Scratching looks fast, but every routine is built from a handful of basic motions. Learn these five in order, one at a time, over a slow beat. Get each one clean before speeding up.
Before you start
You need a turntable or a controller with a jog wheel, a mixer with a crossfader, and a short sound to scratch, like “ahh” or “fresh.” Put the sound at the start of the record, mark that spot, and play a beat underneath at 75 to 90 BPM.
1. Baby scratch
Push the record forward and pull it back over the sound, with the fader open the whole time. That’s it. Keep your hand loose, keep the motions even, and land every push and pull on the beat. Every other scratch builds on this one.
2. Forward scratch
Push the sound forward with the fader open, then close the fader and pull the record back silently. You hear only the forward part. This is your first step into using the fader and the record together.
3. Backward scratch
The reverse of the forward: close the fader while you push forward, open it as you pull back. You hear only the sound playing backward.
4. Tear
A baby scratch with a pause in it. Push forward, then pull back in two quick parts instead of one smooth motion. The break gives the scratch rhythm, and it trains you to control the record at different speeds.
5. Chirp
Push the sound forward and close the fader as the sound plays, then open it again as you pull back and close it before the sound ends. Your record hand and fader hand move at the same time, which makes the short “chirp” sound. It feels awkward at first. Go slow.
How to practice
- Practice one scratch at a time for a few minutes, then switch.
- Stay on the beat before you try to go fast.
- Record yourself on your phone and listen back.
- Raise the tempo only when the slow version sounds clean.
Learn them with DJ Wrex
DJ Wrex teaches these foundations step by step in the Pro DJ Lab, with 19 practice beats from 75 to 140 BPM and live Q&A calls. The Foundations of Scratching module is free.
Want to see the scratches in action? Watch Wedding Scratches, where Rex scratches one track live before guests arrive.