juggling, and team.

References

  1. 1 2 "US Copyright Office / Public Catalog: Turntablists transcriptions: lesson1". US Copyright Office.
  2. ↑ "TTM vol 1.0 Booklet" (PDF). ttm-dj.com.
  3. ↑ M. Miyakawa, Felicia (2007). "Turntablature: Notation, legitimization, and the art of the hip-hop DJ". American Music, vol. 25, no. 1. Gale Academic OneFile.
  4. ↑ "Sxratch Mission". sxratch.com.
  5. 1 2 Battle Sounds (2023). "Sxratch Essentials : Watch and learn the most definitive scratch patterns in turntablism history via the Scratch Visualizer app". Youtube - Battle Sounds.
  6. ↑ "Rob Swift TTM demo". www.synthtopia.com. October 2009.
  7. ↑ McKinnon, Matthew (2012). "Drop the Needle: John Carluccio has found a way to transcribe the ineffable art of scratching". Facebook .
  8. ↑ Tom, Perchard (2017). "From Soul to Hip Hop". Google Books.
  9. ↑ Mark, Katz (2012). Groove Music: The Art and Culture of the Hip-Hop DJ. ISBN   9780195331110.
  10. ↑ Josh, Tyrangiel (2001). "Music: TURNTABLIST EXPERT: Now Every Night He Saves a DJ's Life". TIME MAGAZINE.
  11. ↑ Carluccio, John (2022). "Origins of TTM • SMF 2022 • John Carluccio". Youtube BattleSounds.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.