GarageBand Tips Keyboard Shortcuts Shortcut Keys: Y B & E Quickly zoom in/out Hold down Command + Option and use the mouse scroll functionality to zoom in/out of the timeline or MIDI note editor. Cycle Area * Preview in/out edit positions using the Cycle Area before trimming a region * Click in the middle of the yellow Cycle Area and drag the Cycle Area along the timeline as you work through a song, section by section. * Shortcut key to toggle the Cycle Area on/off: C Tip: You can click anywhere in the timeline, during playback, to start playback from that position (even outside an active cycle area). This comes in handy if you want to remind yourself what leads into an area that you’re working on without disabling the cycle area. Region colors and what they represent GarageBand region colors Quickly reset controls to their default position Many of the interface knobs and sliders can be reset to their defaults by Option + clicking them. This works with the volume and pan controls for each track, the master volume slider, and the Smart Control knobs and on/off toggle switches. Volume slider, pan knob, Smart Control knob and toggle switch. Override Snapping Override snapping by holding down the Control key when making adjustments to the width of the Cycle Area, MIDI notes in the MIDI editor, or Regions in the timeline. Override snapping with the Control key The Tempo of a project can be precise Double click the Tempo number and enter a precise tempo number that includes a decimal point. Precise project tempo setting Power flexing with Flex-Time Adjust the timing of multiple segments of a region as one unit by clicking and dragging a Flex Marker past adjacent segments to include them in the adjustment area. All the “grouped” segments now respond as one unit. Click and drag the first or last Flex line over the entire length of the region to adjust the width of the entire region, proportionally. Adjusting multiple flex-segments at once. Velocity indicators on MIDI notes The velocity setting (0 – 127) of each note in the MIDI editor is represented by a thin, light colored line in the middle of each MIDI note. E.g. if the thin line is as wide as the note itself then the velocity is set to maximum (127). MIDI note velocity indicators Adjusting the Velocity of multiple MIDI notes at once Select multiple notes by Marquee selecting or Shift + clicking additional midi notes. Note: the degree to which you’re able to adjust the velocity depends on how near to maximum (or minimum) velocity any of the selected notes are. Best to select/adjust multiple notes that have the same or similar velocity settings. Power MIDI editing Resize multiple notes at once – marquee select multiple notes, then hover cursor over either end of one of the notes. All selected notes will now resize proportionally at the same time. Adjusting the width of multiple MIDI notes at once. Align the start or end of multiple MIDI notes by holding the Shift key while resizing multiple notes at once. Align the start or end of multiple MIDI notes with the Shift key Resources, Tutorials, etc. Learning GarageBand Tempo Track Tutorial How To Make A Song In Garageband (using Arrangement Track) Garageband Auto-Drummer Tips & Tricks Song-making tutorials Tutorial: From An Idea To A Song Dissecting A Song For Better Mixing Free samples, loops Adobe Audition Audio Downloads – samples, beds, loops MusicRadar.com – music samples with free registration Acapellas4u – acapellas, vocal loops, samples and DJ tools Incompetech.com – Custom Production Music (Royalty-Free) iOS apps (free) BPM – Tap your phone screen to the beat of a song to quickly determine its tempo. Logic Remote – An iPad can be used as a second screen for GarageBand 10 (or Logic Pro X) on the Mac. Use the iPad touch screen to play virtual instruments (keyboard, drum pad, guitar fretboard), Smart Controls, mixing board, or transport controls. Connects via WI-FI or Bluetooth. USB keyboard/MIDI controller recommendation: CME Xkey Have another GarageBand tip to add to this page? Let me know. Thanks!
