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GarageBand Keyboard Shortcuts for Mac

Keyboard shortcuts for GarageBand on Mac. Covers project and track management, transport control, recording, editing, and the Score and Piano Roll editors.
Key label style

Projects

Create a new project
Cmd+N
Open an existing project
Cmd+O
Save the current project
Cmd+S
Save the current project as
Cmd+Shift+S
Close the current project
Cmd+W
Quit GarageBand
Cmd+Q

Tracks

Create a new track
Cmd+Opt+N
Create a new audio track
Cmd+Opt+A
Create a new software instrument track
Cmd+Opt+S
Create duplicate of the currently selected track
Cmd+D
Delete the selected track
Cmd+Fwd Del
Show/Hide the master track
Cmd+Shift+M
Select the next higher track (tracks area) or Apple Loops (Loop Browser)
Up
Select the next lower track (tracks area) or Apple Loop (Loop Browser)
Down
Rename the selected track
Shift+Return
Configure the track header
Opt+T
Next Patch (Library), Effect, or Instrument setting (plug-ins)
]
Previous Patch (Library), Effect, or Instrument setting (plug-ins)
[
Import audio file on selected track
Cmd+Shift+I
Import a movie to the movie track
Cmd+Opt+O

Transports

Start playback
Num Return
Stop playback
Num 0
Start or stop playback
Space
Start playback from selection
Shift+Space
Start or stop audio file preview in the Audio Editor or Loop Browser
Opt+Space
Start and stop recording
R
or
Num *
Move the playhead back one bar
,
Move the playhead forward one bar
.
Move the cycle range forward by one cycle length
Cmd+Shift+.
Move the cycle range backward by one cycle length
Cmd+Shift+,
Move the playhead to the left locator
Ctrl+Shift+,
Move the playhead to the right locator
Ctrl+Shift+.
Go to the beginning
Return
Go to the end of the last region
Opt+Return
Go to the beginning of the selection
Fn+Left
or
Ctrl+Home
Move locators forward by cycle length
Cmd+Shift+.
Move locators backwards by cycle length
Cmd+Shift+,
Move right locator to the right by cycle length
Cmd+Opt+Shift+.
Move left locator to the right by half cycle length
Cmd+Opt+Shift+,

Modes

Solo/Unsolo the selected track
S
Turn off all soloed tracks or recall all previously soloed tracks
Opt+S
Mute/Unmute the selected track
M
Turn off Mute on all tracks
Ctrl+Shift+M
Turn Monitoring for the selected audio track on/off
Ctrl+I
Turn Record Enable for the selected audio track on/off
Ctrl+R
Turn Cycle mode on/off
C
Turn the metronome click on/off
K
Turn count-in on/off
Shift+K
Show/Hide yellow alignment guides
Cmd+Opt+G
Turn Snap to Grid on/off
Cmd+G
Turn Catch Playhead on/off
`

Windows

Show/Hide the Library
Y
Turn Quick Help on/off
Shift+/
Show detailed Help (if available in Quick Help description)
Cmd+/
Show/Hide the Smart Controls window
B
Show/Hide the Editor pane
E
Show/Hide the Piano Roll Editor
P
Show/Hide the Score Editor
N
Show/Hide the note pad
Cmd+Opt+P
Show/Hide the Loop Browser
O
Change focus to next area in GarageBand window
Tab
Change focus to previous area in GarageBand window
Shift+Tab
Open the Color palette
Opt+C
Open GarageBand settings
Cmd+,
Show/Hide the Musical Typing window
Cmd+K
Enter/Exit Full Screen mode
Cmd+Ctrl+F
Hide GarageBand
Cmd+H
Hide other applications
Cmd+Opt+H
Minimize the GarageBand window
Cmd+M
Minimize all other application windows
Cmd+Opt+M
Switch the GarageBand window between two sizes
Cmd+Ctrl+M

Editing

Undo
Cmd+Z
Redo
Cmd+Shift+Z
Cut
Cmd+X
Copy
Cmd+C
Paste
Cmd+V
Delete
Fwd Del
Select all
Cmd+A
Deselect all
Shift+D
Horizontal zoom out
Cmd+Left
Horizontal zoom in
Cmd+Right
Scroll Up
Fn+Up
or
Pg Up
Scroll Down
Fn+Down
or
Pg Dn
Scroll Left
Fn+Left
or
Home
Scroll Right
Fn+Right
or
End
Show/Hide Automation lanes and parameters
A
Delete all automation on the selected track
Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+Fwd Del
Select the previous region on the selected track or event in the Editor
Left
Select the next region on the selected track or event in the Editor
Right
Loop the selected regions on or off
L
Quantize selected events
Q
Paste and replace the current selection
Cmd+Shift+V
Join regions or notes
Cmd+J
Split the selected region or event at the playhead position
Cmd+T
Cut the selected Arrangement Marker into sections
Cmd+Opt+Fwd Del
Add selected region to the Apple Loops Library
Ctrl+Shift+O
Rename the selected regions
Shift+N

Editors

These keyboard shortcuts are available when working in the Editor.

Preview the selected audio
Opt+Space
in the Audio Editor
Transpose selected notes up one semitone
Opt+Up
in the Piano Roll or Score Editor
Transpose selected notes down one semitone
Opt+Down
in the Piano Roll or Score Editor
Transpose selected notes up one octave
Opt+Shift+Up
in the Piano Roll or Score Editor
Transpose selected notes down one octave
Opt+Shift+Down
in the Piano Roll or Score Editor
Print MIDI region as notation
Cmd+P
in the Score Editor
Turn Flex on/off
Cmd+F
in the Audio Editor

Global tracks

These keyboard shortcuts show or hide the Arrangement track, Movie track, Transposition track, and Tempo track.

Show/Hide the Arrangement track
Cmd+Shift+A
Show/Hide the Movie track
Cmd+Shift+O
Show/Hide the Tempo track
Cmd+Shift+T

Intro

GarageBand on Mac uses Command as its primary modifier, the same as Logic Pro. Main window shortcuts, in the Tracks area, Library, and Browser, cover projects, tracks, transport, and editing. Editors and Global tracks shortcuts below apply once you open a region or a global track.

Mac-specific shortcut notes

Track creation. Option-Command-N adds a generic track; Option-Command-A and Option-Command-S add an audio or software instrument track directly, skipping the track-type dialog.

Recording has two shortcuts. R and the numeric keypad Asterisk both start and stop recording, the same action either way.

Editor shortcuts need context. Transpose, quantize preview, and Flex toggling only apply once the Piano Roll, Score, or Audio Editor is open on a selected region; they do nothing in the Tracks area alone.

Global tracks. Shift-Command-A, Shift-Command-O, and Shift-Command-T show or hide the Arrangement, Movie, and Tempo tracks. These are separate from the per-track shortcuts in the main Tracks group.

Printable PDF

The GarageBand macOS shortcut list is available as a printable PDF. The Transports and Editing sections are the most useful for everyday recording and arranging work.

FAQ

Need more than shortcuts?
Visit the GarageBand app page for an overview and helpful links.

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For anything else or just a quick hello, write to us at info@hkeys.app.