Apple GarageBand Tutorial User Manual Lesson 3

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Lesson 3: Working with Software
Instruments

GarageBand includes an extensive set of Software Instruments, including drums, guitars, pianos,
organs, and synthesizers. You can play and record Software Instruments using the onscreen
music keyboard in GarageBand, or by connecting a MIDI-compatible music keyboard to your
computer. You can add effects to a Software Instrument, and edit Software Instrument regions in
the track editor.

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Tutorial

What You'll Need

To work with Software Instruments, you can use the following:

The GarageBand onscreen music keyboard

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A MIDI-compatible music keyboard (either a USB keyboard or a standard MIDI keyboard)
A USB cable (to connect a USB music keyboard) or pair of cables and a MIDI interface (to

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connect a standard MIDI keyboard)

Before You Begin

To make it easier to follow the lesson as you work, print the lesson before you start.

In many of the tasks shown in this lesson you need to choose menu commands. In the lessons,
and in the GarageBand Help, menu commands appear like this:

Choose Edit > Join Selected.

The first term after Choose is the name of the menu in the GarageBand menu bar. The term (or
terms) following the angle bracket are the items you choose from that menu.

Using the GarageBand Onscreen Music Keyboard

You can use the GarageBand onscreen music keyboard to play and record Software Instruments.
When you show the onscreen music keyboard, by default it displays a four-octave range of keys.
You can resize the keyboard to display up to 10 octaves.

To show the onscreen music keyboard:

m

Choose Window > Keyboard.

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To play the onscreen music keyboard:

m

Click the notes on the keyboard. You can click when the song is playing, when it is stopped, or
when recording.

Clicking a note lower on the key plays the note with a higher velocity (equivalent to pressing the
key harder), and clicking a note higher on the key plays the note with a lower velocity
(equivalent to pressing the key more softly).

To move the keyboard:

m

Place the pointer anywhere in the space above the keys and drag.

To resize the keyboard:

m

Drag the expansion triangle on the lower-right edge of the keyboard window.

To change the range of notes you can play:

m

Click the small triangles to the left or right of the keys. Clicking the triangle to the left lowers the
keys by an octave, and clicking the triangle on the right raises the keys by an octave.

Connecting a Music Keyboard to your Computer

If you play a keyboard instrument, you can connect a MIDI-compatible music keyboard to your
computer.

To connect a music keyboard to record Software Instruments:

If the keyboard is a USB MIDI keyboard, connect the USB cable to the keyboard and to your

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computer.
If the keyboard is a standard MIDI keyboard, connect the keyboard to a MIDI interface using

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standard MIDI cables, and connect the interface to your computer.

Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the keyboard, which may include installing the
correct driver on your computer.

Adding a Software Instrument Track

To record a Software Instrument, you can add a new Software Instrument track or record on an
existing Software Instrument track.

To add a Software Instrument track:

1 Click the Add Track button, or choose Track > New Track.

In the New Track dialog, click the Software Instrument tab.

Select an instrument category from the Category list, then select the instrument you want to use
from the Instrument list.

Getting Ready to Record

Once you have connected your music keyboard, there are a few things to check before you start
recording:

Make sure your music keyboard is connected to your computer and is working.

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Select a Software Instrument track and try playing your music keyboard, or clicking notes on
the onscreen music keyboard. You should hear the Software Instrument as you play.

2 Lesson 3: Working with Software Instruments