DJ Tutorial: Learn Harmonic Mixing w/ DJ Endo

[@Dtroy93]

Endo, this is a great tutorial, really opening my mind to a better way or mixing. And forget these people stuck in the past. Let them continue to cry about the good old days when dj's we're breaking their backs lugging around crates of vynil, this is the future and my Traktor Kontrol s4 and laptop is all I need :)

[@MrTaisoul]

All you guys complaining that this is not needed are buggin. I've been mixing since the 90s and the best DJs back then cataloged their vinyl by key and BPM. It was a must in any large collection. It took forever (unless you were diligent and did it when you purchased your records). Having the power of software to do this is freakin awesome. Half you guys claiming you are "Old School" because you do it by ear are full of it. I'm old school because I'm OLD. Lol. I have a great ear for pitch to (I produce as well). I can do it by ear but with a huge collection sorting is more efficient. I prefer to let the software do keying. It's a task NOT A SKILL. And just because your key is on point does not mean you will rock the crowd. The art of DJing is about reading the crowd and having great selection, programing and edits (Now called mash-ups)!! PROGRAMING AND EDITS ARE THE LOST ART. Even beat matching is a task. It was a skill but it's no longer needed. I still do it though because it just makes me feel good. Lol. Stop bitchin and start wowing people with your selection and timing. Take them on a trip already!

[@iljab3557]

i agree, but the problem is: much of the analyzed files have a wrong key look at this: www.djtechtools.com/2014/01/14/key-detection-software-comparison-2014-edition/

[@mariocamino5436]

Ilja Boor I hear you llja Boor but so what? So it's not perfect. 99% it's on point enough for me. I use my ears at the end of the day anyway. That's just natural to me. It's not rocket science. This just saves time. If a track is not working then I don't play that track. Simple. The software allows you to override the key and store it also. I'm lazy so i don't but you can. I just think people are over thinking this shit. The software works. I back it up. I've been mixing since 1987. DJs, performers, lighten up! Not only does it work pretty damn well. It's cheap! AND The developer has never charged me for an update. Come on you cynical bastards! LMAO. You know what? I changed my mind. Don't use it. I'll just stand out. NOTE: This is not directed at anyone in particular.

[@daveslow84]

WORD!

[@inthydreams911]

Been using harmonic mixing for awhile, but I didn't realize you skip keys to build energy. Pretty awesome stuff, thank you! Wow this mashup with the shpongle and everything is awesome!

[@Daencker]

Great tutorial. So simple. You can also mix in key with a diagonal key from the wheel ex: 1B -> 2A, 5B -> 6A, 10B -> 11A etc. So it works when minor key is one camelot step lower than major key and major key is one camelot step higher than minor key. Like 2A -> 1B, 6A -> 5B, 11A -> 10B. I have also experienced that all minor keys can sound harmonic together as you mentioned with the higher energy boosts from 12A to 2A, 9A and 7A. They can all work, but not every time. Same with major keys.

[@neilmobile22]

easily one of the best youtube channels out there!

[@meneerproduceer]

Great video, an eyeopener. Youve explained music theory better than my teacher could ever. Thank you. I could not find a crack of Mixed in Key that worked with Win 7 Ultimate, however I found a FREEWARE program called Keyfinder, which does the same thing. This trick improved my mixes by factor 2. thanx again !

[@pornmeister75]

Thanks a cameLOT ;-) really helped my mixing sounds soooo much better!! And today you don't need mixed in key, Traktor has it now also build in.....

[@beattzzz]

Great video. Also, props for using a track by a little-known 90s dance group from Melbourne. I wasnt sure if anyone outside of Australia had ever heard of the original Pendulum :)

[@cordeezyt]

your videos are mad helpful, you do a good job explaining things using examples.

[@cuervacho]

You are a generous man, sharing all these tricks. For someone who has studied music, this particular tip might sound super basic (this is like the ABC of composition), but what a useful tip it is, nevertheless! Thanks!

[@RoyClaessen]

This video actually pushes me to do more research and go even deeper with my music. Thanks great video and dont even mind the haters!

[@dubspot]

Glad we could help. Thanks for tuning in!

