Knowledge Tool Ownership
Technical Skills
6. Needle Dropping and Clocking - One must develop skills in rapid needle placement and watching record label marks. (1 Point) 7. Rhythmic Timing - One must learn to count bars and release a record’s spin by hand and on beat. (1 Point) 8. Pitching - Deejays must learn to pitch one record;s tempo to match another record’s tempo. Listening is crucial at this stage. (1 Point) 9. Record-To-Record Beatmatching - One must pitch and match tempos quickly (within the length of a song), mixing one record into another (for at least 4 bars) without a single song ending due to slow pitching skills. (1 Point) 10. Blending - Deejays must master beatmatching to a high level of precision so that one record’s tempo is simultaneously playing with another’s for an extended amount of time (usually 16 bars or more) combining vocal, instrumental, or accapella songs together. (1 Point) 11. Chasing - Deejays must learn to play two copies of the same record simultaneously with one copy following slightly behind the first. The croosfader is then used to cut the sound of one record off and on at will. (1 Point) 12. Basic Scratching - Many deejays can perform at least 3-4 basic scratches cleanly in repetition (1/2 Point) (1 Point) Examples of basic scratches are baby, forward, reverse, stab, drag, and military scratches. 13. Transitions - Any D.J. who wishes to keep a crowd entertained must be able to smoothly play from one record to another, being conscious of the importance of timing as well as knowing what techniques will aesthetically sound the best. Good transitions are important when playing a slow song after a fast song, or vice versa. (1 Point) 14. Backspinning - A skilled D.J. must learn to go back and forth between two records, cueing and releasing each record at a specific point repeatedly. (1 Point) 15. Intermediate Scratching - Many deejays can perform at least 3-4 intermediate scratches cleanly in repetition (1/2 Point) (1 Point) Examples of Intermediate scratches are chop, tear, tip, transform, scribble, dice, tweak, and fade scratches. 16. Comfortable Presence - Experienced deejays should look comfortable and relaxed when mixing. (1/2 Point) (1 Point) 17. Body Tricks - The ultimate show off technique, combining backspinning with visual enhancement, striking the crossfader and records in unorthodox ways cleanly and swiftly. (1 Point) 18. Precise Sticker Cueing - Used mostly by battle and showcase deejays, this technique requires patience and a steady hand. One must place a sticker on vinyl so that when the needle is dropped at a specific point next to the sticker, the needle will be cued on the record exactly where he she intended. (1 Point) 19. Basic Set-up Beat Juggling - These are the early traditional juggling patterns performed at the same tempo as the vinyl’s recorded BPM. No more than one bar on each record is used at a time.(1 Point) 20. Record Tap Backspinning - This is the foundation of breakdown beat juggling. Records are slowed down to half speed by tapping their surfaces while simultaneously backspinning. (1 Point) 21. Basic Breakdown Beat Juggling - These are the early traditional juggling patterns performed at half the tempo as the vinyl’s recorded BPM. No more than one bar on each record is used at time. (1 Point) 22. Extended Basic Breakdown Beat Juggling and Strobing - This is the same basic breakdown juggling, but more than one bar is used. Strobing is a combination of record tapping and chasing, with no backspinning used. (1 Point) 23. Advanced Scratching - Many deejays can perform at least 3-4 advanced scratches cleanly in repetition (1/2 Point). (1 Point) Examples of advanced scratches are chirp, 1-click flare, orbit, original flare, crab, clover tear, lazer, phazer, zig zag, swipe, wave, and needle drop scratch. 24. Intermediate Set-Up Beat Juggling - These pattern are similar to those pf basic breakdown juggling, but more complicated, using more fader and record manipulation. (1 Point) 25. Intermediate Set-Up beat Juggling - These patterns are similar to those of basic breakdown juggling, but more complicated. Tempos are switched from 33 to 45 (and vice versa), and/or kicks, snares, and sounds are doubled up rhythmically (1 Point).
Most experienced turntablists develop certain strengths in either scratching or beatjuggling by this stage. Therefore, points for the following three weapons can be acquired through either scratching (but not both per weapon).
26. Body Trick Scratching - An advanced d.j. must be able to perform a series of intermediate or better scratches in body trick fashion, orBody Trick Juggling - An advanced d.j. must be able to perform basic juggling or better while incorporating body tricks and staying on beat. (1 Point). 27. Advanced Scratch Combos - An advanced d.j. must be able to combine multiple advanced scratch techniques with each other or lesser techniques cleanly and in repetition. Examples of such combos would be squeezes (chirp flares), crescents (3 click flares), dragged crabs and flares, tweaked crabs and flares, faded lazers, faded clover tears, etc. Otherwise one must learn...Advanced Set-Up Beat Juggling - These patterns asr similar to those of intermediate set-up juggling, but more complicated, using all faders combined with swifter record manipulation (1 Point). 28. Dual Dexterous Scratching - An advanced d.j. must be able to perform one-handed advanced scratching with either hand, orAdvanced Break down Beat Juggling - These patterns are similar to those of intermediate breakdown juggling, but more complicated. Scratching and "power on/off" techniques are now combined with the previously learned techniques, as well as very non-traditional juggling patterns. (1 Point).
