Hey folks!
Welcome to Day 5 of 30 Days of Scratching. How was your weekend? I missed recording! For a full overview and instructions on how to join in please visit 30 Days of Scratching Day 1.
Day 5
Beat used: Sometimes (Remix) [Instrumental] by J Dilla
Scratch Record Used: Digital Skipless Scratch Record #28
Background Info
Feeling Inspired?
I felt a bit sleepy and slow this morning and found it hard to get going, but this quote on this page got me inspired:
“Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us show up and work.”
– Chuck Close
This is the quote in full which you can apply to anything you are working on:
The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who’ll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you’re sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that’s almost never the case.
I took this advice and just started setting up and scratching.
I would encourage you to make that scratch video, record over that beat you really like. Stop putting it off! This week I have 5 more videos than I did last week, 2 new serato vinyls and heaps of ideas. This would not have happened if I hadn’t ignored the fact that I don’t always feel inspired and instead just started. Go! Begin!
Other notes
Dilla beats are some of my favourites and I have been meaning to scratch to this beat for a while. It is 97 bpm and I looped up from 01:26.3 – 01:46.1. It is so laid back and mellow. Just what you need on a Monday when the whole world is rushing around and trying to make you jump on that bandwagon.
I used Serato Scratch Live to record and play the beat and samples.
My Serato issues with the samples sounding digital seem to have resolved themselves. I did notice that the needles were picking up interference / vibrations before so I made sure that the headshell and needle were securely in place and this seems to have done the job.
You probably noticed my new vinyl! It is pink marbled and also glows in the dark!
You can get this vinyl here: Lost Your Marbles Control Vinyl- Kitty Pink (Pair)
Here are a few pics:
Reflections On Todays Video
It took me a while to set up today because I had to set up my new vinyl correctly.
Here is my process of setting up vinyl:
The record hole was slightly too big with a bit of “play” side to side. This can cause the needle to skip when moving the record backwards and forwards as the side by side “play” can bump it out of the groove. Although I was using skipless record samples, too much skipping of the needle sucks, so I prefer to fix this.
I fix it by folding over a bit of Scotch Magic Tape in the hole and taping it in place on both sides like this:
I then use a long white sticker to mark the start of the sample at 12 o’clock to give me a guide when I am scratching like this:
- Tomorrow I am out all day so I also pre recorded that video.
- I do prefer to record day by day as it keeps things fresh and I enjoy the routine and learnings that it brings.
- Todays lesson – setup always takes longer than I think. Don’t wait around to be inspired. Show up, start scratching and hit record!
- I had the most fun cuttin up the sample “say what?!”.
- As always it is great to see your comments, questions and the scratching that you record. Keep them coming!
- Feel free to ask me any questions you like.
- There were no ridiculous doorbell interruptions today!
Official 30 Days Of Scratching Playlist
You can see all of the videos here: 30 Days Of Scratching YouTube Playlist
Your Turn!
If you would like to join me in this challenge throughout October / November, post links to your own practice videos in the comments below. Tag your videos on social networks with #studioscratches and #30DaysOfScratching. You don’t have to do the full 30 days so feel free to dip in and out posting your videos where you want to, but it would be super awesome to have you along as company for the full 30 days! Who knows where you might end up!
If you have a beat suggestion or want to send me cool beats to use in this challenge, please email me via the contact page.
If you have any questions please let me know.
See you tomorrow for Day 6!
Happy Scratching! 😀
– Emma Short-E