Can you scratch on any turntable

Check out a few videos on YouTube, or look up some of the leading superstar DJs who have made scratching an art form.

Getting better at scratching is all about experimentation. What will scratching late 80s funk over ambient techno sound like?

You be the judge. Be willing to listen out for beats and consider matching up beats and sounds on the go. This might mean that you need to start counting beats and learning a bit about music signatures. Be willing to mix up your scratching routine.

What works well for some DJs may not work well for you. You may even find your own way — and you might even create your own techniques as you go along. Once again, be ready to give plenty of time to learn how to scratch. Great scratching takes time, patience, and plenty of homework.

RZA pioneered the lo-fi use of classic soul and samurai film samples, incorporating a few elements into unforgettable beats for the early run of Wu-Tang albums and solo projects from the individual members. Check out Raekwon's "Ice Cream," which features a sped-up easy-listening guitar sample, a beat, and nothing else. Check out Madvillainy, his project with MF Doom, and his record with Freddie Gibbs for great examples of turntablist technique. Learn to beat-match on the fly.

It's very important to match the beat of one sample to the beat of another, or your music is going to sound chaotic and, frankly, bad. Use a metronome as you're messing around to get a sense of the beats-per-minute of the different samples that you like using and match one to the other.

Build music by matching the beats. Many DJs will mark the BPMs on the record sleeves themselves, making it easy to quickly build beats and songs while you're working. Layer different sounds to create music. Experiment and play around with a variety of sounds and textures to make music that sounds good. For some DJs, the ultimate goal is to take little samples from the most unexpected sources: latin jazz, spoken word recordings, or easy listening lounge music.

Turn it into danceable awesomeness. Turntablist rule of thumb: Combined with a drum track by the Meters, almost anything sounds cool. Play records at different speeds.

Don't be contained to playing a track at the exact same speed to match the beats. RZA sampled a corny Earl Klugh guitar track, sped up and pitched up, to create the distinctive sample that runs all throughout "Ice Cream. Nobody wants to hear a DJ who spends an entire set making scratch noises on the records.

Think of it as a little seasoning for the song, not as a primary way of making music. There's usually only one or two guitar solos in a rock song, and there should only be one or two scratches in a DJ beat. Learn some basic music theory. A turntablist is a percussionist, which means you need to have a good understanding of rhythm. You will be practicing scratching to music and then eventually making music using records. When you are scratching to a beat, you are scratching out a rhythm.

If you have a complete understanding of rhythm, you can develop your skills to recreate these rhythms properly. That means for each bar of music there are 4 beats to the bar. Each beat can be subdivided in only a finite amount of ways. Count these out loud while you listen to music. Each beat will be place between [brackets]: [1] [2] [3] [4] [1 and] [2 and] [3 and] [4 and] [1 e and a] [2 e and a] [3 e and a] [4 e and a] [1 trip let] [2 trip let] [3 trip let] [4 trip let] [1 trip let and trip let] [2 trip let and trip let] [3 trip let and trip let] [ 4 trip let and trip let].

Learn how to count these to the beats of songs you already like. A good way to introduce yourself to beats is to play the snare drum. You can go to the Vic Firth website listed below to get a feel for how beats are subdivided, and how the subdivisions that include rests sound.

Is it better to use battle break records or any record I can find with good and clear samples? It depends. If you need a certain sound in particular, then spring for the battle records. But if there's a record with good sounds regardless, use it! Either is good. Subscribe to get the best Verge-approved tech deals of the week. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.

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Privacy Policy — About — Contact. Contents The 5 Best Turntables for Scratching 1. Technics SLGR 2. Stanton STR8. Can I scratch on a digital turntable? How to Scratch for Beginners Some quick tips for the beginners: Can you scratch on any turntable? Technics SL View Price. Related Articles. The 10 Best DJ Controllers of The 5 Most Durable Headphones