Hey Folks.
I often get ask how to get better at scratching. Here are 31+2 ideas for you if you feel that you are stuck in a scratch rut and are not sure what to do. I hope it helps!
- Turn off the internet.
- Get a fresh new beat.
- Air scratch!
- Scratch with your mouth!!! This one is little bizarre. Listen to a track and imagine all the scratch sounds you could make if your hands would do what you wanted them to. It won’t be long till they catch up!
- Listen to something different to switch up your brain. I love movie soundtracks. So inspiring and enlightening.
- Get outside.
- Move about.
- Scratch very slow.
- Scratch very fast.
- Invent your own scratch.
- Scratch blindfolded.
- Try a new scratch sound / sample.
- Ban the crossfader! Try some faderless scratching.
- Copy a pattern from another scratch DJ.
- Clean your space – get rid of anything unnecessary. Minimalise.
- Dive in deep and immerse yourself in everything you can possibly find to do with scratching.
- Ignore everyone – do what YOU feel like.
- Limit yourself to one technique e.g baby scratch.
- Use just 2 techniques – just find all the different ways in which you can you combine them
- Stop using ahhh and fresh! (I’m so guilty of this!)
- Try and copy an instrument on a record, eg a trumpet on a jazz record. Listen to jazz!
- Move your setup. It’s nice by the window.
- Scratch really late – when everyone else is asleep theres a certain creative energy in the air.
- Scratch really early – before you do anything else and the pressures of life take over.
- Read and learn some music theory.
- Have a scratch conversation / QnA with another scratch DJ.
- Get someone to show you a new scratch technique.
- Record yourself / watch it back / listen to it.
- Get a grip master to get stronger.
- Upload your videos for public viewing – see what comments you get. Be brave! I get more hate comments than you can possibly imagine but I just delete them. Most critics have never even tried scratching and have no idea what they are talking about!
- Ask someone what you should work on next or get a critique from someone you trust to be honest but not brutal for the sake of it.
- Scratch with another musician / drummer / band / artist.
- Take a day off – go on, get out of here!
Congratulate yourself! You made it. How has it been? What do you do to switch it up when you get stuck in a scratch rut? Let us know in the comments below.
Happy Scratching! 😀
– Short-E