CHECK: ONE-TWO
Dec 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Robin Smith
If you want to be a deft beat juggler and you have the basic beat-juggling skills down (see “Turntablist Techniques: Vinyl Drummer,” October 2003), you need to learn some advanced methods to become a master of the beats. To review, beat juggling is the creation of new and different drum patterns using parts of separate drumbeats played on both turntables.
Before getting started, mark your records with a visual indicator. Often, if you are practicing a particular beat-juggle routine, you should mark your records specifically for that juggle. I tend to mark the start of the beat with a sticker, placed on the record label, that points to 12 o'clock. (Some DJs prefer to use the vinyl surface to locate a sticker that points to the needle a few grooves behind the sample they will be playing.) Play the beat a few times, and note the position of the sticker at the start of beats 2, 3 and 4. Once you memorize their locations, you will be able to pull the record back to any specific beat and play it quickly and precisely.
GET YOUR PRACTICE ON
Part of being a good beat juggler involves good crossfader control. One of the great ways to practice some of the crossfader skills required for beat juggling is to perform drills using the echo scratch (see “Turntablist Techniques: Could You Repeat That?” October 2002), which requires two copies of the same record. Cue them both to the same point, and start playing them simultaneously. With the crossfader in the middle, ensure that they are playing in sync (and that the pitch setting is the same so that they stay on beat). When they are playing simultaneously, start counting the beats of the drum pattern out loud. Physically hold one of the records for a single count, then release it. This should place it one-quarter of a bar behind the other record (assuming that you are playing a 4/4 beat).
Using the crossfader, switch back and forth between the two records to perform various echolike effects. Visualize the two drumbeats playing as you do this, and try to understand where one is in relation to the other: One will be leading, and one will be following. After a while, you should be able to perform this pause and release precisely, as well as manipulate the sound through the crossfader to create different echo effects with the drums.
As a further variation to this practice drill, when the beats are in sync, try holding the record for a two count, and hear the difference it makes. You should also practice holding and releasing the leading record for a one or two count to bring the platters back in sync. Mastering this technique is a valuable part of becoming a proficient beat juggler.
THE ONE-TWO PATTERN
One of the more advanced beat juggles is called the one-two pattern. To perform the one-two pattern, you need to start with a basic beat (kick, snare, kick, snare). Cue both copies to the snare (beat 4) of the bar before the bar that you want to juggle. The beat that you will be scratching consists of one sound per beat count, but the resultant beat that you create will have two sounds for the first three of the beat counts — for example, beat 1: kick, snare; beat 2: snare, kick; beat 3: snare, snare; beat 4: snare. (See the table, “Juggle Me This,” for a detailed example.)
On paper, the one-two pattern is difficult to describe. Try reading the pattern out loud to grasp the drumbeat that you are creating. Other than spinning back to the snare of the previous bar at the end of the pattern, there is only one cue that needs to be done while playing this beat (repeating snare 1 on turntable 1 at the third beat count). Turntable 2's beat is played in full with no beat scratching required. This is a fairly simple juggle to learn once you grasp the concept, but it has an impressive sound.
The techniques described here are merely examples to help you grasp the concept behind beat juggling; they do not represent the entire spectrum of juggles, and they are certainly not the most complex juggles. However, the key to beat juggling is creativity. Mastering these techniques should provide you with a solid foundation with which you can create your own innovative new drumbeats.
JUGGLE ME THIS
This table shows two full bars of the one-two pattern beat juggle. Turntable 1, turntable 2 and crossfader actions are represented for each beat count of the two bars. The table starts with the final snare from the previous bar and then describes the technique for creating two more bars. Because three of the beat counts in the bar are played double-time (that is, two drum sounds per beat), each beat count is represented by two rows in the table.
Bold text represents a description of the beat part being played, and italicized text represents a record-manipulation step; the “Crossfader” column indicates which turntable is playing.
| Beat | Turntable 1 | Crossfader | Turntable 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | previous snare | left | |
| 1 | kick 1 | left | |
| right | previous snare | ||
| 2 | snare 1 | left | |
| rewind to snare 1 | right | kick 1 | |
| 3 | snare 1 | left | |
| rewind to previous snare | right | snare 1 | |
| 4 | previous snare | left | |
| rewind to previous snare | |||
| 1 | kick 1 | left | |
| right | previous snare | ||
| 2 | snare 1 | left | |
| rewind to snare 1 | right | kick 1 | |
| 3 | snare 1 | left | |
| rewind to previous snare | right | snare 1 | |
| 4 | previous snare | left |
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