Key-pair transition

Mixing from 11A to 9A

A strong energy drop down a whole step — use it to reset the floor after peaks or frame a breakdown.

From

11AF♯ Minor

High Energy Drain

❄️❄️

9AE Minor

11A tracks

18,330

9A tracks

25,719

Best chemistry

92%

Tier

Energy

Tracks

Best chemistry

Tier

Energy

What this transition feels like

Moving from 11A (F♯ Minor) to 9A (E Minor) pulls the harmonic center down by a whole step, creating an immediate sense of descent and release. The audience perceives a deliberate comedown: tension eases, the track feels grounded and introspective. This is a mechanical energy drain — not a clash, but a controlled step backward on the wheel that works best when you want to signal a shift in intensity rather than sustain momentum.

Example transitions from the catalog

Top chemistry-scored pairs where the outgoing track is in 11A and the incoming is in 9A. Evaluated 1,600 candidate pairs.

92%High Energy Drain

FATHER (feat. Travis Scott)

Kanye West

819A

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

92%High Energy Drain

Blackberries - Extended Mix

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

92%High Energy Drain

Ease My Mind - Odd Mob Extended Remix

Chris Lake

13011A

One More (feat. Ad-Apt) - Extended Mix

Max Styler

1289A

BPM±2.0

Energy=

Pitch ±2.0 BPM

91%High Energy Drain

TOO COOL TO BE CARELESS - Extended Mix

BPM±1.0

Energy=

Pitch ±1.0 BPM

91%High Energy Drain

Too Late - Extended Mix

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

91%High Energy Drain

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

91%High Energy Drain

Waiting All Night (feat. Ella Eyre)

Rudimental

8711A

Lost Mi Head - Extended

Majistrate

889A

BPM±1.0

Energy=

Pitch ±1.0 BPM

90%High Energy Drain

CORAÇAO - 20th Anniversary Mix

Jerry Ropero

12611A

ECHOES - Extended Mix

RE\MIND

1259A

BPM±1.0

Energy=

Pitch ±1.0 BPM

Sound profile shift

Average across all 11A and 9A tracks in the catalog. The difference between the two shapes is what your audience hears across the transition.

11A · F♯ Minor

9A · E Minor

Outline = where you start. Filled shape = where you land. Bigger gaps mean a more dramatic mood shift for the dancefloor.

BPM landscape

Just 1 BPM apart at the median — small pitch nudge gets you there cleanly.

11A · F♯ Minor65–175 BPM · median 126

9A · E Minor65–175 BPM · median 125

How to mix this transition

Plan a 16–32 bar blend to let the new key settle without jarring the room. Start bringing in the 9A track's bass and kick during a breakdown or at a phrase boundary in 11A, using a high-pass filter on the incoming track to avoid mud during the overlap. EQ-kill the low-mid body of 11A as you push 9A's fundamentals forward; the step-down nature of this move means the two keys will sit uneasily if both are full-bodied. Avoid dropping the new track in on a peak — the energy drain only reads as intentional if the floor is already in a receptive state.

Common mistakes

Don't bring in 9A at full presence while 11A is still driving the kick — the step-down will sound like a mistake, not a choice.
Don't neglect the low end during overlap — the whole-step interval can muddy if both bass lines are active.
Don't use this move mid-surge; it only lands in a breakdown or cool-down context.

When this transition lands best

Post-peak breakdown
Second-hour energy reset
Before a vocal-led section
Warm-down into the final hour

Genres in this pair

11A

Trance (Main Floor)
Breaks / Breakbeat / UK Bass
Tech House
Minimal / Deep Tech
Dubstep

Drum & Bass
Dubstep
Trance (Main Floor)
Breaks / Breakbeat / UK Bass
Minimal / Deep Tech

Artists with tracks in both keys

Names worth queuing — they routinely produce in both keys, so their catalogs give you ready-made pairings.

Drake2 · 1
Doechii1 · 1

Related transitions

Reverse

9A11A

High Energy Boost

Also try

11A1A

High Energy Boost

Also try

11A2A

Parallel Key Upper

Also try

11A3A

FAQ

Is mixing from 11A to 9A safe?⌄

High Energy Drain. Strong drop — great for breakdowns or warm-down phases.

What does the 11A → 9A transition sound like?⌄

What BPM range works for 11A to 9A?⌄

11A tracks median 126 BPM; 9A median 125 BPM. Pairs at similar BPMs work without pitch adjustment.

When in a DJ set should I use 11A → 9A?⌄

Best moments: Post-peak breakdown, Second-hour energy reset, Before a vocal-led section, Warm-down into the final hour.

Plan a chemistry-scored set