What it is
The Camelot wheel renames all 24 musical keys as a number from 1 to 12 and a letter:
- A — minor keys, the inner ring.
- B — major keys, the outer ring.
8A is A minor. 8B is C major. They share a number because they share a key signature.
Underneath it is the circle of fifths. The renaming exists so that using it needs no theory: instead of knowing the relative major of A minor, you know that 8A and 8B share a number.
The rule
From any position, three moves are safe:
| Move | From 8A | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| +1 | 9A — E minor | One step round. Lifts the energy. |
| −1 | 7A — D minor | One step back. Relaxes it. |
| Same number, other letter | 8B — C major | Same notes, different centre of gravity. |
The numbers wrap, so 12A → 1A is a legal step and so is 1A → 12A.
That is the whole system. Positions far apart on the wheel will fight; positions one step apart will not.
The wheel
DropWave draws this with every result — all 24 positions, your key filled, and the three compatible ones lit in place.
A code on its own only helps if you already hold the rule in your head. The ring makes the rule visible, so the next track is something you read off a picture instead of something you work out.
The full mapping
| Camelot | Minor key (A) | Camelot | Major key (B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | A♭ minor (G♯ minor) | 1B | B major |
| 2A | E♭ minor (D♯ minor) | 2B | F♯ major |
| 3A | B♭ minor (A♯ minor) | 3B | D♭ major |
| 4A | F minor | 4B | A♭ major |
| 5A | C minor | 5B | E♭ major |
| 6A | G minor | 6B | B♭ major |
| 7A | D minor | 7B | F major |
| 8A | A minor | 8B | C major |
| 9A | E minor | 9B | G major |
| 10A | B minor | 10B | D major |
| 11A | F♯ minor | 11B | A major |
| 12A | C♯ minor | 12B | E major |
Using it
DJing. Read the position of what is playing and pick from the three lit ones. +1 lifts, −1 relaxes, switching letter changes the mood without changing the notes.
Producing. Same problem in a different order. Session in 8A and the loop is 9A? Drop it in. It is 3A? Five steps away — pitch it or leave it.
Filing a library. Camelot codes sort usefully in a filename in a way key names never will: 11A lands next to 11B and 10A in a directory listing, which is exactly where you want it.
Worth knowing
- It is a guide, not a law. Plenty of good transitions break it, especially where the clashing element is buried or filtered out.
- Percussion has no key, so the wheel has nothing to say about a drum loop.
- Enharmonics are the same position. A♭ minor and G♯ minor are both 1A; spelling does not matter here.
- The code is only as good as the key. It is derived from the key reading, so it inherits everything on the key page — including the confidence band. Check the band before building a set around a position.
Related
Key · Camelot wheel finder · A producer's guide to the Camelot wheel