How to Scratch on Turntables
DJs have a lot of tricks in their arsenals to use. Without a doubt, the most popular and well-known maneuver of the club DJ is the scratch. If you’re interested in this maneuver, you’ve probably been yelled at for potentially ruining a perfectly good record. True, it’s not the best thing for an album to undergo. Yet, the results can be fantastic when done right.
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Instructions
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Select the record you are going to use. It should be something with lots of instrumental parts or at least enough where you have enough time to grab and scratch it. For beginners, there are some records made specifically for DJs with just samples on it. These are made from a more durable material and won’t damage as easily from scratching.
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Listen to famous DJs and watch videos of them scratching. A good way to learn how to pull this off is through imitation. Note that some expert DJs will do tricks as they scratch. Imitating that right off the bat is a good way to ruin all your records. Doing so can annoy everyone in earshot.
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Buy a specialized cartridge for scratching on a record. The old-fashioned needle-like one will not do in this instance. That will cause some serious damage and will sound terrible. Instead, go to a music store or follow the link posted in the Resources section to shop for DJ equipment. It's worth it to buy a professional cartridge.
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Play the record through on your turntable, and find the spot(s) that you would like to scratch. Some DJs actually mark the spot with tape or a sticker. This is recommended for beginners.
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Place one hand on the horizontal fader and one hand on the record. When the spot comes up that you have chosen to mix, gently scratch the record back and forth with your fingertips and toggle the fader simultaneously. It will take a while for it to sound right, but keep listening to other DJs until you get it right.
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Tips & Warnings
Try this with very old records from a thrift shop until you get the hang of it.
Scratching is a cool trick for a break down, but nobody wants to hear scratching for an hour at a club. Think of it as a drum solo. Drum solos only happen once or twice a concert, and they don’t last very long.
