7. Shaping performance

Transpose

Transpose rewrites music in another key. The notes move by the interval you choose, fretted parts get frets they can play, chord symbols are renamed, and the song’s key signatures follow. It’s one edit, so one undo takes it all back.

To only hear the song higher or lower, for a singer or a guitar tuned down, without changing what’s written, use playing in another key instead.

Transposing the song or a selection

Available on every platform.

Open the card

With an Editor or Score pane in front, choose Transpose… (⇧⌘T)Transpose… (Ctrl+Shift+T)Transpose…, in the Edit menu, the note’s menu or action bar. A card opens over the pane.

If notes are selected, the card starts on them; otherwise on the whole song.

Choose what moves

• What: The song, or the notes selected (the button reads “3 selected”, or “No selection” when there are none).
• By: − and + move a semitone at a time; −8ve and +8ve an octave. The amount reads “Up 2 semitones” or “Down 5 semitones”, as far as two octaves either way. Under it, the card names the interval (“A major second”) and, for the song, where its key goes: “Key: C → D”, or “Key (the notes’): …” when the song has no key signature and the key is read from its notes.
• Fretted parts (shown when a guitar or bass would move):
  • Keep strings: every note stays on its string and its fret moves. Where a fret would leave the neck, that chord is re-fretted.
  • Re-fret: every note is placed afresh for its new pitch, as a hand would play it. See Re-fret.

Then click Transpose. Cancel closes the card with nothing changed.

What moves with the notes

• Every pitched part moves: guitars, basses, keys and synths. Drums don’t.
• Grace notes go with their notes.
• Chord symbols are renamed, root and bass, spelt in the new key (B♭7/D in C, up a tone, becomes C7/E). A chord’s diagram moves up or down the neck when it has no open strings; otherwise it gives way to the common shape for the new chord. Smart Tracks play from the chords, so they follow.
• Key signatures move to the nearest key, with six sharps or flats at most. Transposing a selection leaves them as they are (the card says “Key signatures stay”).
• Spellings you picked by hand in the Score are let go, so the new key spells the notes.
• Linked copies of a clip share their notes, so transposing one moves them all. See Clips.

Recordings don’t change.

When transposing a selection, the chord symbols that move are those in the selected notes’ clips, over the time those notes cover.

When notes don’t fit

• If a note would go past the highest or lowest pitch there is, nothing moves and the card says “A note would go out of range: nothing moved.” Choose a smaller interval.
• If some fretted notes have no string that can take them, the rest is transposed and the card says how many, for example “Moved. 2 notes no string can take, in red.” Those notes are drawn in red and still sound; fix them by hand or try Re-fret. OK closes the card.

Transposing instruments

Transpose changes the pitches that sound. To write a part for a B♭ clarinet or an alto sax at its own pitch, without changing what it sounds, set its transposition instead: see Concert pitch.