Do some research into beat-making and explore the way your favorite DJs and producers make beats, adding sounds and textures from a variety of sources. If your ultimate goal is to battle or just to make cool analog songs, you need to learn from the greats.  RZA pioneered the lo-fi use of classic soul and samurai film samples, incorporating a few elements into unforgettable beats for the early run of Wu-Tang albums and solo projects from the individual members. Check out Raekwon's "Ice Cream," which features a sped-up easy-listening guitar sample, a beat, and nothing else. Madlib’s use of jazz records and 80’s ephemera makes him one of the most sought-out modern producers, fusing old and new in surprisingly fresh ways. Check out Madvillainy, his project with MF Doom, and his record with Freddie Gibbs for great examples of turntablist technique. It's very important to match the beat of one sample to the beat of another, or your music is going to sound chaotic and, frankly, bad. Use a metronome as you're messing around to get a sense of the beats-per-minute of the different samples that you like using and match one to the other. Build music by matching the beats. Many DJs will mark the BPMs on the record sleeves themselves, making it easy to quickly build beats and songs while you're working. Experiment and play around with a variety of sounds and textures to make music that sounds good. For some DJs, the ultimate goal is to take little samples from the most unexpected sources: latin jazz, spoken word recordings, or easy listening lounge music. Turn it into danceable awesomeness. Turntablist rule of thumb: Combined with a drum track by the Meters, almost anything sounds cool. Don't be contained to playing a track at the exact same speed to match the beats. RZA sampled a corny Earl Klugh guitar track, sped up and pitched up, to create the distinctive sample that runs all throughout "Ice Cream." The only limit on your music making is your imagination. Nobody wants to hear a DJ who spends an entire set making scratch noises on the records. Think of it as a little seasoning for the song, not as a primary way of making music. There's usually only one or two guitar solos in a rock song, and there should only be one or two scratches in a DJ beat. A turntablist is a percussionist, which means you need to have a good understanding of rhythm. You will be practicing scratching to music and then eventually making music using records. When you are scratching to a beat, you are scratching out a rhythm. If you have a complete understanding of rhythm, you can develop your skills to recreate these rhythms properly.  Most hip-hop and dance music is in 4/4. That means for each bar of music there are 4 beats to the bar. Each beat can be subdivided in only a finite amount of ways. Count these out loud while you listen to music. Each beat will be place between [brackets]: [1] [2] [3] [4] [1 and] [2 and] [3 and] [4 and] [1 e and a] [2 e and a] [3 e and a] [4 e and a] [1 trip let] [2 trip let] [3 trip let] [4 trip let] [1 trip let and trip let] [2 trip let and trip let] [3 trip let and trip let] [ 4 trip let and trip let] A good way to introduce yourself to beats is to play the snare drum. You can go to the Vic Firth website listed below to get a feel for how beats are subdivided, and how the subdivisions that include rests sound. Once you can sing these rhythms or at least some of them out loud, you can start using these as a foundation for the scratches you develop.

Summary: Listen closely to some beat-makers. Learn to beat-match on the fly. Layer different sounds to create music. Play records at different speeds. Don’t over-scratch. Learn some basic music theory. Learn how to count these to the beats of songs you already like.


If you are diagnosed with a sulfite allergy, familiarize yourself with the long list of items that may contain sulfites. Talk to your doctor about your medications to ensure that you are not taking anything that contains sulfites. You should also determine what foods and drinks are safe for you to ingest. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration created a detailed list of common products that contain sulfites.  Although you will not memorize them at first, you eventually begin to recognize what foods to avoid. Consider printing off the list of the foods containing sulfites and carrying it with you. This will help you avoid them while you are out. You can find a copy of the FDA’s list at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy731 Check the nutritional label on any food before buying or eating it. In the United States, the FDA requires products containing a certain amount of sulfites (more than 10 parts-per-million) be labeled appropriately. Be sure to check the label while you are buying groceries. That way, you’ll avoid wasting money on a product that may be unhealthy.  Although some foods have naturally occurring sulfites, there have been no recorded instances of people having allergic reactions to them.  In the United States, check nutritional labels for sulfur dioxide, potassium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite, and sodium sulfite. As a rule of thumb, avoid most canned or processed foods, which contain high levels of sulfites. Any pickled or preserved items will have high sulfite levels, as will most processed baked goods. Avoid wine and beer as well, since sulfites are often used to control fermentation. When you eat out, be sure to inquire about how your food is prepared. Although the FDA banned sulfites from fresh fruits and vegetables in restaurants, unlabeled products are still used. Ask the waiter or manager to check the packaging that your food came in to see if it contains sulfites. At a restaurant, avoid any potato product that has had its peel removed. It likely has high levels of sulfite. When dining out, you should only eat baked potatoes that still have their skin. The easiest way to avoid sulfites is to buy and cook your own food. Purchase foods that are low in or have no sulfites and then prepare them at home. This will ensure that your food is not getting cross-contaminated with items containing sulfites. For those with severe allergies, this may be the only way to avoid coming into contact with sulfites.   The FDA prohibits the addition of sulfites to fresh fruits and vegetables. The FDA also prohibits the addition of sulfites to red meat.  Consider growing some of your own produce to eat from a home garden.
Summary: Research the foods and drugs that contain sulfites. Check the product packaging. Avoid any processed foods, wines, or beers. Ask about your food. Prepare your own food.