Keymixing

[abZ]

all the gadgets and knowlegde in the world wont help you if you have a shit ear..

very true. btw no need to keep a book with key lists or anything, just mark the inside of the record sleeve in pencil

But then the keys are going to be out when you change the pitch. Much better just to know your records well and then you'll have a good idea about what goes into what. And it isn't going to help if the tune has a key change is it.

Better just to practise and find out for yourself

The key will change if you pitch it up or down obviously but the records will still be in key relative to each other... as long as they are both in the same key @ 0 and within 2 or 3 bpm or each other. Hope that makes sense.

[bagelator]

i only play tunes in pentatonic fifths

[flipw]

if only record shops showed bpm and key info for tunes

I never understood keys but try and use my ears

[camelotsound]

all the gadgets and knowlegde in the world wont help you if you have a shit ear..

very true. btw no need to keep a book with key lists or anything, just mark the inside of the record sleeve in pencil

But then the keys are going to be out when you change the pitch. Much better just to know your records well and then you'll have a good idea about what goes into what. And it isn't going to help if the tune has a key change is it.

Better just to practise and find out for yourself

The key will change if you pitch it up or down obviously but the records will still be in key relative to each other... as long as they are both in the same key @ 0 and within 2 or 3 bpm or each other. Hope that makes sense.

It's great to find this new group of folks interested in harmonic mixing. You will find a number of resources that will answer many questions raised in this discussion.

At least three software programs will key your tracks for you, with varying degrees of accuracy.:

-http://www.mixedinkey.com
-http://www.mixshare.com
-http://www.mixmeister.com

Mixmeister offers DJ mixing software with a key controller that will stabilize a track's key as BPM changes, or adjust the key independently.

Although there are a number of online discussions covering harmonic mixing, these two are the most comprehensive:

http://www.mixingonbeat.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=34 is our primary forum. It contains a comparison of the above keying software, and numerous harmonic mixlists.

http://www.tranceaddict.com/forums/show ... genumber=1 is an 80-page discussion of harmonic mixing opened in 2003.

Basic harmonic mixing information is contained in http://www.djprince.no, and our primary harmonic mixing website at http://www.harmonic-mixing.com.

Please feel free to email us directly with any question or comments.

[shonky]

^^^

[randomhed]

[abZ]

all the gadgets and knowlegde in the world wont help you if you have a shit ear..

very true. btw no need to keep a book with key lists or anything, just mark the inside of the record sleeve in pencil

But then the keys are going to be out when you change the pitch. Much better just to know your records well and then you'll have a good idea about what goes into what. And it isn't going to help if the tune has a key change is it.

Better just to practise and find out for yourself

The key will change if you pitch it up or down obviously but the records will still be in key relative to each other... as long as they are both in the same key @ 0 and within 2 or 3 bpm or each other. Hope that makes sense.

It's great to find this new group of folks interested in harmonic mixing. You will find a number of resources that will answer many questions raised in this discussion.

At least three software programs will key your tracks for you, with varying degrees of accuracy.:

-http://www.mixedinkey.com
-http://www.mixshare.com
-http://www.mixmeister.com

Mixmeister offers DJ mixing software with a key controller that will stabilize a track's key as BPM changes, or adjust the key independently.

Although there are a number of online discussions covering harmonic mixing, these two are the most comprehensive:

http://www.mixingonbeat.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=34 is our primary forum. It contains a comparison of the above keying software, and numerous harmonic mixlists.

http://www.tranceaddict.com/forums/show ... genumber=1 is an 80-page discussion of harmonic mixing opened in 2003.

Basic harmonic mixing information is contained in http://www.djprince.no, and our primary harmonic mixing website at http://www.harmonic-mixing.com.

Please feel free to email us directly with any question or comments.

LOL I knew you would find this thread somehow.

[benj b]

I dont understand how a song which is made up of several different keys can be narrowed down just to the one.

And if there are only 7 notes, how comes even the smallest piano will have at least double the amount of keys

I'm not musically trained so someone should probably correct me but:

All the keys are in a scale that centres around one note, the root note. I guess this is the dominant key of the track. So if you have the Chromatic scale (every semi tone in an octave) based in E, the that's where the scale begins and ends.



I think.

....for general info, not aimed specifically at you pete, but I see it like this: There are only 12 notes in music - A to A, with seven naturals and five accidentals (sharps/flats - black notes on the piano) . These 12 notes played in series are called the chromatic scale. They repeat infinitely up and down, as far as the ear can hear them, or within the range of the instrument.

In a given key centre, the root note is your "home" note, which the tune resolves to. Happily most dance music is written on one chord, and there are hardly ever key changes to contend with.

Also, these are just in the western scales, you have to completely retune instruments to play indian and middle eastern scales as far as I am aware.

Not necessarily. "Eastern" music uses the same notes as "Western" music, but sometimes these are pitch bent into quarter tones, hence why a lot of African, Eastern European, Jewish, Middle Eastern, Indian/Asian and Oriental music is played on stringed instruments - it's easy to bend the strings; this is not possible on a piano really. The scale intervals are wider in some non European countries, hence in part the different sound;

e.g.

