How To DJ: How to Mix Harmonics

In this video we'll be taking a look at harmonic mixing. For a DJ harmonic mixing is all about in key, tone and feel of the tracks.

All right folks, Jonathan here. In this video, we are going to be looking a little bit more about what is known as harmonic mixing. Now, harmonic mixing for DJ is all about mixing in keys, in tone, in feel of the music as opposed to just the beat. Now, very briefly think about it. Let us see you got a DJ and they have got their best track in the world. They guarantee on make down the road. They will try their favorite track and then they think, “I do not like that. It is not very good” then they may place track to them. They listen to that and they either think, “No, I do not want it” or let us say then the two friends put that tracks together in a mix. There were some what could happen is the one track could help the other one. So, the two DJ’s thinks,”Yeah, each of these tracks are quite nice”. You can say world dwelt together in a mix. These continuity not or continuity un float not only in let us see the big matching but mainly in the actual musical content of the two tracks being caught together is very important. Another factor, let us pretend we have ten songs. Twelve in singles, ten PC programs, ten CD tracks it does not really matter. You may however just flow and loads track together and maybe they are in beat. Okay, so they are in beat but because they are not musically match the actual mix could sound trousseaus and could just sound absolutely crop. But, let say then we considered to put them together for the musical point of view as well as from beat matching them. We could take that terrible mix to mix that sounds fantastic. It could be both on CD and can be the best things in slice bread and everyone would love it. You could pile that and the crop will be built up and take originity. Also, think of it from this point of view. Maybe I think last year I do the video with regards to a bar and try to cause you to beat over with the DJ’s who may come by. I truly believe that simply because those people from years ago, they would take they do not have CDJ’s, they do not have viable tone tables probably they do not even have electricity all they have was musical instrument. For what they did, they are using these musical instrument and they took to tone the key, to feel from these musical instrument match it all together and they made a symphony and they took the polenguity. If you can all most point expressive, have the symphony as a grasp. It would sometimes stop here and it would be a lovely smooth genie that they took people off. But, let us say half way through that genie and all has sudden change the key, the tone, the feel of the symphony let’s say then all the people would listen and there they go, because it would just change completely. Another facet to think about, let say your DJ and you play another track then you see the dance floor disappearing and all of you are moving because possibly the tone, the key, the feel of the music has changed even though it does not matter let say for example you are playing rock and you are going to hip-hop. You are going to soul, you are going to R&B entire the continuity of the music is that if all the sudden music you change the key. The people might disappear because that is sometimes is what keeps to move. Right, I do beg you come because this piano is sounds the trousseaus. The only good place to these really is in the club. I am not saying clubs should have pianos like these but let us face it you know. If you have not been in to a club, where you got some drunken person and he is off free spirit. [sings song] Then you have to leave because they screw the fun and it will give the man is because he is just this and I mean I have the one’s drum and you just go over the flow. All right the first and last thing and have a listen. [music playing] I like this sound it sounds terrible. What if it is in C sharp. Like the tone notes sounds relatively this is a new sounds but let us put notes together and have a listen. [music playing] The C-sharp sticking so I apologized. Now you imagine you are playing one track at C and another track at C-sharp. Then let us say the melody is still playing from the track that is in C and the melody comes in from C-sharp. You put this two together it could sound and have and now and listen. But, let say you play the track at C-sharp and all this time that track finishes with just a beat and then the C-sharp track just starts for the beat and you mix just a beat together you could probably get away with it. But have a listen to this. Let’s say C then we go to E. Then let us try this two together. Now, they works so no words you have tracked number one in C, tracked number two in E and you put the melodies of those two together and just some of these just not a lot happening to the melody theoretically those two would work together but also what’s happening is your building the continuity of the actual set. Now, have a listen. [music playing] So, what actually building the sound the feel of the set as opposed to doing something like this. [music playing] Also, exactly the same applies when you are going down the scale as well. Now, this is the important part about what is noticed harmonic mixing it is keeping the continuity of the tone , the key, the feel of you mixed. Now, hope this is been a help as usual I do not want to fly over. Practice and enjoy. Thank you very much.