Hey y'all.
As you can tell by this next question I am a newbie so please bear with me. So I've been watching video clips of Dj's scratching. I noticed that the Dj's know how to scratch (specifically using the cross fader)with both hands. But I also noticed that the more difficult scratches such as the crab scratch and the orbit scratch that they use there dominant hand. Example: Right hand on the fader and left hand on the turntable.
My question is, is it essential to be able to do all the scratches with both hands or can u get by with your dominant one.

The benifit of being able to do scratches with both hands is that you aren't limited to playing your favorite scratch cd or performing your best scratch song routine with the cd's in the same cd player all of the time.

If you think of a cool mix/scratch on the fly, you don't have to worry about finding another song first in order to free up your scratch cd player.

Also, if you can't scratch at all on the other hand make sure you don't scratch every time you play on the cd player that you can scratch on. You will create a very noticeable pattern; every other song will have scratching in it. This makes for a bad mix cd.

Not to mention it looks cool to see a DJ scratching with both hands instead of seeing them crossing one hand over the other.

But at the same time it's not essential or a requirement. There's plenty of djs that do a great job using only one hand. They just know their limits and work within their limits. Look at DJ Premier. One of the most well known djs that only scratch with one hand. In fact one of the only DJs that puts both tables on the same side.

I tend to look goofey when I scratch because I can't seem to get the left hand in line?? I scratch better with my right so I reach over the mixer to my left hand player with my right hand.

Watching these real DJs scratch is amazing now

So then what is this pluging the left turn table into the right port of the mixeer and vice versa with the other one (It has a name I can't remember. Does that have an effect on what hand you use?a

Do you mean "hamster"?

It's called "Hamster" or "Goofy"-style. It's your system, so set it up how you feel comfortable. One of the best hip-hop producers in the business [and one hell of a DJ] has BOTH of his tables set on the left side of his mixer and uses a hamster switch the flip the fader positions. His name? DJ Premier

Practice is at the root of all skill. For instance, DJ Q-Bert is so amazing because of his INSANE practice schedule. On top of that, he freely admits that he acquired his skills originally as a result of being stuck in a wheel-chair for months on end ofter an accident. He set his DJ tables up to he could practice on them while in the chair and just KEPT AT IT.

Don't get too caught up in how other DJs position their tables- watch others in the game and do what works for YOU! If you see an interesting setup, try it out at home for a week or so. If it is too difficult or just doesn't feel right, don't think of it as something you CAN'T do- try to do it in a way that makes it more comfortable for you.

I have bought grip-masters and special "scratch practice pads" from turntable lab trying to increase the abilities in my left hand for scratching [and I am ALREADY left handed]; but I realized that I have more control with my right on the platter, and my left hand is faster on the fader...

To each, their own...

Yeah, I'm a lefty too and the only way I got my weaker hand to scratch was practice on end. Practice like I had no girl, no food, no life. I can scratch with both hands now but if I don't scratch for awhile my timing will be off and I have to exercise (practice)some more. And with all of that practice there's still certain scratches that I can only do with one hand.



I'm like you Tech, my left hand is better on the fader too.



BTW, unless Premier has changed recently, he scratches with the fader in the standard set up. It only appears to be hamster style because he has both tables on the same side. So when he is scratching on one turntable the fader is sliding away from it. If you have both turntables on one side, the fader has to slide away from one turntable anyway.



I have a friend who can only chirp with one hand and can transform only with the other. It's the funniest thing.

Practice practice practice.

I'm a left on deck right on fader kinda guy and I can't reverse it for the life of me (not to say my regular scratching is any good, but whatever). Only way to improve is to work it!

This might sound funny but I practice using all of my drum line warmup exercises that I learned. They carried over to scratching rather well. I'm still weak in my left hand, but it's catching up quick.

same as pulse... right hand on fader, left hand on record. i tried being ambedexrious but after years of this setup, i figure why fight it now when i can just get better the way i always have been doing it? all i have to do is cross-arms when i'm on the right turntable...



since the right (artistic) side of the brain controls my left hand, i figure it's the artistic sense working. the analytical side of the brain is the left side which controls the right hand (fader) doing those inane clicks.... or something.

Right hand Scratch and Right hand on Fader- I'm doomed

amazing'ly i don't know how bout i can use both right and left either when scratching and when using the fader. it's crazy, it's like "holy sh.t"

for your infomation i have 2 MKII and a 909.....so all those posts about me having trouble finding a set-up, i found it.

I can on crab and chirp and baby with my dominant hand (left) on the deck, right on the fader. I can scratch in a beat with the right on deck, but that's about it.

I think everyone is correct on the Practice advice. I have done a little practicing, not a lot, but a little and I can see where I have improved on my tech.

It's going to be getting the left hand to join in on the platter that seems to be the real chore.

I don't remember the name of the company. I bought 2; one for work and one for home. They took a 4"x4"x1" block of wood, glued felt to one of the flat sides, cut out a 'triangular' section of a record and then screwed it inot the felt-covered side of the wood with a washer between the screw's head and the vinyl.

Haven't ever seen them anywhere else...

i'm a lefty all the way.