The following tutorial elaborates on four of the most basic techniques for turntable scratching which, once practised individually and cleanly articulated, can be strung together to form a basic scratch combo. However, for total beginners, it is important to have a grasp of the absolute fundamentals of scratching covered in this tutorial: Tips and Advice on Scratching
The most popular and widely used of all the scratching samples is the ‘ahhhhhhh’ sample and this will be used to elaborate on the following techniques. This sample can be found on almost any scratch record and is an excellent one to use as it is long, easy to cut into segments, and lends itself well to almost every scratching technique.
The Baby Scratch
The baby scratch is a faderless scratch, and very simple to perform.
- To begin with, hold the record at the point it meets the sample and have the fader open. Have an instrumental playing on the other deck.
- To perform the baby scratch, simply move the sample back and forth against the needle using your hand - gripping the record with your second, third and forth fingers predominantly.
- Each forward and back movement should equal one beat of the accompanying tune. Do this for 6 beats and then release the sample for the next 2, making an 8 beat pattern.
- Also try to bring some variation to the sound. Bigger, faster movements will yield a high pitch while slow short movements will give of a low one.
- Incorporating a scribble scratch into your eight beat pattern can be difficult. The scribble is essentially the same as the baby but around four times faster - so you are essentially doing four baby scratches per beat, instead of one. – almost like demi - quavers
- To perform a scribble you have to just go for it, and although it will sound quite messy as first, it will get gradually more natural with practice. One tip is to tense up your arm and use just one finger – usually the middle.
- Blending the scribble so that it fits coherently with the pattern can be very difficult to do at first. If it sounds all over the place, practice doing the scribble scratch on its own with no music.
The stab, or cut as it is sometimes known, is a fairly simple technique, but keep in mind that it is a fader scratch meaning it employs both hands.
- Whilst opening the fader with one hand, release the sample with the other and let it play through. When it reaches the end, close the fader and bring the sample back to the beginning.
- This is essentially the same as a baby scratch, but what you are doing is only playing sound of the sample as it moves forward and then using the fader to cut out the stroke as you move it back.
- Also like the baby scratch, you can alternate your cuts between short sharp stabs which use only the start of the sample, and long releases which allow it play entirely.
- Try combining these in time with an instrumental beat.
The Drag
Last of these basic techniques is the drag. Again this is a very simple scratch and one which can be easily inserted into the previous pattern.
- It is similar in structure to the baby scratch, but instead of keeping hold of the record, the sample is released like a long cut and then dragged backwards.
- The drag requires a firm hand on the record and a long pull back to give it a deep, low pitch.
- Drags can be incorporated in between the pattern of stabs.
Although these patterns may seem complex, they can easily be picked up by the beginner after a few days of practice. The great thing about scratching is that when the DJ has mastered the basics they can bring their own original flair and expression to these techniques. See this tutorial for more advanced techniques: Intermediate Scratching
Marius Goubert - My name is Marius , i am 22 and live in the United Kingdom. I have just graduated from the university of Kent with a degree in comparative ...
