Making Beats And Producing With Garageband

Have you ever wanted to know how to make your own beats on your computer or iPad? You don’t know much about music theory or song writing? No problem. 

The ability to produce killer beats are right at your fingertips with all the powerful digital tools available to you. If you have a Mac laptop or an iPad, you can download GarageBand and get started with the basics right away. Yes, it’s that easy!

• Have Garageband ready! This requires a Mac computer or iPad.
• Be prepared with two devices: one for Garageband and one for Zoom

This class focuses on several key components of the software, including mastering the dashboard, controls, and file management, exploring instrument sounds, patches, and choosing combinations, inputting musical data, layering, loop, creating song form and format, mixing, and delivering the final product! Then dive into a couple important topics like harmony, recording live instruments/voice, MIDI, editing sound files, arranging, using click tracks, and even external hardware options (microphones, audio interfaces, etc.)

By the end of the class, you’ll learn the basics of GarageBand so that you can re-produce the beats from your favorite song, write your own beats and understand some concepts about sound design.

Shayna is an experienced percussionist, writer, producer, and educator. Her experience with production software runs the gamut from GarageBand and Ableton Live to other digital music producing softwares. Learning a new software can feel overwhelming, but it’s actually quite intuitive (just like using a smartphone) if you get into the flow.

There are many online courses for music production out there, but Shayna’s classes will help students develop their individual voices and answer all personal questions to make their songs come to life.

Topics covered include: Recording, song-writing, beat-making, editing, sound designing, mixing, audio engineering, sound effects, digital audio workstations, MIDI instruments, recording MIDI, publishing/sharing songs, composing, audio file management, microphone techniques, multi-track recording, DJing, creating loops and more.

This class is perfect for: This class is perfect for students who want to learn how to write and produce songs with GarageBand. Our focus in this class is making beats and writing songs using production software, so if you’re a lover of pop and electronic music, you’ll have a great time. This class will build fundamental skills to help with composing and songwriting. It will also cover the basics of how to record, edit and mix audio and understand the basics of audio engineering and sound effects. Students must be old enough to have basic computer operating skills.  While not necessary to get a lot out of it, attendees will find it helpful to know the very basics of music notation, songwriting elements like pitch, rhythm and understanding of verse/chorus, and have some familiarity with bass lines and chords. Learning GarageBand will also allow you to move on to other advanced softwares such as Ableton Live or ProTools. This class is also great if you want to learn how to record, edit and mix audio and understand the basics of audio engineering and sound effects. Students must be old enough to have basic computer operating skills and a strong interest in learning songwriting is critical.

After this class, you will be able to: Master the basics of GarageBand to record, edit, and mix audio, Cover the basics of recording, editing, and audio engineering, Cover or write beats or loops by using software instruments and drum tools included in GarageBand or by recording live instruments and/or voices, Learn how to use MIDI instruments, Explore how to work with the different sounds and create something unique, Share their songs with family, friends and the world!

Skills required: (scale from 1-low to 5-high)

• Basic Computer Skills = 3
• Piano = 1
• Rhythmic note values = 2
• Song form = 1