Scratching is an iconic technique in DJing, which consists in manipulating vinyl by hand to create rhythmic and melodic sound effects. Although it requires a lot of practice, mastering the scratch allows you to add a unique touch to your DJ performances.

In this complete guide, we will explain to you in detail what scratching is, how it came about, the different techniques that exist, and especially how to learn it gradually to become a real expert.

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What is scratch?

“Scratching” is a DJing technique that involves manually manipulating vinyl to create sound effects, rhythms, and melodies.

Concretely, the DJ places his hand flat on the vinyl to stop or slow it down. He then makes very quick back and forth movements with his hand, which produces “scratches” - sound friction effects. The DJ also uses the mixer's crossfader to mute or let through the sound created by this friction.

This technique allows the DJ to:

• Pace your mixes by scratching on the tempo and the accents of the music
• Improvise melodic solos by moving your hand at different speeds and directions
• Add original sound effects (screams, slips, etc.) to boost your mixes

In short, scratching has become a key skill in modern DJing. It is both a rhythmic and melodic technique and sound effects. Well mastered, it brings a unique touch to DJ performances.

History and origins of scratch

Scratch was born in the Bronx in New York in the 1970s, within the nascent hip hop culture.

Pioneering DJ Grand Wizard Theodore was the first to experiment with this technique. While he was training in his room, his mother asked him to stop the sound - he then put his hand on the vinyl to stop it completely, accidentally producing the first “scratch”.

Quickly, scratching became a basic technique adopted by the majority of hip-hop DJs, especially those specializing in “turntablism” - the art of manipulating turntables like real musical instruments.

Virtuoso DJs like Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Jazzy Jeff or Q-Bert have contributed to popularizing scratch and making it an art in its own right, integrated into their musical productions.

Today, scratch is omnipresent in hip hop, funk, and dubstep music, and is an integral part of DJ culture around the world. Many DJs even win international “turntablism” competitions based solely on their scratch techniques.

The different scratch techniques

There is a wide variety of scratch techniques, each producing different sound effects. Here are the main ones:

The Baby Scratch

Baby Scratch is the easiest technique for a beginner to master. It consists in:

• Place your hand flat on the vinyl to stop it completely
• Make very small movements of the finger back and forth, very fast, producing a continuous sound friction effect
• Open and close the crossfader to let the sound pass intermittently

It is the ideal starting point for working on the basic scratch movement.

The Forward Scratch

In Forward Scratch, the hand moves back and forth quickly, always in the forward direction compared to the vinyl. This results in continuous scratches in the same direction.

The Back Spin

Conversely, in Back Spin Scratch, the DJ spins the vinyl counterclockwise to produce backwards scratches. An effect that is widely used in solos.

The Tear Scratch

Here, the hand describes circles on the vinyl, producing circular scratches and a more “torn” sound. Very effective for punctuating your scratches.

The Chirp Scratch

The finger makes very small, very quick movements back and forth, imitating the chirp of a bird. Hence its name! It allows quick combinations of scratches.

The Stab Scratch

This technique consists of “stabbing” the vinyl by making very short downward movements to produce jerky scratches. Perfect for pacing a mix aggressively.

The Scratch Hydroplane

Here the hand is rubbing the vinyl in very fast circles. This gives the impression that the sound is “skidding”, hence the name.

In short, with practice you will be able to master all these techniques and develop your own style!

How to learn to scratch step by step?

Learning to scratch requires a lot of practice and patience. But you'll see that your level is progressing rapidly by following a step-by-step approach:

1. Mastering the basics of DJing

Before starting scratch, it is essential to master the basic skills of a DJ:

• Synchronize the decks to mix songs at tempo
• Achieve smooth transitions between titles
• Use the crossfader correctly to switch between songs

These fundamentals will give you the technical basis to focus on scratching.

2. Work on the movement of the hand

The key to scratching lies in the very precise and fast back and forth movement of the hand on the vinyl. At the beginning, practice without music to reproduce this fluid gesture to master it perfectly.

Place your hand flat and move from left to right as regularly and quickly as possible. This “waving” is the basis of all scratch techniques.

3. Start with the Baby Scratch

Once you have mastered the basic movement, the next step is to learn Baby Scratch:

• Place your hand flat on the vinyl to stop it clean
• While holding down, do very small, very quick back and forth movements with your wrist
• Open and close the crossfader to mute the sound intermittently

Play Baby Scratchs together to work on your hand-crossfader coordination. It's the perfect technique for a beginner.

4. Explore other scratch techniques

After mastering Baby Scratch, you can start exploring other scratch techniques:

• Forward Scratch for continuous effects
• The Back Spin Scratch (rotation backwards) to vary the sound
• Tear Scratch (circular movements) for a torn effect

Practice each one little by little to assimilate it. Vary the scratches so as not to get bored.

5. Scratching on rhythms

The next step is to integrate your scratches into a musical context. Practice scratching rhythms according to the tempo:

• Scrape on the high beat to give rhythm to your mix
• Do melodic phrases between highlights
• Use point effects to put accents

You will thus learn how to use scratch musically and creatively in your DJ sets.

6. Workout regularly

As with a musical instrument, the key is to train very regularly, 10 to 15 minutes a day, to develop your technique and style.

After a few weeks of daily practice, you will be surprised at the progress made!

Learn scratch with the Sound Academy

The Sound Academy offers comprehensive DJ training in Paris and 5 other cities in France, with a module dedicated to learning to scratch.

During 2 intensive weeks, you will learn all the facets of DJing: mixing techniques, scratches, music production, etc.

The lessons take place in a professional studio, on Technics MK2 turntables for optimal rendering.

You will be coached by experienced DJs who will give you all their tips for quickly mastering scratch.

Thanks to step-by-step learning and intensive practice, you will be able to scratch like a pro in just 15 days!

Discover DJ training

In summary

• Scratching consists in manipulating vinyl to create rhythmic and melodic sound effects.
• This key DJing technique requires a lot of practice.
• Work on the basic hand movement (waving) first
• Learn simple scratches like Baby Scratch
• Then integrate other more complex techniques
• Practice scratching to musical rhythms
• Intensive training such as that of Sound Academy will allow you to progress quickly.

Do not hesitate to contact us for more advice on learning to scratch! Our team of passionate DJs will be happy to help you along your journey. Have fun exploring your creativity by scratching!

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