GarageBand Course

What do you get when you cross a drum machine with an orchestra and a recording studio?

Yup, you get one of the best free apps available for piano teachers: GarageBand.

Available FREE to all iPad, iPhone and Mac laptop users, GarageBand is literally a band and recording studio in your pocket.

For piano teachers, it’s an app with huge potential in your studio.

If you’ve ever looked for:

• An easy way to help students create impressive-sounding compositions with multiple instruments
• A simple way to record multiple tracks over each other
• A way to record directly from your digital piano

Read right to the end where you can watch the first two lessons of my new course absolutely free. 

Why Would I Use It

• Ensemble playing
• Listening skills
• Playing in time
• Exploring other instruments and mix
• It’s fun and students love it!

What Does It Do?

• Allows you and your student to create compositions
• Create a drum beat to accompany students
• Capture and record sounds
• Share songs through social media and other platforms
• So much more!

Note that the iOS version of GarageBand isn’t set up to create notation. If you’d like to create scores of your students’ work, you’ll need to export the GarageBand file and import into music notation software. Click here for my recommendations.

What You Need

All you need to get started is an iPad and an external speaker. While you can use an iPhone, it’s harder to navigate given the screen size. Also, keep in mind that the Mac laptop/desktop version of GarageBand is quite different in both interface and functionality to the iOS (iPad/iPhone) version. I recommend the iOS version for use in piano teaching.

For your speakers, either purchase a Bluetooth speaker like this or check out my recommendations for speakers on my resources page.

And sorry, if you have an Android/Google tablet or phone, you won’t be able to use GarageBand.

My New GarageBand Course

While many teachers have expressed an interest in using GarageBand in their studios, many have no experience with the app and really have no idea where to begin.

So, I have just released a step-by-step GarageBand course for piano teachers, designed to walk you through every step of the process from first opening the app, to creating your first student’s masterpiece.

It comes with comprehensive PDF downloads and videos of me using GarageBand live at the piano.

While the course is designed to show you exactly how to use the app, the best way to become comfortable with GarageBand, as with any new app, is to explore and use it.

Watch each module, and try it out yourself on your own composition – it really is easy!

GarageBand Course Modules

Everything you need to know, whether you’re a first-time user or someone who’s explored the app before, there will be something to learn.

Here’s an overview of what’s covered in my new GarageBand course:

1. Intro, demo song, getting started, home screen
2. Creating a new song, choosing an instrument, using chord mode
3. Recording audio live and direct from a digital piano
4. Instrument page options
5. Multitrack recording inc bass, strings guitar and keyboard options
6. Laying down drum tracks
7. Track mixing, solo, mute and FX
8. Piano roll editor, fixing mistakes, quantising
9. Live loops
10. Layout, arranging, fade out and exporting

Funk up your studio with GarageBand

Lesson Plans

Watch the teaching in action below. Remember, to access all 10 modules of my GarageBand course, join my creative community, TopMusicPro Academy.

Lesson One

Here is a teaching video for lesson one.

Lesson Two

And here is lesson two – each module has an accompanying video.

Conclusion

I really hope that you give GarageBand a try in your studio.

For ease of use, fun, motivating, – it really can’t be beaten.

Questions

I’d love to hear if you have any questions. What would you like to know about GarageBand? I’ll do my best to answer your concerns in our webinar if you leave your question below.