How to create music using GarageBand (with pictures)

This wikiHow teaches you how to create a basic instrumental track in GarageBand on a Mac.

Steps

Part 1 of 5: Create a New File

Step 1. Open GarageBand

Click on the GarageBand app icon, which looks like a guitar. You will find it in the Launchpad or in the applications folder.

Step 2. Click File

It's in the upper-left corner of the GarageBand window. Doing so will open a drop-down menu.

Step 3. Click New…

You will find this option in the drop-down menu.

Step 4. Click Blank Project

It's on the left side of the window.

Step 5. Adjust the details of the music

At the bottom of the window, you'll see a list of musical elements that dictate the overall style of the project (if not, click the triangle first Details at the bottom left of the window). You can change any of the following options:

Tempo: dictates the song's BPM value (beats per minute).
Key: indicates the key in which the song will be played.
Time signature: indicates the number of beats per measure.
Input device: Determines the music input method (for example, a USB MIDI keyboard).
Output device: Determines which speakers your Mac will use to output music.

Step 6. Click Choose

It's at the bottom of the window.

Step 7. Choose an audio type

In most cases, you will need to click the green option Software instrumentDoing so will allow you to add and edit sounds from the Mac's GarageBand library, as well as use the Mac's keyboard like a piano.

You can also choose the guitar or piano option if you want to play with a real MIDI instrument that connects to the Mac.
If you want to add a drummer to the track, click the option Battery.

Step 8. Click Create

It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so creates a new, blank GarageBand project. At this point, you are free to start composing the song.

Part 2 of 5: Set up the Garage Band

Step 1. Determine the type of music you want to create

Before you start composing music in GarageBand, you should have a general idea of the instruments you would like to use and the genre in which you would like to operate.

Step 2. Download the GarageBand Sound Library

When you first load GarageBand, many of the available sounds are not packaged with the program. You can download these sounds for free by doing the following:

Click on GarageBand in the upper left corner of the screen.
Choose Sound library.
Click on Download all available sounds
Follow any onscreen prompts.

Step 3. Connect a MIDI keyboard if necessary

MIDI instruments are usually connected via a USB cable, so you may need a USB 3.0 to USB-C adapter for the Mac. If you have a MIDI keyboard, you can skip to the next part.

Skip this step if you don't have a MIDI keyboard

Step 4. Open the music writing window

Click on the menu Window, and then click Show music typing in the resulting drop-down menu. This will bring up a list of keys that you can use to replicate the keys on the piano keyboard.

Step 5. Change the music typing settings

If necessary, you can change the music typing preferences as follows:

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 you use.
Tone manipulation: press the key + or - that appears in the upper left part of the window to raise or lower this value.
Octave: press the key + or - at the bottom left of the window to raise or lower this value.
Speed: press the key + or - that appears in the lower right corner of the window to raise or lower this value.

Part 3 of 5: Create Music

Step 1. Click Hint

It's a menu item at the top of the screen. Clicking on it opens a drop-down menu.

Step 2. Click New Track…

You'll find this option near the top of the drop-down menu.

Step 3. Click Software Instrument

It's on the left side of the pop-up window.

Step 4. Click Create

This option is at the bottom of the pop-up window. Doing so adds a new track to the GarageBand project.

Step 5. Choose an instrument

In the "Library" section on the left of the window, choose an instrument category, then click on the specific instrument you want to use for the new track.

You can first edit the track's preferences by clicking the knob icon to the right of the track box and then changing the necessary settings in the pop-up window

Step 6. Bring up the Music Typing window

Click on Window, then click Show music typing. This will ensure that you have a reference while recording the music.

Step 7. Click the "Burn" button

It's a red circle at the top of the window.

Step 8. Play the instrument

After all four clicks of the metronome sound, you can start playing the instrument by pressing the keyboard keys that belong to the notes you want to play.

Step 9. Stop recording

Click the "Burn" button again to do so. This will save the track.

Step 10. Launch a recorded instrument

Click and drag the upper right corner of a recorded track to loop it.

Step 11. Divide a track

If you want to split a track into two separate parts that can be moved independently of each other, drag the playhead to the point where you want to split the clip, and then press Command + T.

Step 12. Add and record more tracks

Once you've added the main music track, you can add additional tracks with different instruments (for example, bass or synth).

Part 4 of 5: Add a loop

Step 1. Click on the "Loop" icon

It's a hoop-shaped icon in the upper-right corner of the GarageBand window. Doing so opens the loop browser on the right side of the page.

Step 2. Find a loop to use

Scroll through the list of available loops until you find one that looks interesting to you.

You can sort the loops by instrument, genre or mood by clicking on the tabs Instrument, Gender or Mood at the top of the loop browser.
The loops are color-coded: blue loops are prerecorded sounds, green loops are editable song clips, and yellow loops are drums.

Step 3. Preview the loop

Click on a loop to listen to it when it's finished. Doing so does not add the loop to the project.

Step 4. Add the loop to the project

If you like the loop enough to add it to your project, click and drag the loop to the main project window.

Step 5. Rearrange the loops

Click and drag a loop left or right to position it earlier or later in the composition, or move it up or down to change its position in the GarageBand window.

Part 5 of 5: Publish the song

Step 1. Click Share