Key-pair transition

Mixing from 8A to 6A

A strong energy drop ideal for signaling a breakdown or cool-down phase within the same minor tonality.

From

8AA Minor

High Energy Drain

❄️❄️

6AG Minor

8A tracks

35,232

6A tracks

27,943

Best chemistry

92%

Tier

Energy

Tracks

Best chemistry

Tier

Energy

What this transition feels like

Moving from 8A (A Minor) to 6A (G Minor) drops you two steps down the wheel while staying in the minor mode. The audience hears a darkening of pitch and a noticeable loss of forward momentum—the harmonic tension softens, and the groove feels heavier and more introspective. This is a deliberate energy drain, not a crash; it reads as intentional deceleration rather than a jarring cut.

Example transitions from the catalog

Top chemistry-scored pairs where the outgoing track is in 8A and the incoming is in 6A. Evaluated 1,600 candidate pairs.

Score your own pair

92%High Energy Drain

Come Alive - Grafix Remix

Netsky

878A

Midnight Sun - Extended Mix

Kanine

876A

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

92%High Energy Drain

Too Fast - Extended Mix

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

91%High Energy Drain

Silence feat. Sarah McLachlan - John Summit Extended Remix

Delerium

1338A

Savana - Extended Mix

Chris Lake

1326A

BPM±1.0

Energy=

Pitch ±1.0 BPM

91%High Energy Drain

BPM±1.0

Energy=

Pitch ±1.0 BPM

91%High Energy Drain

Holding On - Extended Mix

Friction

878A

Love Me Again (Again)

John Newman

876A

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

91%High Energy Drain

More To Life - Extended Mix

Franky Rizardo

1288A

Nun Major (feat. OTXBOYZ) [Disco Lines & TOBEHONEST Extended Remix]

Shoreline Mafia

1286A

BPM0

Energy±6%

No pitch needed — BPMs match

91%High Energy Drain

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

91%High Energy Drain

Dyoka - Extended Mix

Gan

1208A

Loosen Up - Extended Mix

Preston Harris

1206A

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

Sound profile shift

Average across all 8A and 6A tracks in the catalog. The difference between the two shapes is what your audience hears across the transition.

8A · A Minor

6A · G 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.

8A · A Minor65–172 BPM · median 125

6A · G Minor65–175 BPM · median 126

How to mix this transition

Execute this transition over 8–16 bars to let the pitch shift settle without disorienting the floor. Begin your EQ kill on the outgoing 8A track around the 4-bar mark, rolling off highs and mids to create space for the incoming 6A groove. Bring in the new track's kick and bass on a phrase boundary—ideally at the start of a 4- or 8-bar section—so the lower pitch anchors cleanly. Avoid stacking a BPM drop on top of this key move; if you're already lowering energy via pitch, keep the tempo steady or shift it separately to avoid a disjointed feel.

Common mistakes

Don't rush the blend; a fast crossfade will make the pitch drop feel abrupt rather than controlled.
Avoid killing all low-end on the outgoing track too early—let the bass carry through the transition so the new key doesn't sound isolated.
Don't layer both kicks during the overlap; swap them cleanly to avoid muddiness in the low end.

When this transition lands best

Post-peak breakdown
Second-hour energy reset
Before a stripped-down vocal section

Genres in this pair

Minimal / Deep Tech
Trance (Main Floor)
Tech House
Techno (Peak Time / Driving)
Deep House

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

The Weeknd1 · 2
Skepta1 · 1
[IVY]1 · 1

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8A4A

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8A5A

FAQ

Is mixing from 8A to 6A safe?⌄

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

What does the 8A → 6A transition sound like?⌄

What BPM range works for 8A to 6A?⌄

8A tracks median 125 BPM; 6A median 126 BPM. Pairs at similar BPMs work without pitch adjustment.

When in a DJ set should I use 8A → 6A?⌄

Best moments: Post-peak breakdown, Second-hour energy reset, Before a stripped-down vocal section.

Plan a chemistry-scored set