featured skipping tracks on vinyl records

Before we start, if you’re actually interested in why your record player is skipping by itself and how to fix this check out this article.

Even though, it is possible to skip a track on a vinyl it really isn’t a good habit to get into. This is because it increases the chance of damaging the stylus or record. This can happen for example when you accidentally drop the stylus or press it down too strongly. Ideally you should ignore the urge to go to a different track, but if you can’t then remember to be careful.


If you are new or somewhat new to the world of vinyl, there might be a variety of things that you might not be aware of. It’s important that if you are new to this world, that you know how important it is that you take gentle care of them. The reason for this, is that vinyl records are extremely fragile and they can quite easily be damaged.

If vinyl is damaged in any way it’s going to have an effect on the quality of the music and this is going to interfere with the enjoyment that you were looking forward to.

A very common question that comes up frequently is this one: “Can I skip tracks on vinyl?” The plain and simple answer to that is: Yes. You can skip tracks on vinyl records. Anyone can do it. However, just because it can be done doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the wisest thing to do to your vinyl. Let’s find out why.


How Do You Skip Tracks On A Record Player

So how do you skip tracks on vinyl? The concept behind it is: you lift up the arm of the turntable and then find the groove where you believe the next track begins, and then very gently place the needle of the arm onto that groove.

Sounds easy as pie right? However, what person do you know has a totally steady hand? Not many to say the least. Because, that’s what it takes to be able to put that needle down just right where you want it. It can actually be quite frustrating. You’re not guaranteed that you’ll put the needle right on the spot of a particular track.


Why You Shouldn’t Skip Tracks On A Record

Anything can happen while you are trying to skip a track on a vinyl. You might accidentally drop the arm of the turntable onto the record because you lost your grip on the arm and this can actually cause the arm to skid all over the record.

If you’re interested in the biggest threat to vinyl records, check out this article I’ve written about it.

This will keep you from hearing the track you want, but it’s also going to scratch the entire area the needle skidded over. Generally, that’s going to leave multiple scratches on your vinyl and that means you are going to lower the quality of the sound. The more scratches your vinyl has the worse the sound quality is going to be.

You can also place the need down too hard into the groove and cause damage to the start of the track where the needle may end up just being stuck in that particular groove. Again, this is going to lower the quality of the sound on top of the needle not wanting to move forward as it should to play the track that you wanted to hear in the first place.


Conclusion

Even though, it is possible to skip a track on a vinyl it really isn’t a good habit to get into. If you want to keep your vinyl collection in good shape it’s best to just ignore the urge to go to a different track and instead just listen to the entire vinyl straight through from start to finish.

I hope this article answered your question. If you like my writing style then I suggest you check out the following related topics I’ve written about:

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2 Responses

  1. Should you have the urge to go track skipping, it is best to purchase a turntable that has a Cue lever for the tone arm. You position the arm above the track you want to listen to, push the cue lever down, and slowly the tonearm will descend onto the desired track.

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