Turntable Technique. the Art of the DJ

Latin Beat Magazine, Oct, 2002 by Rudy Mangual

By Stephen Webber 125 pages/2-vinyl record set/English Berklee Press 2002/ISBN 0-634-01434-X

TÉCNICA DE TORNAMESA El Arte del DJ Por Stephen Webber 125 páginas/2 discos/Español Berklee Pres 2002/ISBN 0-87639-000-9

Available in both English and Spanish editions, this first of its kind text/instructional package teaches the student to play the turntable as a musical instrument. This guidebook and 2-vinyl record set provide an excellent instructional method--technically and historically accurate--toward the DJ element in today's pop culture. The learning process starts with the fundamentals of scratching, beat matching, mixing, cutting, cross fader techniques and the transformer. Numerous photographs and musical exercises are included throughout the textbook, together with tips on how the pros set up their gear for performances. There's also a brief history of Dj-ing and hip-hop culture, as well as interviews with top DJs including DJ Swamp (Beck), MixMaster Mike (Beastie Boys), DJ QBert (Invisibl Skratch Picklz), DJ Kuttin Kandi (5th Platoon/Anomalies), DJ A-Trak (Teenage DMC/ITF World Champion), and DJ Craze (repeat DMC World Champion). The companion vinyl records provide the necessary grooves, scratch material, and exercises for DJs/turntablists of any level. After mastering the 58 exercises in this method, you can play the turntable like a professional DJ and be on the way to create your own personal style. Maria A. Chenique quite ably translates the Spanish edition, making either edition a one of a kind tool. Also available from Berklee Press are additional tools for DJs including Vital Vinyl, Volumes 1-5 (a limited edition series of 12" records) featuring originally created loops, grooves, break beats, vocals, and sound effects for DJs, rappers, producers, and re-mixers.