[@69foxx]

@TheDenzalos Endo's key change suggestions will work the same for A and B keys - they are very closely related musically. Endo probably uses minor keys in his examples as he said most of his tracks are in minor keys. Major keys tend to sound uplifting, and minor keys usually have a more mellow or sophisticated sound. To answer your Q's 1) yes 3 steps anti clockwise + move from B to A ring. 2) sounds OK, sounds a bit dissonant or mysterious tho. 3) yes both semi-tone or tone up sound OK in major.

[@KeithOcean]

Sure I'll share, and by the way great vid man. The 100% free software I dug up is called Rapid Evolution 3 or RE3 -it does a decent job at finding (the correct)keys and tagging ect. but I'm sure the U.I. is not as user friendly as the mixed in key software. Also I take back the statement about 'mixed in key fools'(clearly they are smart peeps) + that's not my style to downgrade others to make a point, and I agree with you man that their software is top of the line and saves a ton of time/work.

[@johnnyrocket2146]

good stuff man. easy to understand.... def looking forward to taking my mixing up a notch.

[@degs24]

Very helpful and easy to follow tutorial. Thanks.

[@rsjokes]

Good video mate, I already got this stuff, but it's good to reinforce the knowledge

[@Puzzle_Dust]

@DeeJayEndo your totally right man!

[@joscros77]

Go have a look at several of the vids on beat grids. Endo and Ean Golden have posted good ones on preparing your tracks in order to use sync effectively.

[@watchlp5]

very nice. KEEP CALM AND WATCH DUBSPOT

[@apeiron80]

@DeeJayEndo and @TheEverettRyan I agree with you about being a good DJ, you need more than sync …..But I like to keep time, listening the tracks, find out witch works great together. Preparing a setlist from 0 to 10. That is the beautiful thing of djing. (and mixing in clubs of course ;-) ) And my meaning about harmonic mixing is that you have help for this part. Only that!

[@markbrown9771]

Mixed in key and Traktor use two different systems. One is the system mention in this vid and the other is called Open Key Notation. They work the same way just using different letters, personally i have used Traktors one and it works great for me but i have no experience with Mixed in key. Hope this helps!

[@bcgelandewagen]

clear concise tutorial. Very helpful!

[@starvinmarvin305]

Tiesto uses this method! Omg Good tutorial man!

[@forestknauff14]

Really cool. Learned a lot about the Camelot System.

[@DeeJayEndo]

Who are you calling a noob? I've been DJing for 12 years, started only on vinyl. Going back to my mixes I made 10 years ago, they were actually in key before I even knew about harmonic mixing. A good DJ will know what goes well together "by ear" but this is a system that will help you find tracks that go well together harmonically QUICKLY. In the digital world this is an amazing tool. I guarantee if you try the software out it will change your life.

[@rahulanand0101]

thank you! sounds great!

[@sonicallyno]

great video mate, thanks for the upload.

[@TrevorTV]

This is a very well done tutorial, nice job.

[@weirdleather]

Thanks for the video, this helps a ton

[@DeeJayEndo]

@TheEverettRyan Great to hear! Mixing Harmonically will definitely help you stand out in the DJ world. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@brandonunger1689]

damn, I'm still learning more and more in Traktor thanks to videos like these. incredible

[@kingklabe]

Definitely a good idea if you play mainly melody-based tracks.

[@eltonjohnson]

I tried running Mixed In Key and it peed all over my catalogue. I'd say it got about 30% accurate. I went back, checked each song against a piano, which got 100% of the tracks correct. Proceed w/ caution on software like this.

[@nuravvoc4794]

thanks buds blessings toya for posting zeen

[@DeeJayEndo]

I am a Berklee graduate and classically trained. I know music theory trust me ;-) However when your dealing with thousands of tracks in your library, this is a great tool for narrowing down your collection and getting to the tracks that will mix harmonically faster.

[@rhythmfield]

Good stuff Endo & Dubspot, NY Stufent here, keep up the good work. 5 years on this vid still pertains

[@TheOverReal]

awesome, thank you!

[@moisespamisa965]

Your an Angel man. Thank You :)

[@garciavicmanuel]

it's 3:00 am. So glad I found your video. learned a lot in just a few minutes. awesome job. thank you so much.

