Camelot Wheel — compatible keys, and cleared sounds that fit them
Drop a track, loop or idea to read its key on your device, or click a key on the wheel. See every compatible key with the real reason it works, then pull cleared samples that sit in the same harmonic neighbourhood.
Drop your track, loop or idea here — or click to browse
MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG · key and tempo are read on your device, never uploaded
Click a key on the wheel — or drop a file above — to see its scale, its chords, the keys that sit with it, and cleared sounds that fit.
Browse cleared samplesHow the Camelot Wheel Works
The system
Every key gets a code from 1A to 12B. The number is its position on the circle of fifths, the letter its mode — A for minor on the inner ring, B for major on the outer ring. Neighbours on the wheel share most of their notes.
Compatible keys
Three moves are always safe: the relative major or minor (same number, all seven notes shared), a perfect fifth up (one step clockwise) and a perfect fourth up (one step counter-clockwise), each sharing six of seven notes.
For producers and composers
Read your project’s key, see its scale and chords, and pull cleared stems and loops that already sit in it — then finish in your DAW with a receipt for every sound. DJs get the same wheel for planning transitions in key.
The Camelot wheel is a harmonic-mixing chart that maps every musical key to a code from 1A to 12B, so producers, composers and DJs can layer samples and move between keys without deep music theory. This one goes a step further: drop a file to read its key on your device, and the wheel selects it and lines up cleared samples that fit.
How to use it
- Drop a track, loop or idea. Drag in an MP3, WAV, FLAC or OGG. Its key and tempo are read on your device — nothing is uploaded — and the wheel lights up the key it found. No file handy? Click your key on the wheel instead.
- Read the compatible keys. The wheel highlights the three smooth moves: the relative major or minor (same number, opposite ring), a perfect fifth up (one step clockwise) and a perfect fourth up (one step counter-clockwise). The panel names each move and shows the scale and chords of your key.
- Pull cleared sounds that fit. Under the wheel, cleared stems and loops in those keys — and in your tempo pocket if you dropped a file — play inline. Narrow to one key, open the complete sound, or download it with its provenance receipt.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Camelot wheel?
The Camelot wheel is a harmonic-mixing chart that maps every musical key to a simple code from 1A to 12B. The number marks a position on the circle of fifths and the letter marks minor (A) or major (B), so keys that sit next to each other on the wheel share most of their notes and sound good played together. Producers and composers use it to layer samples and plan key changes; DJs use it to mix tracks in key.
Which keys are harmonically compatible?
From any key, three are reliably compatible: the same number with the opposite letter (the relative major or minor, which shares all seven notes), one step clockwise (a perfect fifth up, sharing six of seven notes) and one step counter-clockwise (a perfect fourth up, also six of seven). Click any key on the wheel above to see them highlighted with the reason for each.
How do I find the key of my track or sample?
Drop the file onto the wheel page. The key is estimated on your device with Krumhansl-Schmuckler key profiles — the same approach behind professional key finders — and the wheel selects the key it found, with a confidence score. If the reading is close between two keys, the wheel says so, and you can click a different key to correct it. Your audio never leaves your browser.
How do I key-match a sample to my project?
Drop your project bounce (or click its key), then use the results under the wheel: they are cleared stems and loops already in your key or in a compatible key, filtered to your tempo pocket when a file was analysed. Anything in the same key drops straight in; anything in a compatible key layers cleanly, and can be pitched a semitone or two in your DAW if you want it in the home key.
What do the numbers and letters mean?
The number (1–12) is the position on the circle of fifths, and the letter is the mode: A for minor, B for major. For example, 8A is A minor and 8B is C major — the same number, so they are relative major and minor and share every note.
What is the difference between relative and parallel keys?
Relative keys share the same notes but have different home chords — A minor and C major, 8A and 8B on the wheel. Parallel keys share the same root but not the same notes — A minor and A major, 8A and 11B. Relative keys layer seamlessly; parallel keys are a colour move, useful for borrowing a chord or flipping a section into the opposite mood.
Does +1 on the wheel mean up a semitone?
No — one step clockwise is a perfect fifth up (seven semitones), which is why it shares six of seven notes with your key. Going up a semitone is seven steps clockwise on the wheel, and up a whole step is two steps: those are the DJ "energy boost" moves, and the wheel shows both for whichever key you select.
Is harmonic mixing the same as the circle of fifths?
They are closely related. The Camelot wheel is the circle of fifths relabeled with easy 1A–12B codes and split into inner (minor) and outer (major) rings, so the harmonic relationships are the same — the codes just make compatible keys faster to spot in a session or a set.
Need just the reading? The key & BPM detector gives you key, Camelot code and tempo for any file. Working from a progression instead of a key? Try the chord progression finder, or browse cleared samples by key across the whole catalog.
