How to make the crab scratch?

The crab scratch: the technique with the hand of the crossfader.

The Crab scratch consists in "tapping" the crossfader with the fingers from the little finger to the index finger, the thumb serving as a spring. Technically the flare clicks are similar, only once this technique is well mastered the sound result will not be the same because the cuts are closer together. Use this technique with only 3 fingers (see graph) of thering finger to theindex if you wish. The hamster mode will be preferred.

A training Q & A is at the end of the video.

To begin with it is Dj Qbert who invented the Crab scratchThis is a technique that will require a lot of practice to be done correctly.

In fact Qbert scratch in hamster so with the crossfader reversed, and this technique with the twiddle are different in normal crossfader.

So we close the crossfader with the thumb in "normal", while we open with the thumb in hamster.

The practice

First of all the Crab scratch is the act of scrolling your fingers to open or close the crossfader.

Then practice the Crab scratch using long samples.

For users with the normal crossfader (regular):

• Start at the beginning of the sample with your crossfader open
• Then launch the sample
• Then close the cross. with the thumb and scroll your fingers from theauricular to theindex
• End crossfader open

You should normally make five sounds.

Other method:

• Start at the beginning of the sample with your crossfader closed
• Then launch the sample
• And simultaneously "type" your cross. of theauricular to theindex
• End crossfader open

You get four sounds this time.

For reverse crossfader users (hamster):

• Start at the beginning of the sample with your crossfader open
• Then launch the sample
• Then close your cross. with your fingers of theauricular to theindex
• End crossfader open

In short, you get five sounds with this method.

Result

Like when you pronounce "Crab" the result of the sound should be ; "crrr".

Thus a sound is chopped very quickly, hence the name Crab scratchhear "crrreb scratch".

Vary the number of fingers from three to four depending on the number of cuts desired.

The vinyl movements in this example are simple, but you can create any pattern.

So this scratch technique is the scrolling of the fingers on the crossfader.

By the way, if you want to practice, only do the crossfader cuts on a continuous sound. You will be able to hear your Crab, and correct if your result is not correct.

Click here to see more scratching techniques and learn scratching.