Harmonic Mixing

LOL … yes. You can find lots of manuals and vids on the use of the Camelot Wheel (this is where the 1A through 12B listing comes from).

The short version:
* you can always go from inner ring (A’s) to the same number on the outer ring (B’s). So, 7A to 7B or vice versa
* you can always go 1 up or down in the same ring. So, 7A to 6A or 8A.
* Going up in number (usually) is an increase in energy. Subsequently lowering the number is decreasing energy.
* You can use two number jumps for effect. Read up more about how and when to use this technique.
* You can go diagonally. I think it is back from inner ring and forward from outer ring (but could be other way around). So from 7A to 6B or from 8B to 9A. Again, read up on the how and why.

Hope that helps.

Greetinx,
C.

p.s. a real good place to start reading is Beyond Beatmatching written by the guy that makes Mixed In Key. Google it!

Just imagine it like a little T (regular or upside down) where the playing tracks key is where crossbar and leg meet, with the crossbar in the same ring and the leg in the same number.

One word of caution here. Just that MiK says songs aren’t compatible doesn’t mean they really aren’t and also just cause they are supposed to match in key doesn’t mean they always will. Let your ears be the final judge.

If a song is playing and I think of a song that sounds like a good match in my mind, I really don’t let the matching/non-matching of the key worry me. I stick it in a deck and listen on my cans. That is where I make my decision.

DJ-ing, even with today’s technologies like elastic beatgridding, sync, quantize, snap, harmonic keys, energy levels, etx., can’t be captured in formula’s.

You can’t throw all the rules in a big box and tell a system to DJ. It’s a DJ’s ears, his/her ability to read an audience and music selection skills that make or break a party. NEVER the technical skills. Those are only tools to help accomplish things, expand creativity and such.

Good example: Yesterday I was “evaluated” by a guy. I told him that I felt it was technically harder to mix since all the music was like 60s and 70s rock, so little beatmatching and you can’t use filters and fx on every transition. His words were “I really don’t look at technical skills, as long as you as a person or your music selection or ideally both can get an audience moving,that is what counts”.

I know you are reading up, learning stuff and working hard on your techniques. And that is good. I think every DJ should strive for a certain level of technical competence. However, you have to be aware what the most important skills are and keep an eye open to see what needs improving in that area.

The only place you will ever truly learn how to DJ is by playing out and watching how people react to you as a person and your music choices and adapting to their reaction.

So, keep up the good work and try to play out as much as you can. Don’t try to be perfect, try to learn as much from the experience as you can. Perfection comes as a result.

Greetinx,
C.

Thanks. One of the (few :D) perks of being 50 years old and having been at the game for 36 8-).

Greetinx,
C.

Mitch Hambling, post: 42131, member: 7942 wrote: yea, its not the easiest thing to do at 15.

Same here bud :). The thing I’m doing now is getting my name out there; making a fb page, recording my mixes, letting everyone know that I’m a DJ and would love some feedback. Totally recommend you do the same thing if you’re not doing it already.

I use harmonic mixing a lot but not all of the time. Shake things up — perfect harmonic mixes every single time get boring real quick.
But when you do mix harmonically:
– Don’t be afraid to change the key to match the playing song. On the camelot wheel, 5 steps is equal to one semitone. So you can mix a 4A track (Fm) with either a 11A track (F#m, pitched down -1) or 9A track (Em, pitched up +1). You can usually change the pitch one or two semitones and people won’t notice, but use caution. Past two semitones, the audio quality will degrade significantly. Also if you do that, remember to keep in mind that you pitched the track for your next transition, otherwise you will get an ugly result. You can always use breaks or buildups in the music to restore key, sometimes with a dramatic effect. Experiment with this.
(Also, if you’re using Traktor, right click on the plus or minus signs that appear when you hover over the key knob and change the resolution to “Fine” — this will allow you to change the key in steps of one semitone exactly, rather than two)
– Even if two songs have the same Camelot code, they may not mix well! Some songs have ugly harmonic clashes and there’s nothing you can do about it. Use your cue channels/headphones, it’s absolutely essential. Harmonic mixing isn’t magic, as others have said before me, trust your ears.

It’s also a good idea to really study the wheel. Don’t worship it, but know it like the back of your hand. Learn which keys do what. In my experience, I’ve found that 4A (Fm) is very popular, while 11A is often used for moombahton. A lot of great trap tunes are in 1A because it’s a very powerful minor key. There are some great dnb songs in 7A. Learning where your songs are on the wheel and what sort of emotions they evoke will help you control the mood of your set, and keep your mix from becoming mechanical.
And of course, sometimes it’s best to not mix harmonically. Abrupt transitions can grab your audiences attention and make a good DJ set a great one.

Anyway, those are just my thoughts. I love harmonic mixing, use it all the time. It’s really easy to learn how to do but it takes time to master. Hope this helps.

Chuck van Eekelen, post: 42152, member: 2756 wrote: …

DJ Guru Chuck strikes again! 😀 Believe me Mitch, this guy really knows what he’s talking about! His wisdom is like the bible to me ^^.

Dunno if this stuff is any use..
http://www.cyberflotsam.com/Music_ChordFamilies1.htm
http://www.circle-of-fifths.co.uk/

Read the “How To” on the Circle of fifths and play about with what you get.

I have a lot more but they are on the works computer will post more later