GarageBand Keyboard Shortcuts

83 keyboard shortcuts to help you create music on mac faster in GarageBand

Developed by Apple, GarageBand is a widely used audio & music production tool built to help users create music on mac.

Learning keyboard shortcuts in GarageBand can dramatically speed up repetitive tasks and free you to focus on the creative work that matters.

As a macOS-only application, GarageBand has a focused set of keyboard shortcuts optimized for that environment.

macOS

83 shortcuts 8 categories

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Jump to Section (8 sections)

Playback 8 shortcuts

Start or stop playback

Space

Go to beginning

Enter

Go to end of last region

Opt +Enter

Move forward

.

Move back

,

Move cycle area forward

Shift +Cmd +.

Move cycle area back

Shift +Cmd +,

Turn Catch mode on/off

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Navigation 4 shortcuts

Move forward by visible width of the timeline

End

Move back by visible width of the timeline

Home

Zoom out

Cmd +Left

Zoom in

Cmd +Right

Track Management 15 shortcuts

Create a new track

Opt +Cmd +N

Create a new audio track

Opt +Cmd +A

Create a new software instrument track

Opt +Cmd +S

Duplicate the selected track

Cmd +D

Delete the selected track

Cmd +Delete

Rename the selected track

Shift +Enter

Select the next higher track

Up

Select the next lower track

Down

Mute/Unmute the selected track

M

Solo/Unsolo the selected track

S

Turn monitoring for the selected track on/off

Ctrl +I

Show/Hide automation for the selected track

A

Delete all automation on the selected track

Ctrl +Shift +Cmd +Delete

Unmute all tracks

Ctrl +Opt +Cmd +M

Unsolo all tracks

Ctrl +Opt +Cmd +S

Editing 17 shortcuts

Undo

Cmd +Z

Redo

Shift +Cmd +Z

Cut

Cmd +X

Cut an arrangement marker together with its regions

Opt +Cmd +Delete

Copy

Cmd +C

Paste

Cmd +V

Delete

Delete

Select all

Cmd +A

Select previous region on the selected track

Left

Select next region on the selected track

Right

Split selected region or event at the playhead

Cmd +T

Join selected regions or notes

Cmd +J

Loop selected region continuously

L

Add selected region to the Apple Loops Library

Ctrl +Shift +O

Rename the selected region

Shift +N

Turn Snap to Grid on/off

Cmd +G

Show/Hide alignment guides

Opt +Cmd +G

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Recording 5 shortcuts

Start recording

R

Turn the Record Enable button for the selected track on/off

Ctrl +R

Turn the cycle area on/off

C

Turn the metronome on/off

K

Turn count-in on/off

Shift +K

Score Editor 9 shortcuts

Transpose selected notes up one semitone

Opt +Up

Transpose selected notes down one semitone

Opt +Down

Transpose selected notes up one octave

Opt +Shift +Up

Transpose selected notes down one octave

Opt +Shift +Down

Select the next score event

Right

Select the previous score event

Left

Select the next staff event

Down

Arrow Select the previous staff event

Up

Print score notation

Cmd +P

View 14 shortcuts

Show/Hide the Musical Typing window

Cmd +K

Show/Hide Smart Controls

B

Show/Hide the Score Editor

N

Show/Hide the Piano Roll Editor

P

Show/Hide the Loop Browser

O

Show/Hide the Library

Y

Show/Hide the Editor

E

Show/Hide the Note Pad

Opt +Cmd +P

Show/Hide the Media Browser

F

Show/Hide the Arrangement track

Shift +Cmd +A

Show/Hide the Movie track

Shift +Cmd +O

Show/Hide the Transposition track

Shift +Cmd +X

Show/Hide the Tempo track

Shift +Cmd +T

Show/Hide the master track

Shift +Cmd +M

File 11 shortcuts

Open a Movie

Opt +Cmd +O

Create a new project

Cmd +N

Open an existing project

Cmd +O

Close the current window or project

Cmd +W

Minimize the GarageBand window

Cmd +M

Save the current project

Cmd +S

Save As

Shift +Cmd +S

Show GarageBand preferences

Cmd +,

Hide GarageBand

Cmd +H

Quit GarageBand

Cmd +Q

Open detailed Help (move the pointer over an interface item)

Cmd +/

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