Sound - Garage Band
Welcome To Garageband |
GarageBand makes it easy to combine existing loops into a song. When doing this, you're like a cook where all of the ingredients are prepared. You don't have to chop, mix, and measure -- just combine and cook it in the microwave. Next week you'll be recording your own work.
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Assignment #2: Exploration
In this assignment, your task is to create and save several simple songs made up of at least five tracks of loops. Once you have created your songs, you will need to showcase them in your portfolio site. Be sure to have the songs show or display with controls, but also include the garage band file so it can downloaded so someone can either view the tracks and loops or continue work on it.
You will also be sharing your favourite creation with the rest of the class.
Things to remember
Things you should be able to do in garageband:
In creating your songs, try to use different genres, tempos, or focus. Some ideas:
You will also be sharing your favourite creation with the rest of the class.
Things to remember
- Remember you can have multiple loops on the same track. Typically a track refers to a type of instrument or rhythm style.
- Be sure to play or experiment with the volume controls and sound effects.
- Be sure to utilize a variety of loops and clips.
Don't fall into the rut of using the same loops over. In other words, we don't want 3 variations of the same song.
Things you should be able to do in garageband:
- Add a Software Instrument Track
- Assign a sound to a Software Instrument Track
- Possible be able to record using a Software Instrument Track
- Show Volume and Pan Changes
- Edit any track: Split, Join, cut, copy, paste, loop
In creating your songs, try to use different genres, tempos, or focus. Some ideas:
- a percussion only piece
- a love song
- a soundtrack for a horror film
- ethnic or cultural song
- blues or jazz
- western
Assignment #3: Midi Remix
The task of this assignment is rework a MIDI composition from the Internet.
MIDI is essentially sheet music for your computer -- it tells the computer/synthesizer what instrument to play and when and it's up to the computer/synthesizer to play its version of each instrument.
You'll download a tiny MIDI file and drag it onto GarageBand which should separate all of the tracks and instruments. It's up to you to change those instruments, the tempo, the temp, or even add and subtract loops. If you want to, you can even record your own vocals or playing using the microphone or keyboard!
Be sure to save the original and the versions so that your audience can compare them.
Some sites where you download MIDI Files from include: (Remember there are thousands of sites out there. Just make sure you download midi files)
Idea and exerts from: https://sites.google.com/site/christopherscfahs/garage-band/garage-band-assignments#TOC-WEEK-1:-Make-a-Song-with-Loops
MIDI is essentially sheet music for your computer -- it tells the computer/synthesizer what instrument to play and when and it's up to the computer/synthesizer to play its version of each instrument.
You'll download a tiny MIDI file and drag it onto GarageBand which should separate all of the tracks and instruments. It's up to you to change those instruments, the tempo, the temp, or even add and subtract loops. If you want to, you can even record your own vocals or playing using the microphone or keyboard!
Be sure to save the original and the versions so that your audience can compare them.
Some sites where you download MIDI Files from include: (Remember there are thousands of sites out there. Just make sure you download midi files)
- CoolMidi | mididb | ThaiLyrics | Ifni | MIDIWorld (older) | Mididatabase | MidiZone | Partners in Rhyme
- (or search using Google for xxxx MIDI where xxxx is the song or artist).
Idea and exerts from: https://sites.google.com/site/christopherscfahs/garage-band/garage-band-assignments#TOC-WEEK-1:-Make-a-Song-with-Loops
Assignment #3: Music and Images
The objective of this assignment is to combine original music with images/video in GarageBand.
You will be doing two tasks:
You will be doing two tasks:
- Taking a short (45 - 90 second) video (YouTube) and create a soundtrack for it. You will need to make sure that the original sound does not play.
- Create a meaningful presentation where you showcase a minimum of 25 related images with original music you have created in Garageband.
- Collect your images into a folder and import them into either iPhoto or iMovie
- You are to sequence the images in either iPhoto or iMovie. You might want to consider creating an opening and closing slide.
- If using iPhoto, create a new slideshow, and order your images accordingly.
- Each image should be displayed for a minimum of 3 seconds.
- Remember that the Ken Burns effect gets annoying really fast.
- Then import the completed video image sequence into Garageband where you will combine it with sound
- You can do one of two approaches:
- Watch the video in what ever program you sequenced the images and record the length. Open garageband and create a score that is the same length and save with a preview. Go back to the original program and add the sound.
