3:52
Three scratch speeds, and what each does to pitch
On YouTube this video is called Scratching basics tutorial for the turntabalist.dj lesson 2
What this lesson teaches
A direct continuation, and the step is small on purpose.
What changes from lesson one
In the first lesson the platter pushed the record forward and your finger only pulled it back.
Now your finger does both directions. The sound is entirely under your control.
He demonstrates it and notes honestly that it sounds much the same as before, with a slight shudder where he moved too fast or slow. That is what it should sound like at this stage.
The three moves
Forward fast. Push the record forward quicker than the platter would. Remember to bring it back.
At the platter's speed. Finger resting above the record, letting the platter take it at its natural rate.
Forward slow. Hold it back so it travels slower than the platter wants to.
Practise all three, deliberately, as separate things.
Why these three
Because they are the entire vocabulary of pitch in scratching.
A record played at its own speed sounds like itself. Pushed faster it rises in pitch and shortens; held slower it drops and stretches. That is the same relationship between speed and pitch as the key-lock lessons, applied over a fraction of a second by hand.
So when you hear a turntablist produce a run of different sounds from one sample, that is what is happening: the same sound at different speeds. They are not finding new material; they are playing one piece of audio as an instrument.
The pressure
His other observation is about touch. A tiny bit of pressure on the record - only a tiny bit - changes what you get, because the platter is still turning underneath and your finger is deciding how much of that motion reaches the vinyl.
Scratching is largely a matter of how hard you are pressing, and that is why it takes so long. You are calibrating a force you cannot see.
Contents of the video
0:00 First of all, I will show you
Alright folks, this is lesson two on learning how to scratch for the complete, total and utter beginner. First lesson what we did, we just moved the record back or forward, then brought it back, forward, back, forward, back. Of course the actual platter was doing the forward motion and then I was putting my finger on the record and I was actually doing the back motion. In this one now, what we're going to do... We're going to actually be doing the forward and back motion using the fingers, okay? First of all, I will show you. Okay, basically sound exactly the same as the first lesson. Not very much difference except a slight shudder because of me moving a bit too fast or slow. The principle behind this, why am I doing this? Okay, now then that sound when it is in motion corresponding the motion corresponding to the turntable underneath it sounds like so. But if I actually put a tiny bit of pressure only a tiny bit on the record and I move it at a different speed it will sound like this or it could sound like this. Now then excuse me
You hear a lot of DJs, turntablists, they do... Now what they're actually doing is they're speeding the record up very slightly, possibly slowing it down very slightly, possibly speeding it up a lot, slowing it down a lot. So I want you to practice this. Three moves. First move is to go forward but fast. Remember to bring it back. The second move is let the record go with your finger above the record and let the record platter take the record at the speed it should go, like so. The next one is to do it slower. What you have to do here, instead of moving forward, like the first one, fast, second one, taking your finger off the record and letting the record move, the third one is you're actually slowing the record down. In other words, if your turntable is going at 33...
2:24 Was I actually slowed the record
You might actually be moving the record at say 20 RPM. I will show you. Okay, so one, two, three. Sorry, I'll do that again. One, two, three. Okay, so what did I do again? The first one, I moved the record forward very quickly with my finger. Second one, I let the record go by itself at the speed the platter was taking it. The third one was I actually slowed the record down. I had a slight pressure on the record and I did not take my finger off the record in the first one and the third one, but I took my finger off in the second one. What I'm going to do now, I'm going to do those three moves while I'm playing this record. Practice and enjoy. Thank you very much. See ya.
This transcript was produced automatically from the audio of the video and may contain mistakes.
