Camelot wheel chart: every key and its Camelot code
The Camelot wheel gives every musical key a code from 1 to 12 plus a letter: A for minor, B for major. 8A is A minor, 8B is C major. Keys with the same number, or numbers one apart with the same letter, share almost all of their notes and mix together without a clash. The full chart is below, followed by the three rules and the Open Key equivalents.
The chart: key to Camelot code
One row per position on the wheel. The A column holds the minor key, the B column its relative major – the same seven notes, a different home. Names in brackets are the same key spelled with flats.
| Code | Minor key (A) | Open Key | Code | Major key (B) | Open Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | G# minor (Ab minor) | 6m | 1B | B major | 6d |
| 2A | D# minor (Eb minor) | 7m | 2B | F# major (Gb major) | 7d |
| 3A | A# minor (Bb minor) | 8m | 3B | C# major (Db major) | 8d |
| 4A | F minor | 9m | 4B | G# major (Ab major) | 9d |
| 5A | C minor | 10m | 5B | D# major (Eb major) | 10d |
| 6A | G minor | 11m | 6B | A# major (Bb major) | 11d |
| 7A | D minor | 12m | 7B | F major | 12d |
| 8A | A minor | 1m | 8B | C major | 1d |
| 9A | E minor | 2m | 9B | G major | 2d |
| 10A | B minor | 3m | 10B | D major | 3d |
| 11A | F# minor (Gb minor) | 4m | 11B | A major | 4d |
| 12A | C# minor (Db minor) | 5m | 12B | E major | 5d |
How to read a code
The number is the key’s position on the circle of fifths, so each step up the wheel adds one sharp (or removes one flat). 8B is C major with no sharps, 9B is G major with one, 10B is D major with two. Going down, 7B is F major with one flat. After 12 the wheel wraps back to 1.
The letter is the mode. A is minor, B is major, and a number’s A and B keys are relatives: they use the same notes and differ only in which note feels like home. That is why 8A (A minor) and 8B (C major) sit side by side.
Which keys mix together
Three moves keep two tracks in key:
- Same code. 8A into 8A. Same key, nothing changes.
- One number up or down, same letter. 8A into 7A or 9A. The two keys share six of seven notes, so a blend has at most one note in the wrong place.
- Same number, other letter. 8A into 8B. Relative minor and major share all seven notes; the feel shifts from minor to major, the harmony does not clash.
Anything further around the wheel is a key change. DJs use jumps of two or more on purpose for an energy lift, and producers use them to pick a reference that sits in a different harmonic area on purpose. Why the key of a reference matters for what an analyzer shows is in why key-matching reference tracks matters.
Camelot and Open Key
Open Key is the same wheel with a different starting point. It uses 1 to 12 with d for major (dur) and m for minor (moll), and 1d is C major where Camelot says 8B. To convert, subtract 7 from the Camelot number and add 12 if you drop below 1: 8B is 1d, 9B is 2d, 1B is 6d, 8A is 1m. The mixing rules are identical; only the labels differ. The table above lists both.
Camelot codes in ARADAR
Since version 1.0.12 the player bar shows the Camelot code between the key and LUFS, and the Inspector lists it under Key. ARADAR works it out from the key stored on the track – from the file’s tag or from what you typed – so Amin, Am, and A minor all read 8A. A key without a mode, such as a bare G, shows a dash until you type Gmaj or Gmin in the Inspector.
The Note filter on the Library tab works on the root note, so Note: F shows every F minor (4A) and F major (7B) track together. What else the player bar shows while a track plays is in ARADAR as a music player for producers, and the full list of filters is in the library help.
Frequently asked questions
What does 8A mean on the Camelot wheel?
8A is A minor. The number 8 is its position on the wheel and the letter A means minor. The major key with the same number, 8B, is C major – the relative major of A minor, with the same seven notes.
Which keys mix with 8A?
7A (D minor), 9A (E minor), and 8B (C major). Each shares six or seven notes with A minor, so a blend between them has no clashing notes.
Is Camelot the same as Open Key?
Same idea, different numbering. Open Key uses 1–12 with d for major and m for minor, and 1d is C major. To convert, subtract 7 from the Camelot number (add 12 if you go below 1): 8B becomes 1d, 8A becomes 1m, 1B becomes 6d.
Does ARADAR show the Camelot code?
Yes. Since version 1.0.12 the player bar shows the Camelot code between the key and LUFS, and the Inspector lists it under Key. It is worked out from the key stored on the track; a key without a mode, such as a bare G, shows a dash until you type Gmaj or Gmin.