And further supports the notion that a DJ deck can be used as an instrument. This section of DJing fits back within the turntablist realm. He then uses this to switch from one track to the other. In this video, you can see him loop and adjust speeds of the tracks to such an extent that he is creating an entirely new layer of music. He gained wide recognition by creating complex mixes that went way beyond simply beatmatching and blending tracks.Īnother example would be DJ EZ. One of the first DJs to do this specifically with CDJs was James Zabiela. There are plenty of other DJs that, although would not necessarily be considered turntablists, have developed their mixing skills to such a level that I would argue that they too are using the decks as an instrument. I use turntablists as the primary example due to how well-known they are to push the boundaries of their decks (see our recommended decks for scratching). Turntablists Aren’t the Only DJs However… If you listen from around 13 seconds in, you can clearly hear that the drum pattern is being created through scratching. I would consider DJ Woody to be one of the best examples of turntablists that use decks as instruments.Ī great example of using decks as an instrument during production would be DJ Shadow’s Rocket Fuel. From this, you can see that he is taking existing tracks and then using his skills and the decks he creates a brand new track. A guitar, for example, when manipulated or played in certain ways creates melodies that can be used to compose new songs.Īn example of a musician DJ would be the DJ woody video below. Essentially creating a new track on the fly.Īnd this is all any instrument does. In this way, turntablists can take for example a basic drum beat on one deck and then, on the other, they can cut and scratch a sound sample to create a new melody line. What turntablists often do, and what their skill set is based on, is taking tracks or sound effects and then manipulating the platter in such a way as to create new, rhythmic sounds. Even if it does allow you to adjust speed. In this context, I say media player to refer to something that simply plays music. I would argue that they use them as an instrument as they are not using the decks simply as a media player. Sometimes known also known as scratch DJs. The most obvious example of DJs that used decks as an instrument would be turntablists. Are DJ Decks an Instrument If They Don’t Make Any Sound?.Turntablists Aren’t the Only DJs However….Turntablists… the Musicians of the DJ World.