Skratching Essentials Tips from Sara Simms & deejay stutter
DIGITAL MUSIC
Sara Simms captivates the world as an innovative DJ , turntablist , and electronic music producer . Her upcoming single , “ Automatic Superstar ,” will be released on her own label , Simmetry Sounds , in spring 2017 .
Follow @ sarasimms on social media and visit www . sarasimms . com for more .
deejay stutter is a Toronto-based turntablist , producer , and beat digger . His current projects include the Skratchinpad , a portable skratch practice tool . Follow deejay stutter ’ s adventures on Instagram :
@ deejay _ stutter and @ skratchinpad
Skratching Essentials Tips from Sara Simms & deejay stutter
Sara Simms recently created Turntablism 101 : Skratching Essentials , her first turntablism course for Ask . Audio . This informative and engaging new tutorial series teaches the art of turntablism and also features Toronto-based turntablist and producer deejay stutter . Curious to learn more about scratching ? Read on for some exclusive scratch tips from two of Toronto ’ s most influential and in-demand DJs .
Meet the DJs CM : Introduce yourselves and give us a quick idea of your respective backgrounds .
Simms : My name is Sara Simms and I began DJing over a decade ago . My original influences were DJs who battled in the DMCs and Vestax Extravaganza , including DJ Qbert , DJ Swamp , Infamous , DJ Hanger , and DJ P-Money . I was taught by DJ Labo and deejay stutter in Toronto and inspired by great Canadian DJs like DJ Dopey , Junior Flo , and the Turnstylez crew . I ’ ve battled in Toronto and Miami under the name DJ Ychuck and was the runner up in Scratch : The Ultimate DJ Contest competition .
stutter : My name is deejay stutter and I started DJing 20 years ago with friends in high school . When I started scratching I was heavily influenced by legendary DJ crews such as the Invislbl Skratch Piklz , The X-Ecutioners , and The World Famous Beat Junkies . Eventually , I dabbled in production and formed a group named Fineprint , which led to us releasing two albums and touring Japan .
Cuttin ’ It Up CM : There are so many types of scratches to master . Are there any foundational scratches in particular you recommend beginners learn first ?
stutter : For me , I have a tendency to always circle back to the military scratch , stabs , tears , and crabs . These four scratches really test fundamentals like record movement , hand control , and basic fader rudiments that are transferable to more advanced scratches . Perfect these and you ’ ll be well on your way .
Simms : Start right at the beginning with the baby scratch , and definitely learn to scratch in time ! I agree with stutter – one of the best scratches to learn early on is the tear , which will help DJs to develop hand control .
Equipment CM : What type of equipment do you recommend for people looking to start scratching ?
Simms : I would recommend Pioneer DJ ’ s PLX- 1000 turntables and a battle mixer . If you ’ re just starting out , a two-channel battle-style mixer with a good quality crossfader will do the trick . When you ’ re ready to invest in a more serious mixer , I ’ d recommend the Pioneer DJM-S9 , a Rane mixer , or Thud Rumble ’ s TRX series mixer .
stutter : Really and truly , it all depends on budget . From the low end of the spectrum , I ’ d suggest a portable record player such as a Numark PT-01 or Vestax Handytrax and couple it up with a portable fader like the Raiden Fader or Frisk Fader . For turntables , I ’ d recommend a pair of Vestax PDXs or any other turntable with a high-torque motor that has the ability to reduce the pitch to + -50 .
Practice Tips CM : Do you have any basic practice tips you can share ?
Simms : It ’ s a good habit to begin a daily practice schedule , even if it ’ s just for 15 or 30 minutes a day . When you ’ re first starting out , it ’ s more important to master each scratch at a slow , steady tempo before attempting a high speed . I would also encourage new DJs to find a mentor or make friends with a more experienced DJ . It ’ s important to jam with other DJs to challenge yourself and grow as an artist .
stutter : Just like you would with any other instrument , in order to improve you need to put in countless hours to build co-ordination , stamina , and muscle memory . In terms of tempo , I find myself practicing to all types of beats crossing over all musical genres .
Top Five Turntablists CM : Name some DJs that aspiring DJs should listen to , along with any albums or songs you recommend people check out .
stutter : Make sure to check out DJ Qbert , D-Styles , DJ Toadstyle , Kid Koala , and Ricci Rucker . Listen to their scratch-based albums and live performances like Wavetwisters , Phantasmagoria , Klamz uv Death , Ned Hoddings , and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome .
Simms : I would check out DJ Brace , who won the 2016 DMC Online World Championships . Other amazing DJs to listen to include DJ Killa Jewel , DJ Craze , Skratch Bastid , and A-Trak . If you ’ re into club-style DJ sets , try seeking out innovative DJs like Bad Boy Bill and Jerome Hill who incorporate scratching into their mixes .
Check out some sample videos from Sara & stutter ’ s Turntablism 101 : Skratching Essentials course at www . youtube . com / sarasimmsmusic . For more information on the course or to sign up , visit www . tinyurl . com / skratchingessentials .
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