Key & Scale Finder
Select a root note and scale to see all the notes, intervals, and compatible keys. A quick reference for writing, sampling, and mixing in key.
Using keys in production
Knowing the key of your track helps with writing melodies and chords that sound harmonically correct, choosing samples that fit your project, and mixing tracks that work together in a DJ set.
The Camelot system (used by DJs) maps musical keys to a wheel where adjacent keys are harmonically compatible. Moving up or down one number, or between major and minor on the same number, produces smooth key transitions.
Common scales for electronic music
Natural Minor — the most common scale in electronic music. Dark, moody, works for house, techno, and drum & bass.
Dorian — minor with a brighter sixth. Popular in deep house, nu-disco, and funk-influenced production.
Pentatonic Minor — five notes, hard to make sound bad. Great for leads, riffs, and vocal melodies.
For organizing your projects by key and other metadata across all your DAWs, try Mixvisor.