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.
