This wikiHow teaches you how to create a basic instrumental track in GarageBand on a Mac.
Step
Part 1 of 5: Creating a New File
Step 1. Open GarageBand
Click the GarageBand app icon, which looks like a guitar. You can find this icon in the “Launchpad” or “Applications” folder.
Step 2. Click File
It's in the upper-left corner of the GarageBand window. After that, a drop-down menu will be opened.
Step 3. Click New…
This option is in the drop-down menu.
Step 4. Click Empty Project
It's on the left side of the window.
Step 5. Adjust the music details
At the bottom of the window, you can see a list of musical aspects that determine the overall style of the project (if not, click the triangle “ Details ” in the lower left corner of the window first). You can change the following options:
- “Tempo” - This option determines the tempo of the song in beats per minute (BPM or beats per minute).
- “Key Signature” - This option determines the base note of the song to be played.
- “Time Signature” - This option determines the number of taps in one bar.
- “Input Device” - This option specifies the music input method (eg USB MIDI keyboard).
- “Output Device” - This option specifies the loudspeakers that the computer uses to play music output.
Step 6. Click Choose
It's at the bottom of the window.
Step 7. Select the audio type
Usually, you need to click on the “ Instrument Software ” which is blue because with this option, you can add and edit content from GarageBand's built-in library, as well as use your Mac's keyboard as a piano.
- You can also choose a guitar or piano option if you want to use a native MIDI instrument connected to a computer.
- If you want to add drums to the track, click the “ Drummer ”.
Step 8. Click Create
It's at the bottom of the window. After that, a new empty GarageBand project will be created. At this point, you are free to compose songs.
Part 2 of 5: Setting up the Garage Band
Step 1. Decide what kind of music you want to make
Before composing music in GarageBand, you should have a general idea of the instruments to be used and the genres to be carried.
Step 2. Download the GarageBand sound library
When you first load GarageBand, there are many sound packs that are not yet available in the app. You can download these sound packs for free by following these steps:
- Click " GarageBand ” in the upper-left corner of the screen.
- Choose " Sound Library ”.
- Click " Download All Available Sounds ”.
- Follow the prompts that appear on the screen.
Step 3. Connect a MIDI keyboard if necessary
MIDI instruments usually connect to a computer via a USB cable so you may need a USB 3.0 to USB-C adapter for Mac computers. If you have a MIDI keyboard, you can move on to the next section.
Skip this step if you don't have a MIDI keyboard
Step 4. Open the “Musical Typing” window
Click the menu " windows, then select " Show Musical Typing ” in the drop-down menu. After that, a list of keys that can be used instead of piano keys will be displayed.
Step 5. Change the “Musical Typing” setting
If necessary, you can change your “Musical Typing” preference with the following steps:
- ” Keyboard section” - Click and drag the slider at the top of the window to the left or right to change the part of the keyboard to be used.
- “Pitch Bend” - Press the button “ +" or " - ” displayed in the upper left corner of the window to raise or lower the barrel.
- " Octave " - Press the " button +" or " - ” in the lower-left corner of the window to increase or decrease the octave.
- " Velocity " - Press the " button +" or " - ” in the lower right corner of the window to increase or decrease the tone volume (dynamics).
Part 3 of 5: Making Music
Step 1. Click Tracks
This menu is at the top of the screen. Once clicked, a drop-down menu will appear.
Step 2. Click New Track…
It's at the top of the drop-down menu.
Step 3. Click Software Instruments
It's on the left side of the pop-up window.
Step 4. Click Create
It's at the bottom of the pop-up window. After that, a new track will be added to the GarageBand project.
Step 5. Select the instrument
In the "Library" section on the left side of the window, select an instrument category, then click the specific instrument you want to use on the new track.
You can edit your track preferences first by clicking the knob icon on the right side of the track box, then changing the necessary settings in the pop-up window
Step 6. Display the “Musical Typing” window
Click " windows, then select " Show Musical Typing " With this window, you can have a reference when recording music.
Step 7. Click the “Record” button
It's a red circle button at the top of the window.
Step 8. Play the instrument
After the four beats of the metronome have played, you can play the instrument by pressing the keyboard buttons, depending on the notes you want to play.
Step 9. Stop recording
Click the " Record " button again to finish recording. After that, the track will be saved.
Step 10. Create a loop from the recorded instrument
Click and drag the top right corner of the recorded track to expand it into a loop.
Step 11. Split the track into two parts
If you want to split the track into two separate movable parts, drag the playhead to the cutting point, then press Command+T.
Step 12. Add and record more tracks
After adding the main track for your music, you can add additional tracks with various instruments (eg bass or synth).
Part 4 of 5: Adding Loops
Step 1. Click the “Loop” icon
It's the circular earring icon in the upper-right corner of the GarageBand window. After that, a loop browsing window will open on the right side of the page.
Step 2. Find the loop you want to use
Browse the list of available content until you find an option that sounds interesting.
- You can sort the loop content by instrument, genre, or atmosphere by clicking the “ Instruments ”, “ Genre ", or " Mood ” at the top of the loop browsing window.
- Loop content is color coded: blue content represents pre-recorded sounds, green content represents editable song clips, and yellow content represents drum loops.
Step 3. Listen to the loop example
Click the content to listen to it once. When clicked, the content will not be added to the project immediately.
Step 4. Add a loop to the project
If you like the selected loop and want to add it to the project, click and drag the content into the main project window.
Step 5. Reset the loop
Click and drag the loop left or right to change its position at the beginning or end of the composition, or up and down to change its position in the GarageBand window.
Part 5 of 5: Publishing Songs
Step 1. Click Share
This menu is at the top of the screen. Once clicked, a drop-down menu will appear.
Step 2. Click Export to Disk…
This option is in the drop-down menu “ Share After that, a pop-up window will be opened.
Step 3. Change the music file information
In the “Export” pop-up window, you can customize the following options:
- ” Name” - Type the desired song name in this field.
- ” Location” - Click the “Where” drop-down box, then select the file storage directory from the menu that appears.
- ” Format” - Click the “Format” drop-down box, then select the desired music format (e.g. “ MP3 ”) from the menu.
- “Quality” - Select the audio quality from the menu.
Step 4. Click Export
It's at the bottom of the window. After that, GarageBand will start exporting the entire project into a single track file.
Step 5. Play the song file
Once the file is finished exporting, you can play it in iTunes by double-clicking the file icon.
You can find the file in the directory previously specified in the " Where " menu
Tips
- GarageBand is also available as an app for iPhone and iPad running iOS 10+. However, there are more significant limitations on the mobile version of GarageBand than on the Mac version.
- When you run GarageBand, your latest project file will be opened.
