Mobile DJ Always Mix in Key to Keep People on the Dance Floor

0:00 This really is targeted for the mobile DJ, the commercial mobile DJ

Alright guys, a few days ago I did a video on keeping people on the dance floor. Now this is another one. This really is targeted for the mobile DJ, the commercial mobile DJ. This isn't anything, it is a little bit to do with the club DJ or someone who likes to play techno, dark and dreary, rainy night, in a marquee at a rave, but mainly it's for your mobile DJ. Alright, now let's imagine this scenario. You're at a gig, you're playing the top 40 tune, banging out a really good tune, all of a sudden you bring in another top 40 tune. Not only that, it's the same style and genre, yet the dance floor disappears. People just walk away. Why is it? Well, it is very likely because that track you brought in is not in key.

1:27 It's about the musical notes of the track

Now, if you're not familiar with mixing in key, I suggest that is the next thing you do. Even before you start mixing in key, you start mixing in key. Even before going to the toilet. After watching this video, stop everything, even if your house is burning down. Just say, wait a minute, I need to look up mixing in key. Now, there's something out there called the Camelot wheel, go and check that out. Also, if you're using Serato, Traktor, Virtual DJ or Rekordbox or any other software, you may notice along the top bar where you've got your title artist and track, you can, if you click on that by the way, now this doesn't apply to all software. But if you right click on that bar, you should get a drop down menu. And in that menu, you can add different tags. One of them should be the key.

Now, that's very important because that will give you the key of the track. So what is the key of the track? Well, it's about the musical notes of the track. So to put it very simply, if you've got a certain amount of musical notes in one track and you try and mix in another song, whether it be a beat match or just a chop. Now, if you have different musical notes that are not compatible with the first track, then it's going to sound off and terrible. On the other hand, if you mix compatible notes, it's going to work really well. Now, there are many ways of mixing in key, but there are four very basic ways. The first one is when you mix the next track in in exactly the same key. So the flow is pretty much like that. It's a line, a nice flow transition from one track to the other.

2:35 Maybe when you bring a key

The next one is when you maybe rise a key. Harmonically, of course. In other words, the two tunes work harmonically musically together. You're going to get a nice lift. The third one is maybe when you bring a key in a track that's slightly lower and more of a down tempo kind of key from the one that's playing. You're going to have a nice or steady decrease in the vibe and energy of the room. The fourth one is what we don't want, which is pretty much when you drop a clangor. So imagine you're playing a track in time. One phrase, you bring another one, bang on the money, straight in time in phrase with the first one. But they are not musically compatible. That's when you're going to get a definite change in the whole feel of the room and potentially that is the point when people are going to look around and leave the dance floor.

If you're not convinced, try it. So don't forget, mix in key. Practice and enjoy. If you like this hat, it's fleece. It is a Stormtrooper and my other half makes them, Yvette Brooks. And if you're interested in getting one of these, you're probably too late now for this year but you can get one for next year. Go and check out her Wonderbugs page on Facebook. There will be a link right down there. Go and private message her and get one ordered. Of course they are for sale, they're handmade and she will send them anywhere around the world. Practice and enjoy. Thank you.

This transcript was produced automatically from the audio of the video and may contain mistakes.