Beginner GarageBand lessons
Never opened GarageBand before? Start here. You'll learn the interface, record your first take, and export a finished song.
Don't have GarageBand installed yet? Get it free from the App Store before you start lesson one.
Welcome to GarageBand: A Tour of the Interface
A calm, no-jargon walkthrough of what you're looking at the first time you open GarageBand: the control bar, the track area, and the panels you'll use constantly.
Getting Set Up: Preferences, Buffer Size, and Good Habits
The handful of settings worth checking before your first real project: audio preferences, buffer size explained simply, choosing the right template, and where your files actually live.
Creating Your First Project
Set your tempo and key, understand the metronome and count-in, and get comfortable with the transport controls before you record anything.
Understanding Tracks: Audio vs. Software Instrument vs. Drummer
The three track types in GarageBand explained plainly, and how to know which one you need before you hit record.
Recording Your First Audio Track
Set your input source, check your levels, and record a clean first take using your Mac's microphone or an external interface.
Recording Software Instruments & Musical Typing
Play and record a virtual instrument using a MIDI keyboard, or your computer keyboard with GarageBand's Musical Typing feature: no extra gear required.
Basic Editing: Trim, Split, and Move Regions
The handful of editing moves (trimming, splitting, moving, and looping regions) that you'll use in nearly every project you ever make.
Using Apple Loops to Build a Song Fast
Search, preview, and drag in royalty-free Apple Loops that automatically match your project's tempo and key: a fast way to sketch a full arrangement.
Getting Great Drums with the Drummer Track
Add a virtual session drummer, choose a style and kit, and shape the performance's intensity and complexity without programming a single hit by hand.
Basic Mixing: Volume, Panning, and Track Headers
The first mixing pass every project needs: balancing volume and stereo position between tracks, using nothing but the track headers.
Exporting and Sharing Your Finished Song
Bounce your finished project down to a single audio file, and choose the right format and settings for how you plan to use it.
Ready to keep going?
You know your way around: now sharpen your craft.