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Published:
August 25, 2020

GarageBand For Dummies

Overview

Put together great-sounding audio tracks on Mac, iPhone, or iPad

GarageBand For Dummies gets you started with the popular audio software included with Apple devices. This simple app lets you do everything from building basic beats to creating multi-track recordings. You’ll learn how to build a song from the ground up in this beginner-friendly Dummies guide. Follow simple, step-by-step instructions that guide you through building percussion loops, adding melodies, and recording live vocals or other instruments. When your masterpiece is complete, this book

shows you how to mix and master your tracks and get them ready to share with the world. You, GarageBand, and GarageBand For Dummies are about to make beautiful music together.

  • Learn the GarageBand interface and set up recording sessions
  • Set up your recording space to get the best quality audio from vocal and instrument sessions
  • Add beats and loops or perform on built-in instruments
  • Blend your tracks into a final mix

For easily creating recordings and demos using the free GarageBand app, this is the book you need.

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About The Author

Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus has been the technology columnist for the Houston Chronicle for more than two decades and a columnist for the Mac Observer for almost as long. A prolific writer, he is the author or coauthor of nearly 90 books, including multiple editions of macOS For Dummies and iPad For Dummies. Bob also has worked as a commercial music producer.

Sample Chapters

garageband for dummies

CHEAT SHEET

Using keyboard shortcuts makes working with GarageBand ever so much easier on a Mac. But did you know that when using an external Bluetooth keyboard with your iDevices, you can use many Mac keyboard shortcuts!So, if you’re using GarageBand on an iDevice, give the Mac keyboard shortcuts a try. And, if you record a great take (on any device) with one or two small mistakes, here’s the easiest way to silence the boo-boos and salvage your otherwise stellar performance.

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Articles from
the book

GarageBand is relatively stable. For an application that does so much computing, it rarely crashes or freezes on any platform. Still, it is an app, which means it may occasionally cause you trouble. And most of that trouble involves performance, which is why this article offers 10 ways to shoot that trouble right between its beady little eyes and get your GarageBand rocking again.
Here are some ways that you can make your GarageBand recorded songs even better. Alas, most of these suggestions cost money, but each one will contribute to making your GarageBand compositions sound even better than before. Get a better microphone If you record acoustic instruments or vocals, an easy way to make your recordings sound better is to use a better microphone.
Using keyboard shortcuts makes working with GarageBand ever so much easier on a Mac. But did you know that when using an external Bluetooth keyboard with your iDevices, you can use many Mac keyboard shortcuts!So, if you’re using GarageBand on an iDevice, give the Mac keyboard shortcuts a try. And, if you record a great take (on any device) with one or two small mistakes, here’s the easiest way to silence the boo-boos and salvage your otherwise stellar performance.
Before you work and play with GarageBand, you should familiarize yourself with its six preferences panes and their settings. These settings are global and generally affect every project you create.You probably don’t know how you like your preferences, at least not yet. But you will soon. This article helps you adjust each item in every preferences pane.
If you're just starting with GarageBand, begin by using any available microphone. I’ve made many GarageBand recordings using an old Andrea USB NC-7100, a cheap USB mic that was bundled with speech-recognition software I reviewed more than a decade ago.A microphone may be the most critical component that you buy.
GarageBand for the Mac is a complete recording studio that includes hundreds of realistic-sounding instruments, effects, and presets configured by experienced recording engineers. GarageBand for Mac has a tiny on-screen keyboard (top) and musical typing keyboard (bottom), in case you don’t have an external piano-style keyboard handy.
https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6630d85d73068bc09c7c436c/69195ee32d5c606051d9f433_4.%20All%20For%20You.mp3

Frequently Asked Questions

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