How to Change the Key of a Song
The recording is in a key that sits too high for your voice, or the band tuned down and your guitar sounds wrong against it. You can change the key of a song in a few seconds, without making it faster or slower. Here's how to do it on iPhone, and exactly how many semitones to move for the most common situations.
In Song Practice, import the song and check the detected key under the title. Count the semitones to the key you want, then turn the Pitch dial to that number, anywhere from −12 to +12. The Speed dial stays at 100%, so the tempo doesn't change.
What transposing a song actually does
Changing the key, or transposing, moves every note in the song up or down by the same distance. A song in G moved up two semitones is in A. The melody, chords and bass line all keep their shape; they just start from a different note.
The distance is measured in semitones, also called half steps. One semitone is one fret on a guitar or bass, or the gap between any two neighbouring keys on a piano, black keys included. Twelve semitones make an octave, which is why the Pitch dial stops at 12 either way: past that, you're back at the same key, an octave apart.
Pitch shift a song without changing tempo
Old-fashioned pitch changes worked by speeding the tape up or slowing it down, so a higher key also meant a faster song. Modern pitch shifting separates the two. Song Practice moves the key while the song keeps its original BPM, and you can still change the speed separately if you want both. The same engine is what lets you slow a song down without changing the pitch.
Step by step: transpose a song on iPhone
- Get Song Practice. Download it free from the App Store for iPhone or iPad.
- Import the song. Choose it from Files, your iTunes library, Photos, cloud storage, or paste a link.
- Read the detected key. Song Practice shows the detected key under the title, so you can count semitones to your target. Not sure it's right? Our guide on finding the BPM and key of a song shows how to confirm it by ear.
- Count the semitones. Count half steps up or down from the original key to the one you want. Take the shorter route: going from C to A is −3, which sounds more natural than +9.
- Turn the Pitch dial. Set it to your number, for example −2 ST. Playback continues at the same tempo.
- Check it by ear. Play or sing along for a few bars. If something still rubs, move one semitone at a time until your instrument and the track agree.
How many semitones should you shift?
Most key changes for practice fall into a handful of situations. Use this as a starting point, then trust your ears.
| Situation | Pitch shift | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Band tuned down a half step (E♭ tuning), you're in standard | +1 | Raises the recording to meet your standard-tuned guitar or bass. |
| Band tuned down a whole step (D standard), you're in standard | +2 | Same idea, one more fret of difference. |
| Song played with a capo on fret 2, you want open shapes without a capo | −2 | A capo raises pitch by one semitone per fret, so shift down by the capo position. |
| Song played with a capo on fret 4, you want open shapes | −4 | Four frets of capo equals four semitones. |
| Chorus is slightly too high to sing comfortably | −1 to −3 | Small drops keep the character of the song. |
| Singing a song recorded by a much lower or higher voice | ±4 to ±7 | Moves the melody into a different part of your range. |
| Horn player reading in B♭ or E♭ practising with the recording | Keep at 0 | Transpose the written part, not the audio, so you learn the real pitches. |
Finding the right key for your voice
Singers usually know a song is in the wrong key from one or two notes: the top of the chorus strains, or the low verse disappears. To find a better key, loop the highest phrase and try it at −1, −2 and −3. Then loop the lowest phrase at the same settings. The right key is the one where the high notes feel easy and the low notes still have tone.
Song Practice shows synced lyrics with the current line highlighted as the track plays, which makes this far quicker than reading off a separate screen. For a clean practice track, mute the lead vocal with a karaoke mix and sing over the band in your new key. Our page for singers covers more ways to practice.
How far can you shift before it sounds odd?
Instruments tolerate pitch shifts well. Voices are more sensitive. A shift of one to three semitones usually sounds natural. At five or more, a singer starts to sound noticeably different, deeper and heavier going down, thinner going up, because the character of a voice moves along with its pitch. For practice this rarely matters, but it's why you'll hear more change on the vocal than on the drums.
If you mostly care about one instrument, shifting a separated stem tends to sound cleaner than shifting a dense full mix. You can split the song into vocals, drums, bass and other, then build a backing track in your key.
Change the key and the tempo together
Speed and pitch are independent, so you can do both. A common rehearsal setup is a song dropped two semitones for the singer and slowed to 90% while the band learns the arrangement. Then bring speed back to 100% and keep the new key for the gig.
Common questions
Will changing the key change the song's BPM?
No. The Pitch dial moves the key only. The tempo stays where the Speed dial is set.
What is the maximum key change?
Twelve semitones up or down, a full octave in each direction.
Can I save the song in the new key?
Yes. Export the full mix, any stem, or just a loop as WAV or M4A, and share it with your band or teacher.
Does it work on songs from Apple Music?
DRM-protected tracks, such as Apple Music downloads, can't be imported. Use audio or video files you own, from Files, your iTunes library, Photos or cloud storage.
Put any song in your key
Free on the App Store. Up to 12 semitones either way, same tempo.
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