This is the actual tutorial on how to set up your Garage Band Project

1. Garage Band “TUTORIAL”
• When you start Garage Band, this is the first screen that should come up.
o Select LOOPS if you want audio only
o Select PODCAST if you want audio and visual
• This screen will appear on your computer.
• Assign the file a name and location to save but you don’t need to worry about changing any of the
other items. Then select create in the bottom right corner
How to add photos to your podcast
• This screen will appear on your computer.
• You can delete any of the “predetermined” tracks. Select the track on the left, then push
command+delete. Leave the podcast track for your pictures.
• Select the picture(s) you want and drag them onto the podcast track.
o If there is any space between the pictures you will get flashes of black. Make
sure they are touching, like this:
• You can make a photo last longer by pulling on the end of its grey bubble.
• To watch your podcast in Garageband, click on the picture where it says podcast track and it will
bring the visuals into a bigger window for easier viewing!
• If you need to return to the media section at any time to add or change pictures, select from
the grey area at the bottom of the screen.

2. How to add loops (sounds, instruments, etc)
• Select from the grey area at the bottom of the screen. This will bring up the loop area on the
right side (where the pictures use to be).
• Click on one of the categories listed there. When you click on the category, instrument names will
appear below.
• Click one time on an instrument name to hear what it sounds like. Click on it again to make it stop
playing.
• The color box beside the name tells you what color of loop that instrument is.
o Green loops are MIDI files. They typically take up more memory and some computers have trouble playing the
entire song if students use a lot of green loops. I typically limit the number of green loops they can include and
how long those green loops can be.
• When you find an instrument you like, click and hold on the name as you drag it into the dark grey
song area. You can add other instruments to the same line (track)
by setting them down beside the loops you already have.
• Or you can add DIFFERENT types of instruments to your song by putting them in below the loops
you already have.
• After you put a loop in the song area
o You can delete it by clicking once on the loop then pushing the delete key on the keyboard
o You can make it longer by dragging the loop end (Hover your mouse at the top right corner
of the loop until you get the circle arrow. Then you click and drag.)
o You can move it around to change where it starts playing
• To hear your song play…
o Use the space bar as the start and stop button
o Use the enter/return button to go back to the beginning of your song
Tracks
Loops
Tracks are the lines going from left to right
Loops are the colored sections that you are putting into the song area
There are so many more things that GarageBand is capable of doing. I have geared this information to help
people get started using GarageBand. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I use this
program with my students to compose songs for music class as well as making the podcasts described in this
handout.

3. Things I haven’t covered yet…
Recording Voices
Select the track you want to record to. Then push the red record circle at the bottom of the screen and it
will start recording. Push the space bar to stop recording. And your loop will be purple. I have found it
best to use an external mic (one that plugs in via USB) but you can just use the built in mic too. I setup a
“recording studio” for the students and give them a set amount of time to use the studio. The recording
studio could be the hallway, a small instruction room, an office…anything with minimal noise.
Other buttons in GarageBand and what they do
mutes the track solo: only thing that plays locks the track volume controls
Selecting the upside down triangle (next to the lock button) opens up advanced volume controls (but
they are super easy to use). You can create crescendos and decrescendos in the music. Click on the track
volume line where you want the sounds to start getting softer. GB puts a dot there for you. Then click out
a little farther. GB puts another dot there for you. But you can grab a hold of this dot and move it up or
down to show the change in volume you want. You can do this multiple times on one track as show
below.
Inevitably someone’s song will magically start repeating for no reason. Or this strange yellow‐gold bar
will appear at the top of the screen. They’ve accidentally pushed the repeat button. However much like
the song that never ends, GB won’t stop repeating that section of the song.
Finally, what you really want to know…how do you get your songs, podcasts, and other projects
out of GarageBand so you can share them!!!!!
Click on share. Then you can share it to iTunes if you want. I typically export song to disk. Tell it to
export again, then it will ask you to name it and choose where to save. I suggest a temporary folder on
the desktop or a jump drive. I have several jump drives that I use to “collect” all the projects on and then
load all of them onto my computer so I can share them as needed. From here, you can create CDs, share
them to your blog, make a DVD, etc.
If you made a podcast in GarageBand, you may need to change what opens your file (after exporting). My
computer defaults to opening with iTunes and all I get is the audio. But if you click on the file (don’t open,
just select), then push command+i (info). Something like this should appear:
Change open with to Quick Time Player. Then you will be able to see your video/photos along with
hearing the audio.