But fundamentally, harmonic mixing is pretty straightforward. And many DJs will say that harmonic mixing is something they do intuitively, building a sense of what works through experience. Some DJs might use keys to intentionally create dissonance, or play with the energy of a room by, for example, ascending a musical scale. It’s a method of selecting tracks based on compatible keys because at root you, the DJ, like how it sounds. See what you think.Ĭould you tell the difference? Did you prefer the first mix? Does this interest you? Both track A (JazziDisciples’ “Weyo”) and track B (Kabza De Small’s “Sponono”) in this DJ mix are in the same key. I chose amapiano tracks as the style’s melodic richness makes easier to hear what’s going on. Here are two quick examples I mixed in rekordbox. (We won’t get into the weeds of the music theory behind compatible keys here it’s enough to know that the popular understanding has been that there are four possible keys you can mix into, although there are in fact six.) A likely explanation is incompatible keys, or a “key clash,” as DJs often call it. On the other hand, even if the tempos of two tracks are perfectly matched, there can be something about a mix that feels off.
It therefore follows that when a DJ mixes two tracks in the same key, or in musically related keys, it will sound… not better, necessarily, but more stable or smooth or yes, harmonic. There’s a single tonic or keynote, which can be thought of as a song’s home-we say, “This track is in C minor.” Even if we don’t know why, we get a sense of resolution when a song returns to its “home” note or chord. In Western music, most songs or tracks have a key, a set of notes that relates to a scale. Let’s pull back for a second, though, and clarify what we actually mean by harmonic mixing, while exploring some of the key questions it tends to throw up. All of the DJs we spoke to are, naturally, advocates for harmonic mixing, but they also appear to hold it lightly, knowing that ultimately the technique is a question of personal choice. People enjoy discussing its value, its necessity, and even its definition. Become the DJ you’ve always wanted to be.Like many topics in dance music, harmonic mixing, or mixing in key, as it’s also called, can spark passionate debate. Don’t be a slave to a bullshit number which only measures 85% of something which makes up less than 20% of a song’s tone, vibe, energy and quality. Play the sounds that feel right to you, in the order you want them to be played.
If you can’t make the songs work for you, the way you want them to sound, then you’re not really wielding the full power of what a DJ can do. Hide the key column in your software, LISTEN to your music, feel what sounds right, and make it work in the mix. There are so many sound and flavor combos that make a meal (or a mix) go wow, many of which “shouldn’t” work. It’s like saying you only mix green food with red food. That has to be the most incredibly and boring way to guide track selection.
Even the best software is only around 85% accurate but, more to the point, it only measures the average or root key of a track.
Harmonic mixing became a boring, lazy crutch for me. After years of harmonic mixing (and even longer DJ’ing, almost 25 years now), I’ve now become that guy.