16. Playing and practising

Playing in another key

You can play a song back in another key, up to an octave higher or lower, a semitone at a time. Use it to sing in a comfortable range, or to play along on an instrument tuned down. The song itself doesn’t change: the notes, the frets, the score and the chords stay as written.

Playing a semitone higher or lower

Available on every platform.

Changing the key you hear

• Play a Semitone Higher (⌃⌥=)Play a Semitone Higher (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+=)Play a Semitone Higher (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+= (⌥⇧⌘= on a Mac)) and Play a Semitone Lower (⌃⌥-)Play a Semitone Lower (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+-)Play a Semitone Lower (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+- (⌥⇧⌘- on a Mac)) move playback a semitone at a time, as far as 12 semitones either way.
• Play in the Written Key (⌃⌥0)Play in the Written Key (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+0)Play in the Written Key (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+0 (⌥⇧⌘0 on a Mac)) goes back to the written key.
• In the Transport pane, ♭ and ♯ do the same. The chip between them reads “Key” in the written key, and “Key +2” or “Key −1” otherwise; click it for the written key, or right-click it to pick any amount from −12 to +12 semitones.
• While the key is moved, the Editor’s corner shows the same “Key −1” chip beside the speed; click it to go back to the written key. On a phone, the Transport strip’s ⋯ shows it instead of its dots (“Key −1”, under the speed when that’s changed too; “−1” alone where the strip is short of room); tap it, and its menu starts with the key’s choices, As Written among them.

What it changes

• Pitched tracks play higher or lower: guitars, bass, keys and synths.
• Recordings in the song are shifted by the same amount, keeping their tempo.
• Drums stay as they are: a snare is still a snare.

The change lasts while the song is open and isn’t saved in it. It’s only playback: to rewrite the song in a new key, with its frets, chords and key signature, use Transpose.