Same scratch all the time
So I have been scratching now for only 6 months or so and every time I throw on a different beat or sound, I always seem to use the same scratch pattern. I have tried so hard to do something different, but it always leads back to that annoying scratch. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Listen to someone else for inspiration.
Listen to the beat you playing to and think up and new little drum pattern that will go with it.
Then try and re-produce it on teh decks.
I had the same issue.
I just stand back for a second. Close my eyes and listen…come up with a new pattern and focus on that.
DONT GET STONED FIRST!
It doesnt help shit!
I’d recommend you check out Q-Berts Scratch Univ.
He has a really good lesson in Scrath Theory and cutting beats by 1/2 and 1/4 to make different sounds with the same scratch. I use maybe 2-3 scratches vayring tempo and combinations. Q goes on to discuss fairly well how to use your scratches as an instrument to create a beat or sound not to just go wiki-wiki.
listen to recordings of drum corp units. no joke. You will pull lots of nice triplet and 16th rest patterns out of listening to stuff that is 100% centered on rhythmic expression. I’m still waiting to see someone translate the Swiss triplet to the decks.
To add onto that, once you have a pattern you’re hearing in your head over and over and want to try on the mixer, apply the same idea I tell my drum students. “If you can say it with your mouth, you can play it with your hands.” It works, give it a try.
What scratch are you doing? Try tears. 1 forward, 2 back. 2 forward, 1 back. 3 forward, 1 back, 1 forward, 3 back. You would be amazed at the sounds you can make with different tears. Also, get off of the aaaahhhhh sample. Try fresh, try scratching 2 word samples, work on your word play, scratch a track without using your fader hand.
Thanks all I am going to take all the great advice and try some new stuff tonight.
I spend most of my time scratching with crabs, orbits, and chirps.
Isn’t that a regular triplet with a flam on the quarter note? I suppose you could do this with chirps and a twiddle on the quarter so it’s four sounds in a triplet – di-dit dah dah, di-dit dah dah… Hmmmm…
So you got crabs, orbits, and chirps down? are you sure your not transforming? 
try forwards, stabs, and chops. that’s a total of 6 scratches that can fit into any 4/4 time measure bar. 6 scratches and 2 variations of each scratch and changing the order and combinations you should have unlimited combos… what scratch do you usually start with? if you really can do all those scratches i can help you.
triplet flam is a 2 clik flare as a doted quarter and a 1 clik flare as a 1/8th note
the second patter di-dit dah dah, di-dit dah dah is 2 clik orbit
yup. Or better known in drummer babble as “black-oo-dah black-oo-dah”
hah
And not sure if you have seen Q-bert’s DVDs but he goes in depth on all of the different types of scratches. A must see if you haven’t yet.
2 click orbit is just regular triplets isn’t it? not sure what you meant in the first line though, heh… I gotta start practicing my scratches again it’s been months.
Its like a double edge sword I tells ya. Sometimes I feel like I can scratch/mix even better but then I start to burnout and things just get sloppy.
edited cause i don’t want no one doin nothing stupid practice responsibly people and enjoy
caffeine and THC aka hippie speedballs
