‘Scratching… what is it?’. This is a sentence that can be found on a lot of battle breaks. It’s a reference to the fact that most people who have never really tried to scratch might think that it is no more than ‘zigga-zigga’ on a turntable. However, all of those who have ever attempted to achieve the sounds created by the turntablist know that it is an artform indeed. It takes hours of practice, dedication and skill to be a turntablist.
Since the first scratch-movements of Grandwizard Theodore numerous techniques have been ‘invented’ by scratch-DJ’s. The essential techniques are explained in the Basic techniques section. The incorporation of the Turntablist Transcription Methodology in this site is useful for as well basic and advanced scratches. I have found that a lot of terms, definitions and explanations of techniques are often mixed up or misunderstood among turntablists. The TTM gives us a visual representation of the techniques so consensus can be reached.
I have to stress here that it takes lots and lots of practice (and the right gear) before you will master every single scratch-technique. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t get your scratches to sound the way you want them to. Stick with it, you didn’t learn to walk in one day (or a week for that matter) either.
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