[@DeeJayEndo]

I hope this kept you up the rest of the night listening to awesome key combinations with your tracks!

[@diegopinedao]

thanks for the good info

[@helmettilt96]

Nice vid keep them coming!

[@DeeJayEndo]

Harmonic Mixing is great for ANY genre of music, even genres like techno which are mostly percussion. It actually finds the general key of tracks with all drums. For hip hop its amazing.

[@ffernandez16]

thank you for this vid

[@YoshiExcel]

@TheDubsteck If you have a keyboard you can use that to manually find keys of your tracks and it is much more accurate than Mixed In Key... If you want a free program, try Rapid Evolution 3. In my opinion its not as good as MiK5, but pretty damn good for being free. good luck.

[@JohanBrodd]

I'm actually writing my album so the tracks match harmonicly with each other. This is a really awesome mixing technique. Not that I'm a DJ, but I tend to work the same way.

[@neopandorex2]

@Splurgeyourheadoff also.. u might not always want to sound polished... being ghetto on the twin decks can actually bring a lot of heat to a mix... but yeah most djs do it without having a name for it... the cool thing about the vid is that it explains a method..

[@fajarnurmajid5319]

thanks a lot, very useful

[@deejaysoulution]

great tutorial

[@joachimvanhulle]

good explenation, thanks!

[@DeeJayEndo]

Amen brother. Preach! Thanks for writing and for your comment.

[@bAdDA5z]

awesome video. thanks

[@DeeJayEndo]

@thefishdog this is true. If 2 tracks that are in the same key are raised or lowered by 6% then they are a half step apart from each other. If you play tracks that are similar BPM's then the system works. I am posting a new article soon on the Dubspot Blog on my system of mixing Harmonically without using Key Lock. Stay tuned!

[@thomaschazot]

this is genius thanks a lot !!

[@DavisB777]

great stuff

[@vuongquang007]

thanks you alot.

[@niladribapi]

Mixed-in Key is good, but I find Rapid evolution to be great. It is FREE too.

[@robert.melter]

big ups for Extrawelt in the playlist ;)

[@fissoleouf23]

The final mix is ... stuning !

[@DeeJayEndo]

❤️

[@JohnVandivier]

great advice man

[@DeeJayEndo]

@TheNolimits29 What I was referring to is going up one half step, which is one note on the piano. So you can go from a B to a C because there is no black key in between those two notes. Also you can go from an E to an F (No black note inbetween those notes either). If there is a black note in between the notes, or if the next note is a white note, you can use that key (ex F to F# or C# to D). Each time you go up a half step, this adds 7 to the number on the camelot wheel.

[@JohnLaFosse]

This type of information makes or breaks a DJ. Without your lost.

[@AtomicArcherGuy]

Nope. This information isn't 100% necessary for DJs. I would know. Over 1000 shows with no harmonic mixing. Got by on being good at reading a crowd, selecting good music and MC skills for my weddings and nightclub performances. If you can't use a mic, you're a broken DJ. If you can't get people dancing because your song selection sucks, you are a broken DJ. If you can't read a crowd, you might get lucky a couple times. If you can't mix harmonically, oh well. If they dance, they dance.

[@JohnLaFosse]

Christopher Rees Apples and oranges. It depends.

[@AtomicArcherGuy]

I disagree. If you have the other skills in your repertoire, you don't need harmonic mixing to add to the list. Its just an excellent 1up.

[@JohnLaFosse]

Christopher Rees By typing apples and oranges I do not mean that I'm polar opposite in this argument that I don't feel is one to begin with nor do I feel I am neutral. Harmonic mixing is another avenue for creating crowd energy thru technical methods and without experience and practice sure it can not work. In essence both avenues are interesting but not studying music and how it is broken down doesn't make one a better DJ because it is popular. Understanding why a transition is dissonant and why it is smooth is an afterthought. DJ's come in prepared with tunes they know work together and for many it is really well thought out and so the mixes are already harmonically mixed by just being natural. I spent 5 years in Boston niteclubs as a barback, a buser and a lighting operator. And all I did was listen. I tried my hand at spinning and was terrible at it. It is a talent and harmonic mixing can dramatically improve a DJ looking to improve their skills but it is simply bad advice to not explore it. It is liken to telling a musician not to learn ear training.

