You can transpose a track or region in GarageBand by using the Track Window and the transpose slider. You can also show the Transposition Track in the Track menu to manually adjust transposition at certain sections of your project or track.
I’m Donovan, and I love writing, recording, and producing music. I have a lot of experience working with GarageBand and other audio recording software and have used the transposition feature many times while doing music projects.
This post will show you how to transpose in GarageBand. I’ll walk you through the steps to make this happen on your Mac or iPhone so you can have a new skill to work with as you record and produce music.
Let’s get started.
Contents
How to Transpose in GarageBand iPhone
Transposing in GarageBand on your iPhone is an easy way to make adjustments to the pitch of your project. The iOS version of the app allows you to transpose the sound instruments you record in your projects, but not audio tracks.
This means you don’t have as much control over the transposition and editing process in general as you do when using the Mac version of GarageBand. It’s still possible to transpose, but just know you’ll have more control when using the macOS version.
To transpose in GarageBand on your iPhone, follow these steps:
1. Open the GarageBand app on your iPhone.
2. Select the project with the track you want to transpose.
3. Tap the Mixer icon on the top left side of the window.
4. Tap Track Settings.
5. Tap TRANSPOSITION to pull up the transposition menu.
6. Make any transposition adjustment you want by adjusting the arrows on the Octaves or Semitones icons up or down. You can change the entire composition up or down several octaves or transpose the pitch by 12 semitones.
Quick Note: If you leave the transposition settings on, any additional recordings you make to the track will also be transposed to whatever settings you have set up. You’ll need to make changes if you want to adjust things back to the recorded key.
You also can’t transpose the Guitar, Bass, or Strings software instruments built into GarageBand for iPhone. But you can transpose other recorded tracks and loops.
How to Transpose in GarageBand Mac
Transposing in GarageBand for Mac is a bit different than doing it for your iPhone, and you have more control with the feature on your computer. If you have a larger project that requires a lot of editing and transposition, I think it’s a good idea to use the Mac version of the app.
There are also two ways to transpose in GarageBand on your Mac – by using the Transpose Slider in the track window or by displaying the Transposition Track in the main window. I’ll walk you through both methods below.
Follow these steps to transpose in GarageBand on Mac using the Transpose Slider.
1. Open the GarageBand app on your Mac.
2. Open the project with the track or tracks you want to transpose.
3. Double-click on the track you want to transpose to bring up the Track Window.
4. Then select the Region tab within the track window.
5. Scroll down to see the Transpose Slider under the Region Tab.
6. Make any adjustments to transposition by moving the slider to the left or right. Sliding it right will transpose the selected track up, and sliding it right will transpose it down. You can choose to transpose up or down 12 semitones by using the slider here.
Follow these steps to transpose in GarageBand on Mac using the Transposition Track.
1. Open the GarageBand app on your Mac.
2. Open the project with the track or tracks you want to transpose.
3. Move the cursor over the main menu at the top of the window and select the Track heading.
4. Select Show Transposition Track from the drop-down menu. You can also use the keyboard shortcut to show the transposition track by pressing the Shift, Command, and X keys at the same time.
5. The Transposition Track will now appear above your selected track. This looks like other automation tracks you might be familiar with, like Volume.
You can make adjustments to the transposition of the track by clicking the line and adding points. From there, you can move the selected part of the track up or down to change the transposition up or down.
This transposition method allows you to make specific adjustments to certain sections of a track, which can be helpful if only a particular part of the track needs fine-tuning. You have more control over your edits this way.
How to Transpose One Track in GarageBand
You can transpose one track in GarageBand using any of the methods described above. Make sure to select the track by clicking on it, so you know the transposition parameters apply to the audio you are working with.
Transposing one track can be used to transpose just about any type of audio recording. You can transpose vocals, piano, MIDI keyboards, and even chords.
If you want to transpose an entire song in GarageBand, you need to make sure every track is selected when you add transposition. Or you can go through each track individually and select the same transposition settings.
FAQs
Here are a few short answers to some of the most commonly asked questions relating to how to transpose in GarageBand.
How do you transpose a MIDI track in GarageBand?
You can transpose a MIDI track in GarageBand by using the transposition slider or transposition track. MIDI tracks are easy to transpose because you won’t alter the sound in any sort of negative way that sounds weird. You can do this in GarageBand on Mac and iPhone.
How do I transpose and octave lower in GarageBand?
To transpose an octave lower in GarageBand, make sure that you get your transposition settings adjusted correctly to do so. The iOS version of the app allows you to make octave adjustments, while the Mac version offers semitone adjustments.
How do I change the key in GarageBand without transposing?
You can change the key in GarageBand without transposing it by using the LCD in the main project window. On the left side of the display, click on the arrow icon to display the key. Then click on the key and make the adjustments you want from there.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to transpose in GarageBand is a good skill because it allows you to change the pitch and tone of a project or track. This comes in useful at many points during the editing process, even though you might not use it that often.
Keep in mind that sometimes transposing a recorded track, like vocals or a real instrument, can alter how the track sounds. This is the result of manipulating the waveform. So it’s not always the best option if you want a very authentic-sounding recording.
Have you ever used transposition in your GarageBand projects? What did you use it for, and how did the project turn out? Let me know in the comments below.
