Which hand should you use on the crossfader for scratching?

I get this Q on the regular so let’s solve this pesky paw predicament once and for all. 🐾

First, let’s get nerdy with it and dive into the anatomy. It’s so important to think about how many bones are in each hand. Do you know how many?

A handful, probably. 😹

Ok but forreal… which friggin’ HAND?!

The quick answer?

It’s BOTH.

(Yup! The same advice I gave you for the record hand.😘)

Wait wait wait… don’t have a finger freak out.

You do NOT have to be ambidextrous.

Chill with me for a sec and let’s dive a little deeper to demystify this maddening mitt mystery shall we?

Back in the mid 90’s when I was first learning how to scratch, most DJs just picked a side and stuck to it. (Many still do.)

I preferred my dominant hand on the record for the faderless scratches I was learning at the time, so I mainly practiced on that side.

As time went on, I forced my non-dominant hand to learn all the cuts on the fader while keeping my dominant hand on the record.

And I rarely scratched any other way.

Yup, that’s right…I straight up ignored the other side.

I figured, why waste time on the other side when I could devote all my time focusing on the one ‘power’ side?

(Psssst… this is NOT what I suggest YOU should do!)