Apple GarageBand Tutorial: Lesson 1 - Manual (Page 3)

Lesson 1: Building a Basic Arrangement 3
Key
Each song has a key, which defines the central note to which the other notes in the music relate.
You can set the song to use any musical key.
To set the key:
m In the New Song dialog, choose a key from the Key pop-up menu.
Note: You can change the key later in the Track Info window.
If you change the key of a song after recording instruments or adding loops, all Software
Instrument recordings and loops are transposed to the new key. Real Instrument recordings are
not transposed.
Adding Loops for Drum and Rhythm Tracks
You can quickly define the feel of a song by adding Apple Loops. Apple Loops are prerecorded
music files designed to seamlessly repeat a rhythmic pattern. When you add a loop to the
timeline, you can extend it to fill any amount of time, making it easy to create drum parts and
other rhythm parts.
When you add a loop to a song, GarageBand matches the loop’s tempo and key to the tempo
and key of the song. This lets you use loops that were originally recorded at different speeds, and
in different keys, and have them sound as though they were made to be played together.
Finding Loops With the Loop Browser
GarageBand includes a loop browser that lets you find loops by musical instrument, genre, or
mood. You can also perform text searches, and refine your searches for loops in several other
ways. No matter how large your collection of loops becomes, you can quickly find loops with the
sound you want using the loop browser.
To show the loop browser:
m Click the Loop Browser button (the button with the open eye).
The loop browser has two views: button view and column view. In button view, you click
keyword buttons to show loops that match the keywords. In column view, you choose from
different keyword types, categories, and keywords to show matching loops. In the lower-left
corner of the loop browser are two view buttons you use to select button or column view.
To choose button view or column view:
m Click the column button to show column view, or click the grid button to show button view.