The Turntablist Transcription Method (TTM) is a way to notate turntable scratching. It basically takes the linear time of the recorded sound on record and maps it onto a second dimension; this second dimension allows you to represent the time manipulations of the turntablist’s hands.

I think it’s very interesting how this notation does and does not relate to the sounds made when following it; depending on the record, certain motions will obviously sound different, but I wonder if some of the quicker motions sound pretty similar, even on different records. (That’s a question for DJs to answer, I guess.)

It’s fascinating to see how a practice that originated from explicit violations of interface standards can be codified and transcribed to create a new set of standards.

In any case, this video is the best guide to the system I’ve found, and you can see more in the flash-ridden official TTM site.

(via SCRATCH)