Vocal scratches are high pitched alterations of a sound that a turntable would make when scratching. Rahzel, Kela, and Scratch all use vocal scratching to great effect and although each beatboxer brings their own variations to the technique, the basics are the same.
How it's done
- To get really good at vocal scratching you need to master ventriloquism. This is the art of talking without moving your lips by using your throat and tongue. This will give the scratched vocal the right sort of raspy/squeezed sound.
- The second thing you need to do is do the ventriloquized voice falsetto (that's the high-pitched Mickey Mouse type register).
- Okay - now, the trick to vocal scratching is to say the unscratched part of your word in your normal voice and the scratched parts in the ventro-falsetto voice!
- Now try saying 'owi' and 'igada' in that voice
- So scratching the word 'One' becomes 'One owi One i One i One igada One'.
- To improve the scratch sound, try adding a 'z' or 's' sound to the scratch (yes, at the same time).
- To make a slowed down record sound simply talk in a low voice with your tongue pointing straight up!
Video tutorial
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