Key-pair transition

Mixing from 9A to 3A

A shock-and-resolve move that demands precision timing — use it to jolt the room awake mid-set, never as filler.

From

9AE Minor

Tritone Jump

⚡

3AB♭ Minor

9A tracks

25,719

3A tracks

17,001

Best chemistry

89%

Tier

Advanced

Tracks

Best chemistry

Tier

Advanced

What this transition feels like

The tritone jump from E Minor to B♭ Minor creates maximum harmonic displacement: the tonal center lurches down a tritone (the most dissonant interval in Western music), yet both keys remain minor-mode anchors. The audience perceives a sudden tonal rupture—almost a false resolution—followed by a stabilizing reground in the new key. Energy stays high, but the mood darkens and destabilizes before the new track's groove reasserts control.

Example transitions from the catalog

Top chemistry-scored pairs where the outgoing track is in 9A and the incoming is in 3A. Evaluated 1,600 candidate pairs.

89%Tritone Jump

Love Songs (feat. Kosmo Kint) - Extended Mix

Prospa

1273A

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

89%Tritone Jump

Sakura

Across Boundaries

1309A

Make Me - Franky Rizardo Extended Remix

Borai & Denham Audio

1303A

BPM0

Energy±5%

No pitch needed — BPMs match

89%Tritone Jump

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

Max Styler

1289A

Fantasy - Extended Mix

RSquared

1283A

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

89%Tritone Jump

Not Gonna Be Your Boo - Extended Mix

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

80%Tritone Jump

Pedro - Extended Mix

Raffaella Carra

1509A

Pretty Green Eyes - Sunset Ibiza Mix

KETTAMA

1433A

BPM±7.0

Energy±8%

Wide BPM gap (7.0) — use a bridge or echo-out

75%Tritone Jump

Cash Out - EXTENDED MIX

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

75%Tritone Jump

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

75%Tritone Jump

No Lames - Extended Mix

TOBEHONEST

1289A

Dr Feel Right (feat. The Egyptian Lover & Rome Fortune)

The Egyptian Lover

1283A

BPM0

Energy=

No pitch needed — BPMs match

Sound profile shift

Average across all 9A and 3A tracks in the catalog. The difference between the two shapes is what your audience hears across the transition.

9A · E Minor

3A · B♭ 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.

9A · E Minor65–175 BPM · median 125

3A · B♭ Minor65–200 BPM · median 126

How to mix this transition

Because both keys are minor and sit on the same letter (A), the harmonic palettes share no common tones; treat this as a full tonal reset, not a blend. Bring the incoming track in on a phrase boundary—ideally at a 16 or 32-bar break in the outgoing track—to maximize the shock. Use a sharp EQ kill on the outgoing track's low-mids 200–400 Hz for 4–8 bars before the swap to create space and tension. Avoid long crossfades; a 2–4 bar overlap with the kick already swapped works best. The most common pitfall is softening the transition with a gradual EQ sweep—this move demands a hard cut to land its impact.

Common mistakes

Don't overlap the basslines; the tritone interval will create dissonant mud if both fundamentals ring together.
Don't use this move in the first hour or during a smooth progression—it requires audience trust and energy to land.
Don't forget to swap the kick early; a delayed kick swap will muddy the impact and confuse the downbeat.

When this transition lands best

Peak-to-breakdown pivot
Second-hour tempo lock
Post-breakdown reentry
Surprise energy flip

Genres in this pair

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

Trance (Main Floor)
Drum & Bass
Deep House
Minimal / Deep 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.

Kanye West2 · 1
Doechii1 · 1

Related transitions

Reverse

3A9A

Tritone Jump

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9A1A

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9A5A

Related Key Lower

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9A6A

FAQ

Is mixing from 9A to 3A safe?⌄

Tritone Jump. Maximum drama — the "pay attention" move that still resolves.

What does the 9A → 3A transition sound like?⌄

What BPM range works for 9A to 3A?⌄

9A tracks median 125 BPM; 3A median 126 BPM. Pairs at similar BPMs work without pitch adjustment.

When in a DJ set should I use 9A → 3A?⌄

Best moments: Peak-to-breakdown pivot, Second-hour tempo lock, Post-breakdown reentry, Surprise energy flip.

Plan a chemistry-scored set