These mixes will sound great, because the keys are the same or related. So you can move left or right one segment, or in or out one segment (you can’t move diagonally). Here’s how it works: You find the key of the tune you’re currently playing on the wheel, and you can mix any tune into it that is the same key, or an adjacent key on the wheel. (In Virtual DJ, you can click on the key onscreen and it will switch between these two notations.) Whether your software used standard notation (C major, D minor etc), or Mixed in Key-style notation (12B, 6A etc), you can use the wheel just the same, as it covers both systems. All of your tunes will have been tagged with one of those keys by your software of choice or when analysed by Virtual DJ. This shows you every musical key there is. Key mixing is made easier for DJs with the Camelot wheel. Use Google Images to search for “Camelot Wheel” (get a large version) and download your own copy (hint: set it as your laptop background wallpaper so you can minimise your DJ software to quickly refer to it when playing). Get the Camelot Wheel and understand how to use it The important thing is that you work out a way of getting the key information into your MP3’s meta data or even its file name, so you can display it when you’re browsing your tunes. Software like Rapid Evolution 3, BeaTunes and Mixed in Key will do this for you – Rapid Evolution 3 is free, but many professionals swear by Mixed in Key (see below for why).ĭepending on your DJ software, you may decide to have your chosen program tag the key information in a custom key field of the MP3 tag, in the comment field, or in the filename. If you use Virtual DJ, you’re in luck: The software will work out the musical key for you and display it in the track information box. If you don’t, you need to have some software work it out for you.

To mix in key, you need to know the key of your tunes! There are several ways you can do this. To start using harmonic mixing, you need to achieve these three steps: 1. Luckily, nothing could be further from the truth, and today, we’ll show you how you too can use harmonic mixing in your sets.

You may even be dimly aware of what it means – that it’s about making sure tunes match musically in order to mix them more smoothly.īut if you’ve never done this before, you may think it’s hard to do, or that if you’re not able to play a musical instrument, you’ll not be able to work out all the stuff with scales and notes that’s necessary to achieve this type of mix. You may have heard “mixing in key”, or “harmonic mixing”, mentioned by DJs.

Using simple software and this clever little visual aid, any DJ can easily mix in key.

Mixed in key 2.5