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Finding the right set-up for your needles and turntables will help you immensely with stopping records skipping. Generally anti skating on your turntable is set to zero, the height is at roughly 5 and the weight on the tone arm is turned around (so that the numbers are at the back, it will be a little awkward to get back onto the tone arm) and all the way to the front (as close to the needle as possible). There are a few exceptions to this rule, notably the Shure M 447 needles. These need as little weight as you can put on them. Another way to get better performance is to angle the needle on the head shell so that it angles towards the outer edge of the record (in other words, turn it very slightly anti-clockwise.
The norm is about 30). This is a very personal thing and varies greatly with different equipment, experiment to get the best performance. Top BABY SCRATCH The first scratch to learn is the baby scratch. This is the easiest scratch to learn, but also the scratch that you will use the most as it is the basis for practically all scratches. What this scratch entails is placing your record hand on the record (throughout this tutorial this is what I will be calling the hand that you of course, use on the record. Typically, although not always, this is the left hand if you are right handed, and the right if you are left handed) and moving the record back and forth in a rhythm to the music so that it creates a ziggy-ziggy sound.
This may not seem like the most exciting scratch, but in a combination with other scratches, or as part of a bigger routine it has a nice effect. Top SCRIBBLE This is a similar scratch to the baby scratch but is performed much differently and can take quite a while to get used to the technique. It is basically a really short fast baby scratch that is performed by placing your hand on the record and tensing your forearm until you get a shiver in it and the short fast sound of a scribble. Top The tear, again, is a scratch using just the record, and no crossfade r.
What you have basically is a baby scratch with pauses. As you push the record forward, pause for a short moment in the middle and then continue. This creates 2 parts to the forward stage of a baby scratch; this doesn't need to be done just in the forward motion to be a tear. Experiment with different combinations of direction and also the amount of pauses. Top FORWARD This is the first scratch using the crossfade r that will be described here, and is a good way of getting the hand to eye co-ordination required to master the art. Begin by cueing a sample to the start and with the cross fader closed so that the sound from the record deck you are scratching with cannot be heard, typically if you have your right hand on the crossfade r and you are not scratching hamster style (if you don't know what this is then you are more than likely not using this style.
It will be explained further down) then this will mean the crossfade r being pressed against the right hand side of the mixer. As you let the sample play, bring the sound in by opening the crossfade r (bringing the crossfade r knob far enough in the opposite direction so that the sound from the record playing can be heard at it's full volume) and as the sample comes to the end, close the crossfade r and bring the sample back to the start so that it is ready to go again. This is a forward, so called because you only hear the forward motion of the sample. This scratch can also be performed backwards and naturally is called a backward. Top The stab is basically a forward but instead of letting the sample play at normal speed, you push it forward quickly to get a more abrupt and harsh sound. Of course you can vary the speed to get different sounds, and also this can be done backwards.
Top TRANSFORM This is quite an easy scratch to learn, but a difficult one to master - what you need to do is basically the same as the forward, but instead of just letting the sample play and cutting it out at the end, you cut the sound in and out as it plays for a staccato effect. Changing the tempo and the amount of time you cut the sound in and out will vary the sound but to be a transform it must always end with the crossfade r closed. Again, this can be performed backwards. Top This is one of the hardest scratches to learn, as the action used is very different to most scratches. You start with the fader open, and as the forward part is ending, you cut the sound out. Then, when you are pulling the sound backwards, cut the sound in towards the end.
You then start again with the fader open, giving a chirping sound. This will not sound like a chirp that you hear all the turntablists doing though unless it is done at the right speed and as cleanly and smoothly as possible. The sound you will normally hear is the result of fast chirps. Top A useful, but often over-used technique is called tones. What you will need for this is a record with a constant, long tone in it, such as a bass sample, or test tone similar to those you hear late at night on television. What you do then is to use the pitch control and the speed buttons and alter the pitch of the record as it is playing so that you make tunes out of the sample.
