Written by Amy Keusaekeus@mac.com / amykeus@staff.nanjing-school.com of

Nanjing International School

Last UpdatedNovember 2012

Version 3

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Table of ContentsCompose a piece of music using Notepad.! 3

Loading the Software! 3

Composing Music! 5

Using Shortcuts! 5

Exporting Notepad Files to GarageBand! 6

Sequencing Your Music in GarageBand! 6

Adding New Tracks! 8

Software Instruments! 8

Real Instruments! 8

Changing Sounds! 9

Recording and Rewinding! 9

Turning Off the Metronome! 9

Changing the Volume! 10

Editing Using the Editor! 10

Splicing Your Music! 11

Adding Loops / FX! 11

Adding Music Loops! 12

Adding Special FXs.! 13

Making Alien / Funny Voices! 14

Exporting to iTunes! 15

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Compose a piece of music using Notepad.Loading the Software

Open Notepad.

You don’t need to register for this product because it is free. Click the “Remind Me Later” button to proceed.

Give your music a title and add your name as the composer. Change the paper size to A4.

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Choose which instrument(s) you want in your music.

Pick which key and time signature you’d like to use. It’s best to use 4/4 time and C major when working in GarageBand. Also, put in how many bars of music you’d like.

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Composing MusicCompose your music. Use the toolbars to help you.

Using ShortcutsUse shortcuts to help you work faster and more efficiently.

OPTION+7 = whole noteOPTION+6 = half noteOPTION+5 = quarter noteOPTION+4 = eighth noteOPTION+3 = sixteenth notesOPTION+2 = thirty-second notesR = restPressing a number while clicking on a note will add a note that many spaces above.+ sharp, - flat, n natural

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Exporting Notepad Files to GarageBand

Choose File / Save As

Save as a “Standard MIDI File.” You will have to click the downward arrow to find this option.

Sequencing Your Music in GarageBandOpen GarageBand.

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Choose New Project / Loops. This will open an empty GarageBand window.

Give your GarageBand file the same name as your MIDI file.

Find your file in the Finder. Click and drag it into GarageBand’s empty window.

GarageBand will try to match the same voice you used in Notepad. If you use saxophone in Notepad, GarageBand will try to assign saxophone. If GarageBand doesn’t have a saxophone, it will try to find the closest sound possible. For example, if you put “voice” in Notepad, GarageBand will assign it to “Ithaca Vox”

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Adding New Tracks

To add a new track in GarageBand, press the plus button.

Software InstrumentsIf you want to add a new MIDI (controller) track, then choose software instrument.

Real InstrumentsIf you want to add a real instrument (like a REAL person), then choose real instrument.

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Changing SoundsTo change the sounds of a MIDI track, click on the Software Instrument Browser window.

Recording and Rewinding

To record anything, press the red record button.

To go back to the very beginning, press the rewind button.

Turning Off the MetronomeYou don’t need to turn off the metronome IF you use a software instrument. If you use a REAL instrument, you MUST turn off the metronome.

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Changing the VolumeRaise or lower the volume here.

If you click the down arrow, then you can click to add (or delete) nodes. This changes the volume manually.

Editing Using the Editor

Double click to open the editor. (Or press COMMAND+E)

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

To hide the editor, click on COMMAND+E.

Splicing Your Music

To chop/splice your music, click on COMMAND+T

Make sure you click off your music to deselect it, click on the track you want to delete, and then press the Delete button.

Adding Loops / FX

To add loops, click on the eyeball.

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Adding Music LoopsMake sure the music note is highlighted. Click and drag on a loop and put it in your timeline.

Green loops go on green tracks.

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Blue loops go on blue tracks.

Adding Special FXs.

To find a special FX, type in the name in the search area and click the ENTER button. When you have the sound you want, click and drag it onto a BLUE track.

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Making Alien / Funny Voices

Record yourself saying something. Make sure you are wearing headphones OR that your track is muted.

Press the record button.

When you are finished, click on the information button.

Now choose which special effect you’d like to add.

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Exporting to iTunesWhen you are finished sequencing your piece, share it to iTunes.

Enter the name of your playlist and your album name. They must be the exact same name and a name you will use for the entire unit. Then entire your name in as artist and composer. Click Share.

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand

Miss Keus’ Guide to Using Notepad & GarageBand