ok, i ave been spinning for about 8 months, i know how to beatmatch to precision, and i got level matching with eqs and volume down. but my question is how to key match? i know when the key of two records are close, but i don't know the actual letter. i have put together some good personal mixes and such, but i would like to know how to key match so i can open up the possiblities of mixing. i have never been taught piano or anything related to notation (not guitar...nothing)...so i was wondering is there a website that i can learn about keys and notes...or better yet a software/program that detects keys and/or notes. any help is very appreciated.

thanks
beatnik

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"People come up to me in clubs and ask, 'what's that tune?'. I push 2 channels down & say, 'is it that?'. No. I push one level up & still no. Put all 3 up & they're like 'yeah, that's it.'-It's not a record, it only exists in the mix & I may never reproduce it again. DJing is a never-ending learning curve." _ Misstress Barbara

I don't think that many people do key matching for two reasons: first, most peoples' ears aren't trained well enough that they can tell the difference between two different keys or well enough that it annoys them when pitches are off. Second, pitch changes as you adjust speed, so in order to pitch match you'd have to screw up the speed, which would defeat the beatmatching. Your only solutions, as far as I can see, are to either pick tracks of the same key or harmonically matched keys, or use your equalizers to kill bass pitches in your transitions. Either that or just ignore it and know that most people don't care as long as the change isn't to terribly off.

I have perfect pitch, so it's sometimes annoying to me when keys are different, but I've learned to ignore it in the case of mixing or listening to mixes.

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Hey Trypsin, what's going on?

Anyways.....There's no way you are going to be able to tell keys unless you play piano or are a musical genius. I was never taught piano yet I play classical music quite well (trombones represent!!!!) and I can't really tell what key is what.

But my friend can tell you exactly what key something is in almost right away and he was trained on piano.

I wish I was trained on piano because it automatically makes you proficient in ear training and composition.

I can tell you the key by looking at a passage but not from hearing it (well, I can tell you if it is major or minor or in c but that's it)

In short, noone cares about everything being in the same key. Just try not to make it glarringly obvious (for example, Don't mix a song in major with a song in some other fucked up key because you can have a perfect transistion but it will still sound off to some people).

Trypsin is right, most people out there are ignorant of keys and such so as long as the two songs are relativly close, then you will be set.

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"Laces out Dan!"-Ray Finkle

I find key-matching as a bonus. If two songs blend perfectly together key-wise when they are beatmatched, then great. Otherwise, I don't bother, because it will limit the amount of songs you can mix into the one playing. And thats no fun. :P

just make sure you work the eq's right so the basslines and melodies don't clash when the keys are different.

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jimtran.net

www.djprince.net is a good place to start.

Ray_Finkle! Nada mucho, mate. Didn't know you play 'bone... I'm a french horn man myself. Brass playaz reprazent!

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My other sig is a Gibson.

By changing the pitch control while beatmatching, you're changing the key up or down with the speed of the record.
You do notice if someone is playing in the wrong key. An easy way to check this if your playing in a band is to play your part a semitone higher than what it should be and you'll notice it sounding crap.
I think key matching is either luck, or someone has prepared 2 records that they know are key matched when beat matched.

Unless by key matched you mean not exactly the same key but matching minor keys to minor keys and major keys to major keys.

I don't think there are that many trance tracks that are written in a minor key... that would be interesting to find out, though.

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My other sig is a Gibson.

Erm... most trance tracks are in minor key...

The ones in major key are those that generally have that happy feeling (like summer anthems).

I wouldn't say luck , I mix in keys, my records are sorted by key. It's just a matter of developping a good method.

You have to have a certain musical sense to discern what key it is. I mean seriously, how many people are gonna be able to tell whether a song is in a major or it's relative minor key? I doubt many people will be able to hear the accidentals used to make a song a minor one.

and all epic trance is pretty much major.

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"Laces out Dan!"-Ray Finkle

quote:

Originally posted by Ray_Finkle You have to have a certain musical sense to discern what key it is. I mean seriously, how many people are gonna be able to tell whether a song is in a major or it's relative minor key?

What does it matter if it's the relative minor or not? Every minor scale has a relative major scale and vice versa if I'm correct.
Point is there is minor and there is major and how could recognising the 2 improve your skills as a DJ? I just think that if it sounds good then I'll be up for it.

Just off the top of my head, isn't Ferry Corstens remix of The Truth (part II) by Cosmic Gate in a minor key? Nothing else springs to mind but I'm shure the beautiful contrast of major and minor keys couldn't have been ignored by so many producers.

well most people can't. plain and simple. unless they have superb musical knowlege. how else are you gonna

a) figure out what key it is in just from hearing it

b) figure out if there are any accidentals that would then make the key minor. most people would automatically assume that the key is major however there could be accidentals which means that you have to use the relative minor.

My music theory is a little vague because I haven't taken music in awhile (read: 3 months) so if anyone can help me clarify (typsin?) then by all means go ahead.

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"Laces out Dan!"-Ray Finkle