Key-pair transition

Mixing from 4B to 5B

A safe, upward step that adds brightness without harmonic shock — ideal for building energy through the second hour.

From

4BA♭ Major

Simple Mix Upper

🔥

5BE♭ Major

4B tracks

11,043

5B tracks

13,128

Best chemistry

98%

Tier

Safe

Tracks

Best chemistry

Tier

Safe

What this transition feels like

Moving from A♭ Major (4B) to E♭ Major (5B) lifts the harmonic center up a perfect fifth, creating an immediate sense of ascent and openness. The audience perceives a subtle brightening: E♭ Major sits higher in the frequency spectrum and carries a more luminous character than A♭ Major, even though both are major keys. This is a gentle energy push — not a jolt, but a deliberate step forward on the wheel.

Example transitions from the catalog

Top chemistry-scored pairs where the outgoing track is in 4B and the incoming is in 5B. Evaluated 1,600 candidate pairs.

Score your own pair

98%Simple Mix Upper

Control - Extended Mix

Afrojack

1304B

Keep It Burning - Extended Mix

Shiba San

1305B

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

98%Simple Mix Upper

Like I Like It

Mau P

1284B

Suelta - Extended Mix

Prophecy

1285B

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

98%Simple Mix Upper

If Only - Extended Mix

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

98%Simple Mix Upper

Summertime Blues - Extended Mix

Chris Lake

1304B

Gets Like That - Extended

Max Dean

1305B

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

97%Simple Mix Upper

You Are In My System - Philip George Extended Mix

Kerri Chandler

1324B

Do It For The Girls (feat. Jalja) [Extended Mix]

Biscits

1325B

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

97%Simple Mix Upper

Celebration - Single Version

Kool & The Gang

1214B

Young Hearts Run Free

Candi Staton

1205B

BPM±1.0

Energy=

Pitch ±1.0 BPM

96%Simple Mix Upper

Patadas de Ahogado / LATÍN MAFIA, HUMBE - Extended Rework

BPM±1.0

Energy=

Pitch ±1.0 BPM

96%Simple Mix Upper

Hell Yeah (Feat. Waxmaster)

BPM±1.0

Energy=

Pitch ±1.0 BPM

Sound profile shift

Average across all 4B and 5B tracks in the catalog. The difference between the two shapes is what your audience hears across the transition.

4B · A♭ Major

5B · E♭ Major

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

BPM landscape

Just 2 BPM apart at the median — small pitch nudge gets you there cleanly.

4B · A♭ Major65–170 BPM · median 128

5B · E♭ Major65–172 BPM · median 126

How to mix this transition

Keep the blend tight: 8–16 bars is ideal for this move, since the harmonic shift is already doing the work. Bring the incoming track (5B) in at a phrase boundary of the outgoing track (4B) — typically after a 4- or 8-bar section — to let the key change land cleanly without harmonic mud. Use a high-pass filter sweep on the outgoing track in the final 4 bars to thin it out, then swap the kick and bass in one smooth motion as you crossfade. Avoid holding both tracks' low ends simultaneously; the fifth relationship will sound muddy if you layer the fundamentals.

Common mistakes

Don't extend the blend beyond 16 bars — the harmonic lift loses impact if you're too cautious
Don't EQ-kill the incoming track before the swap; let the key change itself provide the energy lift
Don't bring in the new bass before the old one is fully out — the fifth interval will clash

When this transition lands best

Second-hour momentum build
After a breakdown into a new section
Pre-climax energy ramp

Genres in this pair

Psy-Trance
Trance (Main Floor)
Hard Dance / Hardcore / Neo Rave
Techno (Peak Time / Driving)
Progressive House

Psy-Trance
Drum & Bass
Techno (Peak Time / Driving)
Dubstep
Tech House

Artists with tracks in both keys

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

Chris Lake2 · 1
Mau P1 · 1
Nicki Minaj1 · 1

Related transitions

Reverse

5B4B

Simple Mix Lower

Also try

4B1B

Parallel Key Lower

Also try

4B2B

High Energy Drain

Also try

4B3B

FAQ

Is mixing from 4B to 5B safe?⌄

Simple Mix Upper. Subtle energy lift — the next step clockwise on the wheel.

What does the 4B → 5B transition sound like?⌄

What BPM range works for 4B to 5B?⌄

4B tracks median 128 BPM; 5B median 126 BPM. Pairs at similar BPMs work without pitch adjustment.

When in a DJ set should I use 4B → 5B?⌄

Best moments: Second-hour momentum build, After a breakdown into a new section, Pre-climax energy ramp.

Plan a chemistry-scored set