HOW TO Make music on your iPhone or iPad

1

PICK WHAT TO PLAY Launch GarageBand and create a new song. Let’s pick an instrument from this, the Sound Browser. Swipe left or right for different instrument types and tap the icons to select a specific one such as Alchemy Synth.

2

MAKE SOME NOISE We picked this synth because you can play it with one finger. Select Fast Gate from the middle section and hold down a piano key to hear a bubbling synth pattern. To record it, press the red circle icon before pressing the key(s).

3

SEE YOUR STUFF Tap on the third icon from the very top left to enter Tracks view. The green block is what you just recorded. Drag the ends to trim it, double-tap and select Loop. This repeats the recording to fill the entire song section.

There are lots of great music apps for iOS and iPadOS, with faithful reproductions of vintage synths rubbing shoulders with all kinds of beat makers and loopers. You can use many of them to record into GarageBand.

4

DO SOME DRUMMING Let’s add some drums. Tap on the “+” sign at the bottom left to add a new track and swipe until you see Drummer. This enables you to use GarageBand’s automated drum machine, which can sound exactly like real-life drumming.

5

BUILD SOME BEATS If you’d rather make beats, swipe along to Drums and tap Beat Sequencer. This enables you to build beats by tapping where you want each part of the drum kit to play. Tap at the bottom-left corner for a different drum kit.

6

ADJUST THE DRUMS We’ll stick with Drummer. You can adjust lots of things from here: the drum pattern preset, the patterns for each bit of the kit and our favourite bit, the controller that enables you to make the drums louder or more complex.

7

SEE THE DRUMS Go back into Tracks view (the third icon from the top left) and you’ll now see two tracks: your original looped synth part, and your new Drummer track. Double-tap either one and choose Edit if you want to change the notes or pattern.

8

BRING THE BASS Add a new track, choose bass and look for the Autoplay control – it can play the instrument for you, and there are four patterns. If you prefer you can play each individual note by tapping Notes. Use either option and record a bass line.

9

ADD A CHORUS Return to tracks view, which now has three individual tracks. Let’s add another song section to our project, such as a chorus. To do that, tap on the “+” sign at the top right, just above your first track. Now tap on Add.

10

LOOK FOR LOOPS GarageBand creates a new section and, if you’re using Drummer, it automatically puts a new Drummer section in it. Now let’s add some loops from GarageBand’s excellent library. Tap the Loop icon towards the top right.

11

ADJUST AND ADD FX Find a loop you like and drag it below your tracks to add a new one. Select any track and tap the Mixer icon at the top left to adjust how it sounds, add echo and reverb, and adjust where it sits in relation to the other tracks.

12

SHARE YOUR SONG Tap the page icon (top left) and GarageBand will save your song. You can export your project by long-pressing it and choosing Share. You can export it as an audio file, ringtone, or project to send to another GarageBand user. TL