[@AtomicArcherGuy]

Oh, I was just saying that it doesn't depend because djs used to get by without all this information and technology.

[@ElectrikBear]

@DeeJayEndo thanks for the response! great video btw

[@DDaniels3000]

Love this helps so much, and using this technique with Push makes it even easier, find my self just jammin to songs more lol

[@DINO92AVFC]

I'm using Traktor's key detection since it exists. To verify if key is right, first I try to find song on Beatport and read the key in song's info, otherwise I do it by ear.

[@Kriziun]

good video, helped a lot :) thx another question would be i saw that u have some nice house kinda deep house tunes? the one u played tony lionni and some of the "4 deck action". How do u find these artists or where do u get the music, rly loved it and for me its so hard to find such nice music in this genre, cause i don't know how or where to look, don't know really good artists :/

[@DeeJayEndo]

Thanks for watching man! Algoriddim is a GREAT program. I love it for fun. Its not a pro DJ application but definitely a ton of fun. Check out my Harmonic Mixing study I did on the Dubspot Blog to see how accurate DJay is compared to other key detection programs. Search for "Endo's Key Detection Study" to see all the results in full detail. In Traktor you just turn key lock on and then turn the "Key" knob to change the pitch chromatically.

[@nirson123]

amazing

[@DeeJayEndo]

@VVooDz To get the tags to update, Right click on the Track Collection and choose "Check Consistancy". Or you can select a group of tracks and right click and choose "Edit", then hit the "OK" button WITHOUT TYPING ANYTHING IN, and all the tags will update. The other way is to double click on the track title and the tags will update just for that song. Also keep in mind there is a dedicated "Key" field in Traktor that Mixed in Key can write into. Choose this option in the mixed in key preferences

[@OfficialPraxis]

Hey Dubspot! This is a great vid for starters. I used to use djay by algoriddim & now i'm beginning with Traktor Pro. In the djay Mac software you can manually change the key of a track using a simple "+ or -" function to either go up or down chromatically. Is there a way of doing this type of action on Traktor Pro 2.5??

[@DeeJayEndo]

@BraylenTV Yes it will work in Serato Itch because you can write into the Comments, Artist Name, or Track Title which will show up in Serato

[@raheemandroll]

good job bro its helpful

[@rupertshean]

remember that clashing is sometimes good also

[@DeeJayEndo]

@khoafilm I would suggest analyzing your music before even importing / playing it in Traktor or iTunes. The way to update the tags in Traktor is to select the tracks in the track collection (you can batch select), right click on the list or track and choose "Edit" - LEAVE EVERYTHING BLANK - DO NOT CHECK ANYTHING - then hit "OK". It will refresh the tags and the keys will show up like magic :)

[@DeeJayEndo]

@yann27 You can change that in the mixed in key preferences. Go to View - Key System - and change it to Camelot Keys

[@DeeJayEndo]

The setting is in Mixed in Key. Go to the Mixed in Key Preferences - Update Tags - Check "Update Common Tags", Make sure "Update Custom Initial Key Tag" is checked. Then go to preferences - Key Notation and choose "Camelot"

[@FrogoHelps]

very informative great video!!! this video makes me more motivated

[@DeeJayEndo]

Mixed in Key is about 82% accurate for dance music (especially dance music with harmonic content). I did a study on this which will be posted soon!

[@DeeJayEndo]

@TheSoundCenter Who said we're not listening to our music? To be honest with the amount of music I buy on a regular basis, we don't have time anymore to test out each track with all of our other records because now we have thousands of tracks compared to hundreds (vinyl). This will help us find tracks FASTER that go well with whats playing. Doesn't mean we have to stick to the rules, but its a nice tool for programming your sets and sounds great on the dance floor.

[@joshy5lo]

will you do an update with the newer traktor software?

[@DeeJayEndo]

@ElectrikBear You can choose to write the key before the file name, and you can view this in Ableton. Just be careful about renaming files because you can possibly break file paths.

[@ALTN8NRG]

Great Vid!