E major scale:

E F# Ab A B C# Eb E

E major Indian style raga (typically played over an E drone);

E Ab (Bb) B Eb E

I think the key point to remember is that each person's conception and understanding of music theory is different and constantly changing. Beethoven is no more "right" about music than Stevie Wonder is - we all have our own personal interpretations and a good rule of thumb is that if it sounds right, it is right. I just thought I would throw this in the ring because it seems like a lot of people are worried about whether they've got a handle on music theory and I personally wouldn't want anyone to feel held back by it. Of the world's musicians, probably about 90% have no concept of music theory; they learn from listening to and observing others; so the best thing you can do for yourself as a musician is just to keep listening to and enjoying music!

Hope this helps. [/b]

[camelotsound]

We just posted a FREE Artist/BPM/Title list of over 55,000 records on our harmonic mixing website in the SERVICES section. Check it out!

[Horza]

This may sound a bit harsh, but is you're not musical you really shouldn't dj. Unless of course you can get a job in an American prison camp spinning records as a means of torture (I heard they do that a lot).

Whether you want to be a DJ or not, it doesn't depend on whether you are musically minded, if you want to spin records, go for it. It shouldn't be about whether you understand harmonics or not, thats not the point, IMO.

Gotta agree there mate, all you need to have an understanding of is a songs vibe and what other vibe would be perfect after it. Harmonic mixing is a nice touch but it ain't gonna make you a superstar if you dont have a clue about progression of a set.

Tis all about grooves & vibes anything more technical than that and its just for your own ego! (But I have to say I do like my ego!)

[spiro]

Tis all about grooves & vibes anything more technical than that and its just for your own ego! (But I have to say I do like my ego!)

right on point!

[flipw]

if only record shops showed bpm and key info for tunes

Big Up Chemical for the key and bpm stuff they provide now.
Found over half of what is my bag.

did anyone key and bpm these tunes yet?:

Cays 'Crays Digital Mystikz Remix
Digital Mystikz Haunted
Digital Mystikz Anti War Dub
Mark One Turn It Up
Conquest Forever
Mala Hunter
Mala Bury Da Bwoy
Rusko Cockney Thug
Rusko Jahova
L Wiz Girl from Codeine City
Mala Changes
Mala Forgive
Kromestar Kalawanji
Kromestar Surgery
Digital Mystikz Thief in the night
Digital Mystikz Neverland
Digital Mystikz Stuck
Mala Learn
Mala Lean Forward
Coki Officer
Coki Mood Dub
Loefah Goat Stare
Loefah Root
D1 I'm Lovin
burnin refix
I don't give a dub

[__________]

i've gotta say, mixing records in the same key is all well and good, but its often about the CHANGE in key from one tune to the next that gives a mix its energy and makes it interesting.

everyone's got a different opinion though, and every dj likes to mix differently, which is why its fun anyway!
its like comparing Vaccine's medicate on bassweight mix with one of N-type's shows, both are brilliant DJs for different reasons!

leq said john peel was a good dj, but you couldn't exactly say ''who's better, john peel or john digweed?'' because its apples and pears.

IMO you should be able to do an interesting set on one turntable anyway. there's a lot to be said for stop/start selectoring

[__________]

did anyone key and bpm these tunes yet?:

get skeng as well and do
4. kromestar - surgery
5. the bug ft. killa p & flow dan - skeng
6. kromestar - kalawanji
its nice, i like. get kalawanji to drop on the duppity duppity bit

imo, making a note of the bpms and keys of your tunes is weak! why not just get a computer to mix it for you?!

[lukki]

If so, here's what I don't get. If Tune X is written in C at 138bpm, and tune Y is also in C but at 141bpm, then surely pitching up tune X is going to change the key and it'll sound horrible.

Thats why claiming you can mix like this is total bullshit. To be able to determine what key its going to be in in relation to the the BPM of the other tunes and the key THAT record has morphed into from pitching, as well..Too much math to actually be able to do it!!

Open to someone proving me wrong, but I know tons of really talented musicians that could never even pull this off, and they can learn songs on the guitar by ear flawlessly. Would be really impressive!!

[flipw]

imo, making a note of the bpms and keys of your tunes is weak! why not just get a computer to mix it for you?!

because I enjoy mixing and it's all vinyl.
After 20 years of mixing up dance music this is a different way to try.

If so, here's what I don't get. If Tune X is written in C at 138bpm, and tune Y is also in C but at 141bpm, then surely pitching up tune X is going to change the key and it'll sound horrible.

Thats why claiming you can mix like this is total bullshit. To be able to determine what key its going to be in in relation to the the BPM of the other tunes and the key THAT record has morphed into from pitching, as well..Too much math to actually be able to do it!!

Dubstep is around 140 bpm. In that example pitching up by 1% wouldn't change the key much at all.

[sully_harmitage]

its really not hard to learn what tunes fit together when pitched and matched. so much more fun picking up a tune and stumbling on the perfect blend that using a piece of software to work it out...

[pdomino]

^^^ this.

Im hearing lots about mixing in key at the moment because of the software 'dj' wagon .... but this is cheap as the software does the work.

Grab yer M.J.Cole 12's ....

[spiro]