Well, like I said, I've been using GarageBand for years, enough so to teach all of you a trick or two about using it.
Refer back to this page whenever you like to see some more tips and tricks, or just to burn some time away.
Tutorial #1: Making Your Own Loops - The Hard Way
Okay, so this is a pretty difficult way to make your own loops, but with a bit of practice, you'll get the hang of it!
First, open GarageBand.
(If you're using GarageBand '09, select "Songwriting".)
Now before you do ANYTHING, delete the blue-color-coded instruments - the Voice, Acoustic, and Drums. (Unless you plan on drumming or singing... or playing the guitar.)
Select one of the software instruments (Piano or Bass, it doesn't matter which) and click the "I" (Inspector) button to choose whichever instrument you actually want. (Or just keep it as is, that's fine too!)
Now, hold down the Command (looks like the GE Power Company logo) key, and click in the song/loop holding area. Once you've adjusted it to your liking (size wise, that is), just double click your new loop box.
This is where things get tricky -
See that little grid that popped up at the bottom? Press the Command key again, and click on a spot to create a dash - or a note. You can then drag it up or down, left or right, or adjust it to your liking. Once you get it on the note you want, click it again, and hold down the Option key. Now drag the new note over enough to make sense, in terms of beats and keeping rhythm. (Not following? Read it through again, and try a little experimentation yourself. After all, no one had to give me a tutorial - I found out how by experimenting.)
Once you have a few notes down, copy those above and below in any intervals you wish to create chords, fast-plays, and anything else you want! Once you've got your loop sounding great, just copy and paste it (using the Option key) as many times as you want.
Congratulations, if you've followed this correctly you've created your very own loop!
• What to do now?
Loops don't sound right alone! Create some new instruments by clicking the "plus" button at the bottom left, and selecting the Software Instrument. Then, make some more loops!
• Make the other instruments sound different! You don't want the same loop throughout the whole line of instruments, you want variety - something to make the song truly sound awesome! Work hard and make a different loop for guitars, organs, drums, pianos - everything! Now here and there, the same loop is fine. But not everywhere!
• Still confused?
Just leave a comment here, I'll be glad to help you out! (Leaving a comment on a post on the homepage is just fine, don't be shy!)
More TUT's coming soon!
