Scratching 101 – An Introduction To The Art Of Scratching

Who Is A DJ & What Is Scratching?

A Disc Jockey(DJ) is a person who entertains an audience by mixing recorded music. The term “Disc” originally referred to phonograph records, rather than the modern compact discs or CDs. The phrase now encompasses all types of music playback, regardless of medium.

Scratching, also known as scrubbing, is a DJ and turntablist technique that involves sliding a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable while optionally adjusting the crossfader on a DJ mixer to create unique sounds.

The History Of Scratching

Scratching has been around for as long as phonographs have existed, but it took nearly a century for it to be completely realised, due to DJs like Grand Wizard Theodore. According to the narrative, Theodore heard himself scratching after his mother told him to turn down the music on his home system. He worked the back and forth hand motion into the scratch,’ a rhythmic element that made its first public debut not long after at a local club. Despite the lack of a constitution, hip-hop is said to have three founding fathers, all of whom are DJs. Theodore wrote the fourth provision into the constitution while no one was watching. Jamaican-born DJ Kool Herc also influenced the early development of scratching.

Outside of hip hop, Christian Marclay was one of the first musicians to scratch. Marclay used phonograph records and turntables as musical instruments to create sound collages in the mid-1970s.despite his lack of widespread recognition, Marclay has been labeled “the most influential turntable figure outside hip hop”.

Basic Scratch Techniques

Baby Scratch

The most basic scratch technique is moving the record back and forth in continuous movements while the crossfader is in the open position, using only the scratching hand. One of the first scratching techniques you should learn as a DJ is the baby scratch. It serves as the foundation for a variety of sophisticated scratching techniques.

Scribble Scratch

The scribbling scratch is made up of multiple scratches that are played in rapid succession without the use of the crossfader.

Chirp Scratch

Once you’ve mastered scribbling, the next technique to try is what’s known as the chirp. This is also similar to the baby scratch but is slightly more advanced because you’re going to use the crossfader on your DJ mixer to truncate the sound of the first part of the scratch.

What’s The Best DJ Controller To Practice Scratching For Beginners?

The best DJ controller to practice scratching for beginners is the Pioneer DDJ-400. It’s effortless to use and is powered by a USB which makes it very portable. It is compact making it an excellent mixer for travelers as well. Also, it works with the software Rekordbox, which is at the moment the industry standard.

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