Home › The Camelot wheel
The Camelot wheel writes the 24 musical keys as clock positions: 1 to 12, each with an A (minor) and B (major) flavor. Two tracks whose codes sit next to each other on the wheel share most of their notes — which is the whole secret of harmonic mixing.
Neighboring positions differ by a perfect fifth — the closest key relationship in Western harmony. That's why the wheel works: moving one step keeps six of seven scale tones in common.
From any code, four moves are safe. Same code (8A → 8A): identical key, seamless. ±1, same letter (8A → 7A or 9A): up or down a fifth, the classic energy shift. Same number, switch letter (8A → 8B): relative minor to major or back — same notes, different mood. Everything else shares fewer tones and risks a clash, though bold jumps (+2 for an energy lift) are a known trick when the outgoing track is percussive.
| Code | Major (B) | Code | Minor (A) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | B major | 1A | A♭ minor |
| 2B | F♯ major | 2A | E♭ minor |
| 3B | D♭ major | 3A | B♭ minor |
| 4B | A♭ major | 4A | F minor |
| 5B | E♭ major | 5A | C minor |
| 6B | B♭ major | 6A | G minor |
| 7B | F major | 7A | D minor |
| 8B | C major | 8A | A minor |
| 9B | G major | 9A | E minor |
| 10B | D major | 10A | B minor |
| 11B | A major | 11A | F♯ minor |
| 12B | E major | 12A | C♯ minor |
Open Key notation, used by some DJ software, is the same idea with the same geometry — only the labels differ (8A in Camelot is 1m in Open Key).
Your key travels with your track: DJ pools and playlist curators filter by it, remixers ask for it, and sped-up or slowed edits shift it. Publishing the correct code removes one small reason for a DJ to skip your record. The code is measurable from the audio itself — no theory required.
Beat-tracked tempo and Krumhansl key detection, with the Camelot code included in every result.
Measure my key and BPM — freeMeasure it. Upload your track to the free key & BPM finder — key detection runs Krumhansl profile matching on the actual audio and returns the key with its Camelot code.
No — percussive sections, long blends through outros, and deliberate key jumps all work without it. The wheel is a map, not a law; it tells you where the smooth roads are.
8A is A minor, 8B is C major — relative keys. They contain the same seven notes, so they mix seamlessly, but the tonal center and mood differ.
Independently, yes: repitching a track to match tempo without keylock shifts its key. A 6% tempo change moves pitch about a semitone — enough to move one Camelot position.
Key, Camelot code and tempo, measured from your file.
The three strongest 15-second windows in your track.
Your sound, ranked against real editorial lineups.