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Scratching with Non-Dominant Hand


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Hello,

 

I'm new to scratching. I feel best with my left hand on the platter and right hand on the fader (I don't know if this is left or right handed). I've been practicing beginning scratches (baby and forwards) on both tables and have had decent and noticeable success on each side. When I got to the stab scratch everything changed. I practiced on the left table and I'm able to combo all the techniques I've learned so far but when on the right table I can't do the stab with any accuracy, it's like my left hand just won't coordinate to cut in time.

 

My question is.. Do most people find it easier to learn one side or the other and then just use the same hands on the table/fader but just switch sides? I guess since I like to use my left hand on the platter I would still use the left hand on the platter even when I'm scratching on the right table. OR do most people find they just need a little more time learning their non-dominant side and they scratch using both hands?

 

Peace

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I'd say the most common thing is for people to practice to get through the "I suck with this hand on the record!" phase.

 

I have seen a couple of DJs cross their arms when scratching on the other side, but I don't think that's a good way to go if you want to be a turntablist/battle DJ. If you just want to scratch as part of your mix sets, it's fine I guess.

 

Likewise with having the mixer to one side of the decks. It seems kind of an old school thing to do now. I still do it, but I'm not a battle DJ. I'm a mix DJ that scratches, so I go that way as I can always have my right hand on the record. Qbert used to DJ that way, and there have been other successful battle DJs that use that setup (Crazy B for instance), but if my goal was to be a well rounded turntablist and I was just starting out I'd have the mixer in the middle.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Most people just pick a side and go with it.

 

Back in the day most DJs were pretty good with both hands but the cuts were simple. When I was learning in the late 90s and early 2000s lots of us used dominant hand on the fader, thinking at that time that the fader hand needed more action. Somewhere along the way people started thinking the dominant hand on the record is better because the record hand requires more nuance. If you look at Q-Bert, D-Styles, etc. they all scratch dominant hand on the record.

 

I'm not sure it matters all that much honestly. You tend to work through or around the drawbacks of your weak hand. I cut dominant hand on the fader but my record hand has developed pretty good. If I had to do it over though, I'd probably switch. Dominant hand on the record makes the most sense to me.


If you look at rated scratchers, most of them use their dominant hand on the record. Although,

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can't believe I didn't chime in earlier! haha

 

Left deck/right deck , strong hand on fader/strong hand on rekkid....

 

whatever you choose, there will be benefits and drawbacks due to hand strength and the angles of the hand on the record.

 

There isn't an easy answer, but perhaps look to those you admire the most and see what they do. If you want a Qbert sound then strong hand on the rekkid (and probably hamster), where as if you want to sound like these modern day cats from europe killing the walking swing flares etc, you're possibly better of strong hand on the fader.

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Guest Psychedelic Schizophrenic

And if you want to be like EricUK, you go at it hard with both hands.

 

Whoa, wait, hold on there........... We are still talking about scratching right?

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