The Chirp: Developing Internal Timing and Control
Consistency with the Chirp develops as your stroke and fader movements become more stable. With focused practice, the record strokes and the fader movements become more synchronized and begin to land on the beat together. Over time, these movements begin to align precisely with the beat. What once may have felt like two separate and distinct actions starts to behave as a cohesive unit, driven by the pulse of the music.
This post focuses on that specific shift. The goal of using written rhythms is to develop an internal sense of time so the Chirp becomes steady, predictable, and repeatable. At this stage, the coordinated timing of record strokes and fader movements begins to internalize.
Developing Internal Time Through Repetition
In the early stages of development, the Chirp may feel like separate movements. You count the beat and open or close the fader exactly where the notation indicates, paying close attention to the sound being produced while actively listening to determine whether you executed the technique successfully. During this phase, it may feel as if every element of the technique requires conscious, focused thought.
Over time, practiced rhythms become more familiar. The timing between the record strokes and the fader opening and closing feels less like something you calculate and more like something you naturally do. This is your internal sense of time and coordination developing. It grows as you repeat written rhythms and train both hands to operate under the same conditions.
A few changes often appear during this stage:
- The record and fader feel synchronized, even at slower tempos.
- The technique can be executed on the beat consistently.
- Small timing differences between the hands become easier to notice and correct.
The written rhythms remain the framework, but the movements no longer feel separate. The record hand, the fader hand, and the internal sense of the beat begin working as a single unit.
Consistency, Timing, and Control
Internalization is the ability to execute the technique with stability. In the Chirp, that stability is defined by three key areas:
| Standard | Definition |
| Consistency | The ability to execute the technique repeatedly with precision. |
| Timing | The ability to execute rhythms musically in relation to the pulse of the song. |
| Control | The ability to insert the technique in different places in combination with other techniques. |
Notation as the Structure for Freedom
Notation is the visual representation of rhythm and provides the framework for where each scratch sound sits inside the beat. In the Chirp, it shows how the record hand and fader move together through the rhythm.
The objective is not to remain dependent on notation, but to use it to expand your rhythmic vocabulary and strengthen coordination. When you execute written rhythms accurately and count with consistency, you build the relationship between the record hand and the fader hand. Through practice, this becomes ingrained; you eventually begin to feel where the “open” and “close” belong without the notation. This is internalization. Notation is the structure that releases you from deliberate, conscious thought. Through structure, we can achieve freedom.
Preparing for Rhythmic Choices
As internal timing develops, the Chirp becomes more reliable. Record strokes and the opening and closing of the fader begin to land together inside the beat. With time and practice we will start to execute the technique consistently.
The original transcript for the video is below.
Rhythm 1
Hey what’s up? This is Ronin from Scratching Made Easy, with another tutorial for you. In this video, we are going to add quarter rests to sixteenth note and quarter note rhythms. You’ll find the link to the sheet music and everything discussed in this video in the description below. Let's get started! The tempo is at 85 beats per minute. Here we go!
Rhythm 2
We want to continue to make sure that we are playing in time. You don’t want to come in late on the rests. If you are coming in late, you are playing to slow. If you find yourself dragging the beat, slow down the tempo, and make sure to count out loud. Lets’ take a look at number two. Okay, here we go.
Rhythm 3
With this next rhythm, let’s continue to focus on coming in on time, while trying to play clean and even strokes. We don’t want to drag the beat, and we want our strokes to sound clean and evenly spaced apart. Let’s count off number three... here we go!
Rhythm 3
Let’s go over number three one more time. Chirping sixteenth notes evenly without dragging the beat might be a challenge. If you are having problems opening and closing the fader in time, try slowing down the tempo and concentrating on the movements of the fader. Let’s keep it moving and take a look at number four. Here we go.
Rhythm 4
If you still find yourself dragging the beat or having difficulty moving the fader in time, don’t get discouraged. Like everything else, gaining good control of the fader takes time and effort. If you haven’t done so already, this might be a good time to make a commitment to learning to scratch with both hands. It may be awkward at first, but if you make the commitment to learn how to do it now, you will benefit from it in the future. Now let's go ahead and jump into our last rhythm.
Thanks for watching! For premium content, check out our website scratchingmadeeasy.com. Our Made Easy Method takes all the mystery out of scratching, and with consistent practice, it will take your scratching to the next level. If you have any comments, please leave them in the comment section below. See you next time! Peace
FAQs
1. What defines stability in the Chirp?
Stability in the Chirp is defined by consistency, timing, and control: executing the technique repeatedly with precision, executing rhythms musically in relation to the pulse of the song, and inserting the technique in different places in combination with other techniques.
2. What does internalization mean for the Chirp?
Internalization for the Chirp is the ability to execute the technique with stability as the timing and coordination of the record hand and fader hand become ingrained.
3. What role does notation play in developing the Chirp?
Notation in developing the Chirp provides a framework for where each scratch sound sits inside the beat and shows how the record hand and fader move together through the rhythm.
Summary
The Chirp develops as the record strokes and fader movements become more synchronized and begin to land on the beat together. Through practicing written rhythms repeatedly, the timing between the record strokes and the fader opening and closing becomes more natural, and the coordination of the record hand and fader hand becomes ingrained.
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.
Pt. 6 → Pt. 7
Continue to: How I Learned to Scratch With the Cross Fader - The Chirp (Part 7)
