Apple GarageBand 2.0 - Manual (Page 25)

Chapter 2 Working With Songs 25
You can use any of the following time signatures in a GarageBand song: 2/2, 2/4, 3/4, 4/
4, 5/4, 7/4, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8, or 12/8. The default is 4/4, the most commonly used time
signature.
To set the time signature:
m In the New Project dialog, choose a time signature from the Time pop-up menu.
Note: You can change the time signature later in the Track Info window for the
master track.
Setting the Key
Each song has a key, which defines the central note to which the other notes in the
music relate, and the scale used (either “major” or “minor”).
To set the key:
1 In the New Project dialog, choose a key from the Key pop-up menu.
2 Choose the scale from the pop-up menu to the right of the Key pop-up menu.
Note: You can change the key later in the Track Info window for the master track.
If you change the key of a song after recording instruments or adding loops, all
Software Instrument recordings and loops are transposed to the new key. Real
Instrument recordings are not transposed.
Setting the Scale
Along with the key, each song uses a particular scale. The most common scales are the
major and minor scales.
To set the key:
m In the New Project dialognew project dialog, choose a scale from the Scale pop-up
menu.
Opening an Existing Song
You can open an existing song to continue working.
To open an existing song:
1 Choose File > Open, locate and select the song you want to open, then click OK.
You can also open a recently open song by choosing File > Open Recent and selecting
a song from the shortcut menu.
If you close the currently open song, GarageBand displays a window asking if you want
to create a new song or open an existing song.