[@TroyP20]

Great information I will definitely be using

[@garethmillers5453]

Great Tip where you Fill out the Musical Key in the Comments section to show yourself that you have checked whether that is the actual key after working it out yourself. Thank you.

[@DeeJayEndo]

Still using this system to this day!

[@BpmSupreme]

thanks for the lesson on harmonic mixing!! great video!

[@DeeJayEndo]

Thank you BPM Supreme! Much respect!

[@DeeJayEndo]

@PhatCat009 I'm talking about both! Analyzing your tracks to find out what key their in, and then playing tracks that are in the same or complimenting keys.

[@DeeJayEndo]

To show the keys in Traktor you need to go to the Mixed in Key Preferences, click on the "Key" tab, then check the option for "Update custom "Initial Key" mp3 tag (viewable in Traktor). Then in Traktor, right click in a grey area in Traktor's browser (above all the categories) and select "Key". This will show the key column in Traktor's Browser. Just a tip: I would run all your music through mixed in key BEFORE bringing it into Traktor.

[@last808]

I just recently found out about this software, I've been mixing by ear myself, having played instruments I can cue a song and hear if it matches. I was just wondering how it deals with pitch changes since you're also changing pitch and now I see that Traktor has a key lock feature. Not sure if I'd prefer locked keys or not. I kinda like how tracks can sound different depending on tempo.

[@tomasmorey1269]

and all this digital work it was made before on the fly with bare ears, jajaja. Very good video Endo. Best,

[@DeeJayEndo]

The good DJs might find they were harmonic mixing their whole career and didn't even realize it.

[@DeeJayEndo]

@MigoiMusic - There is actually an option to show "Key" and "Track Key" in the decks. in Preferences - Deck Details. I show both so I know what the original key is, then it will tell you what key your currently in based on how fast you are playing the track (ex. +1 means your a half step up). Traktor 2 used to actually tell you the key you're in based on pitch. I have been fighting to get this feature back.

[@DeeJayEndo]

Traktor has a built in Key Lock feature, and key adjustment feature. If you turn key lock on, you can turn the key adjustment knob to adjust the key. I would only adjust the key a half step up or down though because it can start to sound funny if you change the key too drastically.

[@ttoxique]

Cool! You must be great with iTunes.

[@Willdrknght]

@ theblackfluid , I buy 90% of my music from beatport and used to just use the keys from the site but now I use MIK and from my old notes look spot on !

[@DeeJayEndo]

A good DJ will be able to know what tracks go well together, and this is usually because the Tracks are in key but there is a lot of trial and error involved even if your a veteran DJ. Sorting your tracks by key helps you find tracks that are harmonically compatible quicker.

[@DeeJayEndo]

@TheGhettostylus Not only will it find the key of any song, but it will also key short music loops... and very accurately might I add.

[@DeeJayEndo]

@iroh181 Yup there is. They are called Load Markers. I put on on every track I play.

[@DeeJayEndo]

Yes! Check out my in depth lab report on key detection with Beatport vs Traktor on the Dubspot Blog. Search for "Endo's Key Detection Study" to see all the results in full detail!

[@Hadyzahra]

Helped me a lot , THANK YOU :)

[@DeeJayEndo]

@TRANceBoy1995 Yes because even if you have absolute pitch, you can't sort your playlists by key, unless you write the keys into your tracks manually

[@DeeJayEndo]

I just did a study on the accuracy of Mixed in Key vs. Rapid Evolution, Traktor's Key Detection, Keyfinder, Rekord Box, Beatport and a couple of other key detections program. Mixed in Key is the most accurate, except for Rekord Box which beat them by 1%, but your best bet for Key Detection is to use Mixed in Key. Search for "Endo's Key Detection Study" to see all the results in full detail!

[@DeeJayEndo]

I sort my playlists by "Comments" so they are in order by key (since I use mixed in key to write the key before my comments - configurable in the mixed in key preferences). I also pick tracks based on their vibe / feel and what the crowd is reacting to, but try to keep my mixes mostly harmonic. I always run my tracks through mixed in key before importing them into itunes or Traktor. I also check them on a piano but this isn't necessary, its just my personal system.