Beat juggling
Encyclopedia
Beat juggling is the act of manipulating two or more samples (e.g. drum
beats
, or vocal phrases), in order to create a unique composition
, using multiple turntable
s and one or more mixer
s. This can involve pauses
, scratching
, backspins and delays
. It could be seen as fingertip sampling
, and the turntable and mixer combination could be seen as an instrument
from which sounds are made, from the sounds of other instruments (samples
).
using two copies of the same record
. This was first done by Kool DJ Herc, and later refined by DJs such as Grandmaster Flash
in the early 80s. Two other fundamentals of modern beat juggling technique include "tapping" or "walking," where the DJ taps the record in between percussion sounds, stopping it momentarily to slow down the beat, or pushing it faster to speed it up, and "shuffling" or "strobing," where the DJ loops the two records at different points in the beat, literally remix
ing the record live by playing new combinations of the sounds on the records.
The term is an invention of the media, and not the actual title given by the creators. Juggling the beat merely describes what is being done. The inventor of the technique, DJ Steve Dee
from Harlem, NYC, referred to it simply as bringing "The Funk" out of a record. He effectively made his own beats from reconstructing different parts of songs. The technique was refined by the DJ group The X-Men, whom DJ Steve Dee founded, they later were to become The X-Ecutioners
.
BeatTheJuggle.com - The Ultimate Online Guide to DJ Equipment
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
beats
Drum beat
A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated rhythm establishing the meter and groove through the pulse and subdivision, played on drum kits and other percussion instruments...
, or vocal phrases), in order to create a unique composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
, using multiple turntable
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
s and one or more mixer
Mixing console
In professional audio, a mixing console, or audio mixer, also called a sound board, mixing desk, or mixer is an electronic device for combining , routing, and changing the level, timbre and/or dynamics of audio signals. A mixer can mix analog or digital signals, depending on the type of mixer...
s. This can involve pauses
Fermata
A fermata is an element of musical notation indicating that the note should be sustained for longer than its note value would indicate...
, scratching
Scratching
Scratching is a DJ or turntablist technique used to produce distinctive sounds by moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable while optionally manipulating the crossfader on a DJ mixer. While scratching is most commonly associated with hip hop music, since the late 1980s, it has been used...
, backspins and delays
Delay (audio effect)
Delay is an audio effect which records an input signal to an audio storage medium, and then plays it back after a period of time. The delayed signal may either be played back multiple times, or played back into the recording again, to create the sound of a repeating, decaying echo.-Early delay...
. It could be seen as fingertip sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
, and the turntable and mixer combination could be seen as an instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
from which sounds are made, from the sounds of other instruments (samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
).
History
Beat Juggling has its roots in cutting, in which a small section of a beat is loopedLooping
Looping may refer to:Media and entertainment*Loop , a repeating section of sound material*Audio induction loop, an aid for the hard of hearing...
using two copies of the same record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
. This was first done by Kool DJ Herc, and later refined by DJs such as Grandmaster Flash
Grandmaster Flash
Joseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
in the early 80s. Two other fundamentals of modern beat juggling technique include "tapping" or "walking," where the DJ taps the record in between percussion sounds, stopping it momentarily to slow down the beat, or pushing it faster to speed it up, and "shuffling" or "strobing," where the DJ loops the two records at different points in the beat, literally remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ing the record live by playing new combinations of the sounds on the records.
The term is an invention of the media, and not the actual title given by the creators. Juggling the beat merely describes what is being done. The inventor of the technique, DJ Steve Dee
DJ Steve Dee
DJ Steve Dee is one of the most influential DJs of our time and the creator of the "The Funk" known to the world as beat juggling. Steve Dee was the founding member of the original DJ group "The X-Men" and help father the movement called "Turntablism." Dj Steve Dee has worked with artist such...
from Harlem, NYC, referred to it simply as bringing "The Funk" out of a record. He effectively made his own beats from reconstructing different parts of songs. The technique was refined by the DJ group The X-Men, whom DJ Steve Dee founded, they later were to become The X-Ecutioners
The X-Ecutioners
The X-Ecutioners is a group of hip hop DJs / turntablists from New York.-History:Formed as a DJ crew in the early nineties and originally including 11 members, under the name X-Men, which was chosen partly because of their rivalry between Super DJ Clark Kent's crew of DJs, known as the Supermen,...
.
External links
BeatTheJuggle.com - The Ultimate Online Guide to DJ Equipment