Counting out loud and clapping are tools that can make it easier to learn new rhythms and stay on beat when scratching. This lesson demonstrates how to clap and count a rhythm before scratching it, using both a metronome and music, and shows how slowing the tempo can make faster rhythms easier to practice accurately.
Below is the original transcript from the video.
What’s up? In previous lessons, I’ve mentioned the importance of counting out loud, and there’s a good reason for this. Counting out loud is a tool that helps us work out new rhythms, learn them more easily, and improve our scratching.
It can be hard to stay on beat when scratching a new rhythm. Counting out loud helps to improve our sense of time and can help us stay on beat. It may feel uncomfortable when you start doing it, but it’s extremely beneficial, and over time, you’ll eventually get used to it.
When working on a new rhythm, we can take things a step further in the process by clapping while we count the rhythm. Clapping the rhythm helps you focus on the beat and lock in the groove.
When scratching, you move the record and crossfader at the same time. Sometimes, you might even be playing two different rhythms at once. There is a lot going on.
Clapping first gives you a solid foundation, making the learning process easier, and gives you the ability to eventually add other details like tone and sound quality. This can make learning the new rhythm easier because we are focused on learning the rhythm and not scratching.
Clapping while counting also helps us to hear and feel the beat, which helps to ensure that we play the rhythm correctly.
Here’s an example of how I count out a rhythm. It’s from the fourth example of Part 9 of our Baby Scratch series.
If the music is too fast to count and clap accurately, you may need to slow it down. This rhythm has 16th notes, so we are going to slow it down to 75 beats per minute.
All right. Here we go!
Rhythm 1
When I clap new rhythms, I prefer to use a metronome. The metronome helps me focus strictly on the rhythm. However, this is what I like to do. You can also clap and count rhythms over music. This is a matter of preference. You should determine what works best for you.
Here is an example of the same rhythm clapped over a beat. I’ve slowed the beat down to 75 beats per minute to make it easier to clap accurately.
Rhythm 2
I couldn’t stand it when I started clapping and counting. It was extremely uncomfortable, and I felt crazy doing it. But over time, I saw how much it helped me learn new rhythms and improve my scratching.
Clapping and counting is fundamental to the way we teach. There are hundreds of rhythms to practice in our book, Scratching Made Easy Turntable Method.
You can also see and hear those rhythms being clapped and counted in the course on our website. In each lesson, I clap and count all of the rhythms for you. Links are in the description.
Thanks for checking us out.
Peace!
FAQs
1. Why is counting out loud helpful when learning a new rhythm?
Counting out loud is helpful when learning a new rhythm because it helps improve your sense of time, stay on beat, and learn the rhythm more easily.
2. What should you do if the music is too fast to clap and count accurately?
You should slow the music down if it is too fast to clap and count accurately.
3. Can you clap and count rhythms with a metronome or over music?
You can clap and count rhythms with either a metronome or music, depending on what works best for you.
About the Authors
Jason E. Bullock and M. Dwayne Bullock (DjRoninTokyo) are the creators of Scratching Made Easy and the authors of Scratching Made Easy Turntable Method Book 1: A Guide to Scratching. They created a scratch notation system that uses standard musical notation to apply fundamental music concepts to scratching.
