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Turntablist
A turntablist treats the turntable as an instrument rather than a playback device — scratching, juggling and composing routines. The discipline overlaps with DJing and is not the same job.
In practice
The turntable as an instrument. A club DJ works to be invisible; a turntablist works to be watched.
If you want to learn it, learn it in the order the technique builds: baby scratch until it is boring, then the fader patterns, then juggling, then routines. Set the deck up properly first — battle position, a sharp crossfader curve and the right tracking force remove most of the frustration people mistake for lack of talent. And expect it to take years rather than months; that is the honest timescale and it is why the discipline is respected.
Watched
Not invisible
Baby scratch
Where it starts
Years
The honest timescale
Where these come from: Turntablism practice and progression, not a catalog figure. For what we can measure, see the form it builds toward.
Why it matters
The distinction is what the performance is for. A club DJ is building a night for people who are dancing; a turntablist is performing a piece for people who are watching, and the two reward almost opposite things — one rewards invisibility, the other rewards visible difficulty.
Plenty of people do both and the skills transfer in one direction more than the other. Turntablism gives you extraordinary control over a record, which makes ordinary mixing feel easy; ordinary mixing gives you very little that helps with a routine.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between a DJ and a turntablist?+
What the performance is for. A club DJ builds a night for people dancing; a turntablist performs a piece for people watching, and the two reward almost opposite things.
Do I need battle decks to learn?+
You need a direct-drive turntable and a mixer with a decent crossfader and a curve control. Battle position and a fast fader make it considerably easier.
How long does it take?+
Years to be good, which is why the discipline is respected. The first scratches come quickly and the control does not.
Related terms
Routine
A routine is a composed, rehearsed sequence of scratches, juggles and cuts performed to a set piece of music. Unlike a mix, it is written in advance and repeated the same way each time.
Scratch
A scratch is a sound made by moving a record back and forth under the needle while the crossfader or channel fader cuts it in and out. The hand sets the pitch; the fader sets the rhythm.
Battle mixer
A battle mixer is a compact two-channel mixer built around a fast, replaceable crossfader, with curve and reverse controls to hand. Everything else is stripped back to keep the fader area clear.
Battle position
Battle position turns the turntables ninety degrees so the tonearms sit at the back rather than the right, and the pitch faders face you. It puts the record surface and the crossfader in one continuous working area.
Explore: Transition techniques · Scratch · Routine · All DJ terms