Why can't I scratch properly.....????????

[Bob_Skipton]

Right folks......I ain't been mixing (properly) for that long....nearly 6 years now...

Since I got my decks I've tried the art of scratchin........nothing too major just the usual baby scratches and cut outs......using the classic Sy type samples...you know the ahhhhhhh sample and the beep.....

Anyway......is it something that some people just cannot do ???

I sometimes can do it and it sounds OK but eventually lose it......and I can't do the really quick cut ins and outs.......if ya know wot I mean....

I'm not askin much.......don't wanna bore people to death when I'm doing a set......just wanna be able to scratch decently in the comfort of my own attic...

Anyone else find that they've hit a brick wall.....or does anyone have any tips ????

Discuss......

Bob

 

[RetroAndy]

Right folks......I ain't been mixing (properly) for that long....nearly 6 years now...

Since I got my decks I've tried the art of scratchin........nothing too major just the usual baby scratches and cut outs......using the classic Sy type samples...you know the ahhhhhhh sample and the beep.....

Anyway......is it something that some people just cannot do ???

I sometimes can do it and it sounds OK but eventually lose it......and I can't do the really quick cut ins and outs.......if ya know wot I mean....

I'm not askin much.......don't wanna bore people to death when I'm doing a set......just wanna be able to scratch decently in the comfort of my own attic...

Anyone else find that they've hit a brick wall.....or does anyone have any tips ????

Discuss......

Bob

I have been at it for the last year or so mate too, I am by no means perfect at all but i can feel its getting better especially if i listen to sets i did a few months ago when i was pissing about.

The best advice i have been given is just practice as much as you can. My prob is i have prolly over done it and am finding that by beat matching has slipped :$

Also noticed certain samples sound much better than other so learning your scratch records helps loads.

Its gonna take time to get there but its fun learning. I will host a sample of a bit of my scratching when i get my internet back up and working at home.

Why not post a sample so we can hear how ya gettig on, You might be further down the line than me lol

Andy

 

[Jonno]

Which hand are you using to cut in and out with the fader, and which to move the record?

Although the pro's can use both hands, generally to do better scratching I find that if I scratch with my left (my weaker hand) and use the fader with my right, that gives the best results. There's no shame in doing it exclusively this way - DJ David won the DMC world comps with having both decks on the left of the mixer.

It takes practise though as my left hand is generally a bit shit for anything.

Oh and buy QBerts DVD, it's very good.

 

[Bob_Skipton]

....

cheers chaps....

for info Jonno.......I'm left handed and first time I tried to do it....it felt natural with left hand on deck and right hand on fader........

so I should be good !!!??!!?!?!

Anyway I'm gonna av a stab this weekend.....personally I think it's a problem with co-ordination of my right hand, which as in your case (shit with your left) I'm shit with my right.....

anyways.....upwards and onwards......!!!

Bob

 

[leaky]

its just a skipton thing bob join the club.:$

keep practising mate. i just started getting the hang of it after 3yr but then quit dj-in and sold up. i used to practise with 2 copys of grandmaster flash - adventures on the wheels of steel. used to scratch with the chic - good times sample on it, thing was scratching on the right deck was not too bad, but then when it came to the left it all went tits up:S ill have to pop round 1 night and see if i can give you any help, doubt i can cos its nearly 13yr since ive been on a turntable the clip below was about as good as i ever got:S

 

[anthonyf218]

cheers chaps....

for info Jonno.......I'm left handed and first time I tried to do it....it felt natural with left hand on deck and right hand on fader........

so I should be good !!!??!!?!?!

Anyway I'm gonna av a stab this weekend.....personally I think it's a problem with co-ordination of my right hand, which as in your case (shit with your left) I'm shit with my right.....

anyways.....upwards and onwards......!!!

Bob

Bob, think you mis-understood Jonno. Basically he was saying you should use (which-ever is) your weakest hand to move the record, and use your strongest hand to move the x-fader. I think he's saying the trick isnt so much in moving the record to get the sound you want, but its how you move the x-fader.

Im left-handed and use my right-hand to move the x-fader BUT i wish 15 yrs ago i had done things the other way round (ie weaker hand on the record) which from general consensus, over the long-term, you get the better results.

Try swapping things around and just simply move the record to and forth quite slowly with your right-hand whilst tryin to going fast on the x-fader with your good left hand. You'll find that you'll be able to move your left hand a lot easier to the scratch patterns that are in your head. Its then ONLY (! ) a case of gettin your (weaker) right-hand to work properly with the record.

