Guides

Straight answers about key, tempo and tuning: how to find them, what they mean, and what to do with them once you have them.

• 432 Hz vs 440 Hz: what the tuning difference actually does

  Tuning to A = 432 Hz lowers every note by about 31.8 cents, under a third of a semitone. What that changes, where 440 came from, and what the claims skip.

• Harmonic mixing: how to mix in key as a DJ

  How to mix in key: the four safe key moves, the riskier energy jumps, how the pitch fader shifts a track's key, and when to ignore key and trust your ears.

• How to find the BPM of a song

  Find the BPM of a song by timing 32 beats, tapping along, lining it up in your DAW, or running it through a tempo detector. Plus the half and double trap.

• How to find the key of a song (by ear, instrument or software)

  Find the key of a song by humming the home note, checking the third, and testing the scale. Plus how chords, bass lines and key detection software help.

• How to fine-tune a sample in cents

  What cents are, how to measure how far a sample is off A440, and how to fine-tune it (or the rest of your beat) so everything sits in tune.

• How to flip a sample

  How to flip a sample into a beat: chopping it into slices, re-sequencing the chops, filtering, re-pitching and layering until the loop becomes something new.

• How to match a sample to your beat's key and tempo

  Fit a sample to your beat's key and BPM: when to time-stretch and when to repitch, how many semitones to move, and the maths that links pitch to tempo.

• How to tag key and BPM for Rekordbox, Serato and Traktor

  Which tag fields hold key and BPM in mp3, aiff and flac files, how to write them in bulk, and how to get Rekordbox, Serato and Traktor to read them properly.

• How to tap tempo (and when it lies)

  How to tap tempo accurately: what to tap on, how many taps you need, the maths behind the number, and the five situations where tap tempo gives a wrong BPM.

• How to time delay and reverb to the BPM, with a tempo chart

  Which delay and reverb times suit a song's tempo: dotted eighths, triplets, pre-delay and decay, with a chart for common BPMs and the formula behind it.

• Lo-fi hip hop BPM and key: what tempo and key to use

  Lo-fi hip hop usually runs 70 to 90 BPM with jazzy seventh chords. Why detectors read it as 150, and why its key and tuning are so often off.

• Relative major and minor keys: all 12 pairs

  Every relative major and minor key pair in one table, how to find the relative minor of any key in two seconds, and why the two keys sound so different.

• The Camelot wheel explained: every key and its code

  What the Camelot wheel is, a chart of all 24 keys with their codes (8A is A minor, 8B is C major), and which codes mix together without clashing.

• What BPM are house and techno?

  House usually runs 118 to 130 BPM and techno 125 to 150. Subgenre tempos, how to mix between them, and why a detector sometimes reads 64 on a 128 track.

• What BPM is boom bap?

  Boom bap usually sits between 85 and 95 BPM, with a wider range of 80 to 100. Why swing matters more than the number, and why detectors sometimes read 180.

• What BPM is drill? UK, Chicago and New York drill tempos

  UK and New York drill mostly sit at 138 to 145 BPM; Chicago drill is slower. How drill differs from trap at the same tempo, and why detectors read it as 70.

• What BPM is drum and bass? Jungle, liquid and neuro tempos

  Drum and bass runs at about 160 to 180 BPM, with most modern tracks at 170 to 176 and 174 the usual choice. Subgenre tempos, and why tools read 87.

• What BPM is R&B? Typical tempos by style

  Most R&B sits between 60 and 110 BPM. Typical tempos for slow jams, neo-soul, new jack swing and trap-soul, plus why your BPM reader says 140.

• What BPM is trap?

  Trap usually sits between 130 and 160 BPM, most often 140 to 150, but it feels like 65 to 80. Why both numbers are right and which one to set in your DAW.

• What key is this sample in? How to find the key of a loop

  How to find the key of a sample or loop: when a key detector works, when you need a tuner, why short loops fool everyone, and what to do about detuning.

• What key should I make my beat in?

  No key is best for a beat, but some are more practical: minor vs major, where your 808 root lands, the singer's range, and keys that suit guitar and keys.

• Where to find samples for beats

  Where producers find samples for beats: records, YouTube, sample packs and libraries, plus sample clearance basics and what each source lets you release.

• Why is my BPM half or double? Half-time vs double-time

  Why BPM detectors report 70 instead of 140 or 174 instead of 87, how to tell which tempo is right by ear, and how to fix it in your DJ software or DAW.

• Why key finders disagree (and which answer to trust)

  Why key detection tools give different answers for the same track: relative keys, fifths, modes, drums, key changes, tuning, notation and the strength figure.

• Why old records sound out of tune (and aren't at 440 Hz)

  Old records drift off A440 because tape machines, lathes and turntables ran fast or slow, and varispeed was used on purpose. A 1% speed change is 17 cents.