Apple GarageBand Tutorial: Lesson 3 - Manual (Page 5)

Lesson 3: Working with Software Instruments 5
Editing and Arranging Software Instrument Regions
You can edit and arrange Software Instrument regions in the timeline in all the ways described in
Lesson 1. In addition, you can edit individual notes in Software Instrument regions, and can edit
“controller” information recorded when you move the pitch bend wheel or modulation wheel on
your music keyboard (most music keyboards include these two controls), or use a sustain pedal.
Editing Individual Notes in a Software Instrument Region
You can edit individual notes of a Software Instrument region. When you view the region in the
track editor, individual notes in the region are displayed in a graphic format:
• The left edge of the note shows the point in the timeline it starts playing.
• The width of the note shows how long it plays.
• The vertical position of the note shows its pitch, in relation to the piano keyboard displayed
vertically along the left edge of the track editor.
You can drag notes to a new starting point, resize notes to shorten or lengthen how long they
play, and drag notes up or down to a different pitch. You can also select multiple notes and edit
them at the same time.
Note: To edit notes in the track editor, you may need to zoom in so that the notes are large
enough to select and edit.
To edit notes in a Software Instrument region:
• Drag the note left or right to a new starting point. You can use the beat ruler in the track editor
to align the note with a specific beat or measure.
• Drag the lower-right corner of the note to resize it.
• Drag the note up or down to raise or lower its pitch. Use the piano keyboard along the left
edge of the editor to see the pitches.
You can also select multiple notes in the track editor, and edit them at the same time.
To select multiple notes:
• Shift-click or Command-click the notes you want to select.
• You can also select multiple notes by dragging from a point before the first note to a point
after the last note, enclosing the notes you want to select.
When you edit multiple notes, each note is changed by the same amount. For example, if you
select several notes and drag them to a new starting point, each note is moved by the same
number of beats. If you resize several notes at the same time, each note is shortened or
lengthened by the same amount. If you drag several notes up or down to a different pitch, each
note is changed by the same number of semitones.
Editing Controller Information in a Software Instrument Region
Most music keyboards designed to be used with computer music programs include “controllers”
for pitch bend and modulation. These controllers are often circular “wheels” placed at the left end
of the keyboard. Some keyboards also include an input for a sustain pedal that lets you hold
notes as on an acoustic piano.
Moving the pitch bend wheel while you play causes the notes you play to bend up or down in
pitch, like a guitar. Moving the modulation wheel creates changes in the sound of the Software
Instrument. These are different for different instruments, but often involve changing the
frequency, rate, or intensity of a filter applied to the instrument.