turntablism
techniquesTURN-tay-bliz-um
The art of using vinyl turntables as musical instruments rather than mere playback devices.
Turntablists transform the record player into an expressive instrument through techniques including scratching, beat juggling, tone play, and cutting. Grand Wizard Theodore is credited with inventing scratching in 1975. DJs like DJ Qbert, Mix Master Mike, and DJ Shadow elevated turntablism from hip-hop accompaniment to virtuosic solo performance. The DMC World DJ Championships became the premier competitive arena, pushing technical boundaries and establishing turntablism as a legitimate musical discipline.
Grand Wizard Theodore accidentally invented scratching at age 13 when he held a spinning record to hear his mother yelling at him to turn the music down; the sound intrigued him.