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Setting the key

Each project has a key, which defines the central note to which the other notes relate. When you add loops to your project, GarageBand matches the key of the loop to the key of the project.

You can use any musical key. The Key pop-up menu lists keys for the natural notes (such as C, D, and E) and for chromatic keys (such as Eb and F#). You can also choose the scale (major or minor) for the project.

When you create a new project, you can choose the key in the New Project dialog. You can change the key in the Track Info pane at any time.

Track Info master

To set the key:

A project can have only one key and scale, which lasts for the entire length of the project.

When you change the project’s scale type from major to minor or vice versa, in some cases the key may change enharmonically (for example, from Db major to C# minor). These changes follow common practice for printed music, and affect only the key as shown in the menu, not the pitch of regions in your project.

To learn more about the key of a piece of music, see the Glossary.

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