Garage Band

By the end of this topic you will:

• Know how to create a piece of music using
Garage Band on the iPad
• Understand how to use all of the functions on
Garage Band
• Understand what a sampler is and how to use
one
• Have created your own piece of music
How to use
Garage
Band
New
song
Track view
This is the Drum
Track view track/loop
 Find Solid
70s Drumset
01 near the
bottom

Drag it
underneath
the guitar
Tap + to
make the
track
longer
 Tap here
to increase
the
number of
bars
Tap on the
up arrow
until it gets
to 30
Tap on Select
the Instrument
guitar view
Tap on the image to
change the guitar
Select Hard
Rock guitar
 Select different
strumming/picking
patterns by turning
this dial
 Press play to hear
the patterns Select
pattern
4

For this song we are going to tap on G and

count to 8. Followed by Em for 4 beats and
then C for 4 beats. Repeat this 4 times
 Tap Track Tap the red
view to see circle to record.
your recorded It will give you a
part 4 beat intro

Don’t forget – G for 8

beats, Em for 4 beats and
then C for 4 beats. Do
this 4 times
 Tap on
Instruments
and select
Bass guitar
 Picked bass
guitar

Tap on the
bass guitar
picture and
select Picked
bass guitar
 Change it
from Notes
to Chords
 Select pattern 2

Tap Track Tap the red button to

view to see start recording. Don’t
your recorded forget the 4 beat
part intro

Don’t forget – G for 8 beats, Em

for 4 beats and then C for 4
beats. Do this 4 times.
Let’s now add
a keyboard
part. Tap on
instruments
 Tap on the
picture and
select Classic
Rock Organ
 Select a pattern of your
choice (I’ve gone for 3).
Press record and follow
Tap on Track the same chord patter. G
view to see x 8, Em x 4, C x 4. Do this
what you’ve 4 times.
recorded
 Add another Have a listen by
guitar part. Tap tapping the play
on Instruments (triangle) button
 This time we’re
going to play the
guitar ourselves!
Slide from
Chords to Notes
 Change the
guitar to Hard
Rock Guitar
To listen to your
piece tap on
Track view

Press record and then

create your own lead
guitar part. Use the
frets marked by a red
dot for the best sound
Now record your
own tune!
How to use
Smart
Strings
Select which string It’s currently on
instruments you Chords
want

Tap on what chord

you’d like to use
Select an
autoplay
pattern
Select which
string
instrument
to play

Select
Notes to
Manually play the
manually
instrument by
play the
tapping on the
instrument
strings
yourself
How to use
Smart
Drums
Choose a
different
drum kit
Drag an instrument
onto the grid to
create your on
rhythm
How to use
the
Drums
Tap on any of the
drums/cymbals to
make a sound
How to use
Audio
recorder
These will change
the sound of your
voice after you’ve
recorded
How to copy
& paste
(Loop)
Record something!
Anything!!
Tap on the recorded
section (in green). A
list of options will
appear. Tap on Copy
Now tap on where
on the timeline you
would like to paste
the same recorded
section.
 Press Paste and the
recorded section will
be pasted. This
means you only
need to record a
section once and
then copy it.
 If you tap on Loop it will
paste the section over and
over again to the end of the
timeline (looping the
section). This is useful if you
have the same backing music
repeated throughout your
composition.
How to use
the
Sampler
 Press start to
begin the
recording. Make it
very short! One
word
 Drag this
bar to
the end
of the
sound

This is your
recording
 Like
this!!

You can now play the

keyboard using the
‘sample’ you’ve just made
Create your
own
composition
How to use
the
Keyboard
 Tap here to
change the type
of
keyboard/piano

Play this keyboard just

like you would on a real
keyboard/piano!