The way DJ 8 -Ball describes it, is to think of the middle of the pitch being D, now + 3 might be an E and - 3 might be a C. Now what you need to do is experiment with this to get a recognisable tune (of course you can make any tune you want, but this is pretty easy and to really impress people you need a recognisable tune). If you would like a quick speed change, for instance, a kind of warbled sound you can do this in two ways. Firstly, you can place the hand on the rim of the platter and move it left and right quickly while pressing lightly on the platter. You can also get this sound by quickly changing the speed of the record from 33 to 45. This is best done on the Technics decks where you can keep one button pressed and tap the other to get this effect.
Another technique that many DJs like to use is holding the spindle to slightly slow down the record. The spindle can also be used while the motor is off on the deck, allowing the DJ to change the pitch of the record very accurately. Top HYDROPLANE This is a different technique, as when you begin to do it, you will definitely jump the needle. As the record is playing, you need to place a finger on the record, facing the opposite direction that the record is playing (against the grain kind of) so that it bounces and vibrates and produces just enough feedback on the needle that you get a distorted, based sound. You need to practice this quite a while because otherwise you will jump the record each time you try it. If you need to see someone very good doing it, watch Mix Master Mike.
He hydroplanes quite a lot and is very aggressive at the same time, pulling the record with one hand and hydroplaning with the other, to make a higher pitched sound. Top Another scratch that Mix Master Mike does to perfection is the tweak scratch. This is performed by turning the motor off on your record deck (just stopping it with the start / stop button will suffice, there is no need to actually turn it off) and pushing the record back and forth, taking your hand off the record occasionally to let it slow down a little so that you get a "Wah-Wah" sound like a guitar. You can also combine this with other scratches using the fader, such as transforming at the same time.
Top This is probably the most used weapon in a turntablism's arsenal. Not one of the oldest scratches, this can be a very difficult scratch to master, due to the high speed it is commonly performed at. It is basically transforming in reverse; you start with the fader open and as the record plays forward, you "click" the fader closed and open again. The variations on this scratch generally revolve around the speed, and the amount of clicks performed before the sample ends. You can also vary it by the speed that you move the record. Top These are simply a forward flare and a backward flare, performed straight after each other and using the same amount of clicks so that you get a continuous sound.
Top This can be very difficult to learn, but is one of the few scratches that most people will suddenly click on and be able to do it as it is based on learning a movement, that until learned you won't be able to perform the scratch. There is no practice makes perfect, you will suddenly learn it and wonder why it took you so long. You start with the thumb pressed lightly against the fader, keeping it closed. Position your fingers so that they aren't touching the fader, but are slightly forward of it so that your little finger (or pinky) is closest to it. The technique is best described by placing your hand flat on the table and drumming your fingers, starting with your little finger. They must be done individually and should get 4 taps from beginning to end.
Now transfer this action to the cross fader, tap the crossfade r with each finger individually until you have some idea of the motion and action involved. What you need to do is to get the tension used to push the crossfade r closed just right, so that each time you tap it with a finger, it will click in and click back out again by the pressure of your thumb. What you basically get is a quick 4 click transform (or a flare if you are scratching hamster style, but this is quite a bit more complicated to explain so is best left to someone to show you how it is done) that looks like the motion of a crab walking. This can also be done with only 3 fingers (which a lot of DJs find much easier) or with, which is commonly called a 'twiddle'. The twiddle can also be used to perform flares and lots of other scratches. Top FLIRPS A new scratch has been doing the rounds recently with many of the up 'n' coming battle DJs doing it.
Basically what you have is a chirp-flare combo (hence the name). You start with the fader open, like a chirp and as the forward part is ending, you cut the sound out. Then, when you are pulling the sound backwards, cut the sound in and then quickly out and in again before the end of the sample so that when you push the sample forward again the fader is open. This gives a half chirp 2 click flare sound that is very different than most of the sound nowadays. Quite easy to learn if you can flare and chirp accurately but a useful part of the arsenal.
Top ECHOES This is another relatively easy technique but one that requires use of the up faders (which may give some people scratching normal styl...
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Research essay sample on Scratching Hamster Style Mix Master Mike Sound