- If you need just the audio from a YouTube video, you can isolate the audio using an online youtube converter type program or using a standalone downloader.
- As a bonus: you might want to consider creating different soundtracks for your projects and show how different sound impacts the effect of a piece.
Podcast
This is a warmup for the podcast, which will combine images and original music along with narration entirely in GarageBand.
Students will be able to combine music, images, and scripted narration to produce an enhanced podcast.
This week you are going to plan a 3-minute podcast. You can work by yourself or with a partner. Your podcast is mainly speech, although we'll be adding music as well as "enhancing" it with pictures. Your completed podcast will be on a topic about which you have some experience (general electives) or asocial studies topic (history, economics, geography, government, or sociology/psychology for social studies elective). You'll add some original music, created in GarageBand and prepped for iLife so it can come right in. Finally, you will want to add pictures to the "podcast" track in GB. This is not an excuse to just play music. You should choose a topic that you can talk about for 3 minutes.
Complete and turn in the Podcast Planner. I suggest you type on the computer, but you could print it out and fill it out by hand.
Please refer to the Podcast Rubric to be sure you include everything you need for full credit.
NOTE: If you want to, you can record your voice at home. Use a digital record or your computer. I recommend the free Audacity to record and save your podcast (File-Export as a WAV). You can send large files to me at using a site like transferbigfiles.com. Use my gmail account: [email protected]
EXTRA: Web-based Sound ToolsOnline Sound Tools
Objective: Students will create and share a piece of music using the online sound/music tool of their choice.
GarageBand is only for the Mac, but there are similar programs for Windows (such as Sony's Acid and the free Acid Exprress as well as the $70 MixCraft) but increasingly there are sophisticated sound editors and remixers in the cloud (online). You are going to try a few and select one of the followingto create a song or podcast to share with the class:
Aviar
y (logged on to cfahs.org select "More" and then "Aviary" -- sound plus video and picture editing)
audiotool (music remixer, kind of slow for me)
looplabs (online music mixer)
JamStudio (online music "factory")
Creaza (online AudioEditor plus cartoons, movies & mind maps).
remixgalaxy (online song remixer)
Well try to upload and share any project(s) using SoundCloud.
Students will be able to combine music, images, and scripted narration to produce an enhanced podcast.
This week you are going to plan a 3-minute podcast. You can work by yourself or with a partner. Your podcast is mainly speech, although we'll be adding music as well as "enhancing" it with pictures. Your completed podcast will be on a topic about which you have some experience (general electives) or asocial studies topic (history, economics, geography, government, or sociology/psychology for social studies elective). You'll add some original music, created in GarageBand and prepped for iLife so it can come right in. Finally, you will want to add pictures to the "podcast" track in GB. This is not an excuse to just play music. You should choose a topic that you can talk about for 3 minutes.
Complete and turn in the Podcast Planner. I suggest you type on the computer, but you could print it out and fill it out by hand.
Please refer to the Podcast Rubric to be sure you include everything you need for full credit.
NOTE: If you want to, you can record your voice at home. Use a digital record or your computer. I recommend the free Audacity to record and save your podcast (File-Export as a WAV). You can send large files to me at using a site like transferbigfiles.com. Use my gmail account: [email protected]
- Podcast Topic
- Podcast Outline (3 minutes)
- Podcast Script
- Record script
- Add Podcast Jingle
- Add Sound Effects & Images
- Edit Podcast
- Export & Upload Podcast to GoogleDocs
EXTRA: Web-based Sound ToolsOnline Sound Tools
Objective: Students will create and share a piece of music using the online sound/music tool of their choice.
GarageBand is only for the Mac, but there are similar programs for Windows (such as Sony's Acid and the free Acid Exprress as well as the $70 MixCraft) but increasingly there are sophisticated sound editors and remixers in the cloud (online). You are going to try a few and select one of the followingto create a song or podcast to share with the class:
Aviar
y (logged on to cfahs.org select "More" and then "Aviary" -- sound plus video and picture editing)
audiotool (music remixer, kind of slow for me)
looplabs (online music mixer)
JamStudio (online music "factory")
Creaza (online AudioEditor plus cartoons, movies & mind maps).
remixgalaxy (online song remixer)
Well try to upload and share any project(s) using SoundCloud.