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Skratch Lessons: Cuica with Fredo Ortiz -NEW!

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30
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Playing:		Looping:		Adjust:
space	play/pause	I	set loop start point	[	move start back 1 sec
←	back 10 secs	O	set loop end point	]	move start forward 1 sec
→	forward 10 secs	L	start/stop looping	SHIFT-[ or ]	move end
↑	rewind to beginning	C	clear loop	CTRL-[ or ]	move both
H	this help	F	full screen toggle	ALT-[ or ]	next/prev section

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This page contains a transcription of a video lesson from Hip-Hop Scratch with DJ Qbert. This is only a preview of what you get when you take Skratch Lessons at ArtistWorks. The transcription is only one of the valuable tools we provide our online members. Sign up today for unlimited access to all lessons, plus submit videos to your teacher for personal feedback on your playing.

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[MUSIC]
All right,

we got a special guest in the house.

Fredo Ortiz, drummer form the Beastie
Boys.

Percussionist of the Beastie Boys since
1996.

>> Yeah.
>> And he's here at QSU,

he's gonna show us how we can translate.

Musical instruments into scratching.

So what you got here today?

>> Right now we got this Brazilian
instrument called the cuica, C-U-I-C-A.

>> And I don't know, it, I would say,

I would compare it to kinda like a honking
sound.

>> Let's hear it.

>> You wanna hear it?

>> Yeah.
>> All right, here we go.

Check it out, inside no stick.

>> Hmm.

[SOUND]
>> Change

in the pitch by pressing the head right
here.

[SOUND] The tighter I press, the higher
the pitch.

[SOUND] If I let go.

[SOUND] Low.

[SOUND]

Kind of sounds like scratching.

>> So yeah.

It's kind of like the same thing as
scratching.

You know, you got the forward, backward.

[SOUND] And if you wanna go the higher
pitch.

[SOUND]
Alright, same thing.

[SOUND]
>> Back and forth.

>> Uh-huh.
So tell us the history about this.

>> Well basically these have been hand
carved by molten rock.

Out of the deep end width.

No that's wrong, I was thinking of some
other instrument.

I don't actually know where these
>> [LAUGH] What the hey?

>> No actually these are made in Brazil,
made in Brazil.

They're usually used in sambas and

traditional acoustic like little
gatherings in Brazil.

>> Brazil yeah.

>> Where there's a guy.

Who's playing kind of like, a tambourine.

>> Mm-hm.
>> But it's called a bandero.

And they're going [SOUND],
and they're laying down the grid.

>> Yeah!

>> When there's a guy with an 808-

>> Mm-hm.
>> It's like a law,

it's kind of like,
>> Yeah.

>> This size, but bigger.

>> So, make the 808 sound!

And it's like, it's like, [SOUND].

>> Oh!

>> [SOUND]
>> What's that called?

>> That, I don't know what it's called.

But I have one.

>> [CROSSTALK] Damn!

You gotta bring us home a sample like that
one.

[NOISE].

>> It's really, [CROSSTALK] it's really
high, also.

Now you got your rhythm.

[SOUND] Right?

[SOUND]

>> Wow.

[SOUND]
>> The guys that play these

professionally.

>> Mm-hm.

>> I had to learn this instrument from,
from touring with the Beastie Boys.

>> Uh-huh.

They had it on a song called Lighten Up.

>> Okay.

>> And.

>> What was the pattern you were doing?

>> The pattern on there was like.

[MUSIC]

>> Can you do this right, like.

Because I know-

>> What's that?
>> You know,

you're going back and forth, can you do
this.

[SOUND]
That's,

that predates scratching right there.

[SOUND] Dang, that is really interesting.

>> It's a trip.
So they come from Brazil and

it's used in that setting, acoustic kind
of like chilling out in the pad.

Everybody's outside.

You know, and they're just like doing
their thing.

And this is kinda like setting the melody.

They actually, the guys that master this
can make it sing.

>> Oh my God.

>> Swear, kid you not.

>> Where can we see that on YouTube
probably yeah?

>> You can probably look up master cuica,
C-U-I-C-A.

Brazil, laster, pick a player.

>> And how much does one of those cost?

>> I would say I bought this for 100 bucks
in Chicago, drum shop.

>> Ooh.

>> So, you know, they're not cheap.

If you go, if you go to Brazil you can
probably find them for 20 bucks, 30 bucks.

>> And that plane ticket will be 1,000
bucks though.

>> But if you don't got 100 bucks of 30
bucks.

>> Yeah you can actually use one of these
right here.

Oh, yeah.

[SOUND]
[LAUGH] There you go.

[SOUND]
[LAUGH].

>> Anyway, there you have it, cuica,
Fredo, Artiz, yeah.

>> 'Sup!

[MUSIC]

?

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