Unfortunately I cant even wipe my arse with my right hand so im fu<ked! :S

 

[simzzzz]

have a look on utube as theres some tutorials on there by Qbert worth a look at and free sure there a site that lets you save utube videos too, someone posted on here few weeks ago.

 

[Monty]

I am 31 now and started scratching around 11 years old,i don't really have a passion for scratching anymore as i like to produce music now but it does come in handy.I brought myslef up on Electro Hip Hop through the Eighties which i think there's the problem to be a great scratcher you need to have Hip Hop in your blood you have to feel the music what your scratching tk instead of scratching to dance music buy yourself a good scratch vinyl with good samples and some heavy breakbeats here how i learnt.In my teens i would listen to some Electro Hip Hop and copy the scratch now i could not do this straight away it would kill my arms but you have to break the pain barier so i would do it everyday pick a certain scratch if it is was a 2 second scratch i would do it for ages until i got it right,the best thing about it is have a break and do it later then you will see it is becoming easier to do,i scratched that hard everyday and conquered scratches that i developed a mussel in my right arm around my hands strings in my wrist.Another thing which is important is if your doing scratching for a while you have to get in that zone with the music your scratching to you have to bring the music out your scratching to and make people turn there heads and say wow thats cool scratching but making it sound part of the tune your scratching to as if it is part of that tune.When you do a certain scratch and you can't do it it is because you not trying hard enough and when you see top scratchers scratching they make it look easy but it was'nt to begin with they all had to learn from some where so pick a certain scratch and do it everyday,try to be spot on and clean with your scratching the probelm with some people learning scratching is that there scratching is lazy and you can tell there not trying hard enough which that is what you have to do you have to try really hard harder than what you think.Set a goal and make that goal just try hard at it as hard as you can go and like i said have a break or even leave it untill the next day and you will see you've started to developed this certain scratch,i wish you good luck mate but you do have to be in a zone maybe a little soul as well peace

If your scratching sounds lazy it is because it is lazy if it is sounding good it is because your scratching good i think some people think why does my scratching not sound good as his or her's it is because your not trying hard enough and maybe you really don't want to scratch it's how bad you want to learn really but yes you do have to have to feel music beyond regular music lovers without sounding like a twat when scratching you are playing an instrument at the end of the day not just playing records,please note that i am talking on a high level of scratchig here but set your goals high mate...Good Luck...

SendSpace | The Best Free File Sharing Service:

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I have put two soundclips of me doing a quick scratch with both hands lol i am 31 now now where near as good i use to be it might sound good to you it might not but just wanted to help....

 

[Adi Wilson]

We will after sort out a time 4 me to look at them tunes & i should (hopefully) be able to give you a few tips on scratchin m8

 

[OldskoolDazed (al)]

heres a vid of a m8 of mine pissed as twat messing about, serious one of fastest scratchers ive seen, load more from this nite lol we was all bit pissed

YouTube - Howard (framer) scratching oldskool

quality this

 

[SCR101.5]

I am 31 now and started scratching around 11 years old,i don't really have a passion for scratching anymore as i like to produce music now but it does come in handy.I brought myslef up on Electro Hip Hop through the Eighties which i think there's the problem to be a great scratcher you need to have Hip Hop in your blood you have to feel the music what your scratching tk instead of scratching to dance music buy yourself a good scratch vinyl with good samples and some heavy breakbeats here how i learnt.In my teens i would listen to some Electro Hip Hop and copy the scratch now i could not do this straight away it would kill my arms but you have to break the pain barier so i would do it everyday pick a certain scratch if it is was a 2 second scratch i would do it for ages until i got it right,the best thing about it is have a break and do it later then you will see it is becoming easier to do,i scratched that hard everyday and conquered scratches that i developed a mussel in my right arm around my hands strings in my wrist.Another thing which is important is if your doing scratching for a while you have to get in that zone with the music your scratching to you have to bring the music out your scratching to and make people turn there heads and say wow thats cool scratching but making it sound part of the tune your scratching to as if it is part of that tune.When you do a certain scratch and you can't do it it is because you not trying hard enough and when you see top scratchers scratching they make it look easy but it was'nt to begin with they all had to learn from some where so pick a certain scratch and do it everyday,try to be spot on and clean with your scratching the probelm with some people learning scratching is that there scratching is lazy and you can tell there not trying hard enough which that is what you have to do you have to try really hard harder than what you think.Set a goal and make that goal just try hard at it as hard as you can go and like i said have a break or even leave it untill the next day and you will see you've started to developed this certain scratch,i wish you good luck mate but you do have to be in a zone maybe a little soul as well peace

