Scratching records when DJing is fairly simple and is done using the crossfader. Determine how to scratch records with a turntable from a professional DJ in this free video on how to DJ.

Hi this is Eric Roman also known as DJ Empire from djempire.net. Let’s talk a little bit on how to become a scratch DJ. Outside of needing your standard equipment whether it is a CD player with scratching capabilities or turntables with records you sort of need to know how to grab a record and how to scratch it. It’s very simple. You lightly place your hand on the turntable while the record is spinning and stop the record. You move it back and forth and you cut and scratch with your crossfader which is the middle slider on your mixer. Once you have developed that technique you can go into different forms of scratching. There is transforming which is changing the pitch and tones as you are opening and closing the mixer. There is also the crab which is using your fingers in this manner, opening and closing the crossfader very quickly. Those techniques take a lot of practice. The best way to do it is just to sit in your bedroom or your garage or anywhere that you can have private time and just scratch. Practice, practice, practice will always make perfect. It’s very easy to get on stage and look like a fool when you try and scratch and you don’t know what you’re doing so when you go home and actually practice techniques for scratching you have to make sure that you practice a light hand, fast fingers with your crossfader and also properly choosing the record that you’re going to be scratching whether it’s a tone, a baseline, a kick drum, a snare drum, a vocal. There is many different aspects on the scratching that you can explore. In some cases DJ’s opt for CD players with scratching capabilities. Me personally that’s what I like to use being that they’re more reliable and there is no needle to worry about.