Now that students have new iPads this year, students can use the music creator app known as GarageBand to add extra spice to a presentation and wow teachers.  

Drums 

GarageBand features three categories of drums: acoustic, electronic, and percussion. Each allows for a variety of different formats such as Classic Studio, Electronic Drum Machine, and Chinese. The display of each kit mirrors that of a real drum set. Similarly, the electronic drum machines simulate the electronic pads, with icons representing the different materials, that actual percussionists would use. Each of the drum formats include drum materials like symbols, basses, and snares.  

Guitars / Bass

GarageBand offers four main guitars: Acoustic, Classic Clean, Hard Rock, and Roots Rock. These four guitars allow users to play pre-made strum patterns or different notes and chords. Tempo, key signatures, and time signatures of the strum patterns can be adjusted and chords may be changed. The speed at which to play those chords can also be adjusted.  

No tune is complete without a bass. GarageBand also presents the basic Bass guitars of the world such as the Liverpool and P—Bass. Similar to the guitars, Basses can be played with chords, notes, and strum patterns, and be adjusted. Other bass guitars in GarageBand are the Sequence, Retro, Exoplanet, and Picked.  

 Strings 

Strings, akin to that of Guitars and Bass guitars, are designed to replicate a pit band one might see in a theater including a violin, a cello, or an upright Bass. For each, there is the option to choose a cinematic, modern, pop, or romantic style. Individuals may select and play either multiple instruments at once or just one single instrument.  

Keyboards 

The keyboard is the most robust of instruments and will change the sound of a song most. There are regular keyboards like the Grand Piano or the organ, but that is only scratching the surface. Other categories include Alchemy Synths, Synth Classic, Synth Bass, Synth Leads, Synth Pads, FX, and Other. Based on each of these groups, an assortment of different types of keyboards are available. There are special effects like Auto Focus and Pulsar Wind as well. A selection of the “Other” category accesses woodwind instruments and brass. 

In the next installment, Austin introduces Simple Song Making with Loops.