If your scratching sounds lazy it is because it is lazy if it is sounding good it is because your scratching good i think some people think why does my scratching not sound good as his or her's it is because your not trying hard enough and maybe you really don't want to scratch it's how bad you want to learn really but yes you do have to have to feel music beyond regular music lovers without sounding like a twat when scratching you are playing an instrument at the end of the day not just playing records,please note that i am talking on a high level of scratchig here but set your goals high mate...Good Luck...

SendSpace | The Best Free File Sharing Service:

SendSpace | The Best Free File Sharing Service:

I have put two soundclips of me doing a quick scratch with both hands lol i am 31 now now where near as good i use to be it might sound good to you it might not but just wanted to help....

Nice sounding Monty me likes

 

[Adi Wilson]

montydj thats some skills you've got there m8

 

[glenn]

know what u mean there bobby boy...like a bit of itchin me self ,ime not that bad at it to be fair[no were neer nipper standerds tho] tend to do the same scratches most of the time and i know i use my fader to much but cant stop me self doin it ....yeah a few pointerts would be nice! was wondering as well,my slipmats are well worn would new slipp mats make a little bit of diference....or is it all in the wrist!!...ahem!!!:$

 

[Criss-Cross]

You should also check out p e d e s t r i a n - it's a 2 pack of vinyl that on one deck plays a tutorial that you (try to) replicate on the 2nd deck. I think those (overpriced) peeps at HTFR sell it too. It's about £15. It's not a bad piece of stuff, and a bit easier to follow than having to watch someone on a DVD/computer screen then trying to replicate it from memory. Having said that tho, you still need to practice like a freak! Happy chirping!!

 

[pauly p]

montydj thats some skills you've got there m8

He certainly has

 

[sirius]

That should sort you out .

I can scratch very basically, but mostly on the right deck when I ride my mixer 'goofy' style on the x-fader.

Sirius.

 

[RetroAndy]

I have finally got my internet back up and running so here is a sample of my scratching. Like i have said i still have loads to learn and would appreciate some feedback (bad or good)

Cheers

Andy

 

[Adi Wilson]

I have finally got my internet back up and running so here is a sample of my scratching. Like i have said i still have loads to learn and would appreciate some feedback (bad or good)

Cheers

Andy

Try to keep your scratches basic to start with (don't get too caught up in more difficult scratches at the mo) one of the keys to scratchin is keepin it in time with the music, also best to scratch on parts of a tune where there is'nt too much goin on (vocals etc)
Keep up the practice & the fame & fortune will eventually come

p.s if you find where the fame & fortune is tell me cause i can't feckin find it lol

 

[RetroAndy]

Try to keep your scratches basic to start with (don't get too caught up in more difficult scratches at the mo) one of the keys to scratchin is keepin it in time with the music, also best to scratch on parts of a tune where there is'nt too much goin on (vocals etc)
Keep up the practice & the fame & fortune will eventually come

p.s if you find where the fame & fortune is tell me cause i can't feckin find it lol

Cheers fella.

When you say try simple scratches which do you recommend. Also i sometimes think i either cut the sample too much or too often. When i listen to more experienced peoples scratching the majority of the rhythm is made up of the actual scratch and not the bit of the sample you hear (if you get me)

Also like i have mentioned my hands still feeel connected sometimes so when my right hand moves the fader in one direction the other hand repliactes that. Any tips on how to improve that lol

 

[Amelie]

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I have put two soundclips of me doing a quick scratch with both hands lol i am 31 now now where near as good i use to be it might sound good to you it might not but just wanted to help....

Easily the best scratching i have heard on here, in fact for ages from a 'normal' person.

Incidently, when Jonno first read your post during the day he said, and i kid you not, something along the lines of 'that post makes no sense, he had obviously had a good smoke when he wrote it'. Anyway, he then carried on practicing scratching for hours, hit the bong, carried on, hit the bong loads more and then re-read your post whilst claiming 'that Montydj makes loads of sense you know, he is dead right with what he has put there'.