IOS has a huge number of fun and useful apps, as you can see from our Best free iPhone apps guide, but one of the very best is Apple's own GarageBand. With this free music creation tool, you can quickly put together songs adorned with drums, bass, keyboards, guitars and exotic instruments, all without even needing to know how to play. GarageBand is a pretty easy DAW to grok, but beneath its user-friendly surface lies a surprisingly amount of functionality. If you want to take your GarageBand know-how to the next level, read on. Master of groove. GarageBand can help with iffy timing.
GarageBand User Guide for iPad
Using the Drums Touch Instrument, you can play a drum kit simply by tapping the onscreen drums. You can choose either an acoustic or electronic drum kit.
Choose a drum kit
Tap the name of the drum kit at the top of the screen, then tap the drum kit you want to play. You can also swipe left or right to change to the previous or next drum kit.
Acoustic drum kits show a realistic-looking set of drums, and electronic drum kits show a grid of drum pads.
You can access an acoustic or electronic drum kit directly from the browser by tapping Acoustic Drums or Electronic Drums.
Play the drums in the drum kit
Tap the onscreen drums (for electronic kits, drum pads).
Some drums, such as the hi-hat and snare drum, make different sounds when you tap different parts of them. To see which sounds they make, tap the Info button to show the coaching tips. Some drums also respond to other gestures.
Touching and holding a drum with two (or more) fingers plays a repeating pattern. By changing the distance between your fingers, you can make the repeats faster or slower. Moving a finger up or down makes the repeats play louder or softer.
Record a drum groove
Tap the Record button in the control bar.
Tap the drums in the drum kit.
You can record one or more drums at a time. When the playhead starts over from the beginning of the section, you can record another part and it will be merged with the existing parts. You can turn off merging in the Track controls.
When you finish, tap the Play button in the control bar to stop recording. Tap Play again to hear the drum groove.
Play the crash cymbal and bass drum together
By default, when you tap the crash cymbal on the acoustic drums kit, the bass drum plays together with the cymbal. You can set whether tapping the crash cymbal plays both sounds, or only the cymbal.
Tap the Track Controls button in the control bar, tap Track Settings, then tap Recording.
Tap the “Bass Drum with Cymbal” switch to turn it on or off.
Adjust the touch sensitivity of the drums
You can set the touch sensitivity for the drums to one of four levels. Increasing the touch sensitivity makes hits sound louder or softer depending on how hard you tap the drums. If you turn touch sensitivity off, all notes sound the same regardless of how hard you tap the drums.
Tap the Track Controls button in the control bar, tap Track Settings, then tap Velocity Sensitivity.
Tap the sensitivity level you want to use for the drums.
Save your own custom drum sounds
Modify an existing drum sound by adjusting the control knobs (for electronic drum kits only).
Tap the name of the drum kit at the top of the screen, then tap Save.
Type a name for your custom sound, then tap Done.
The first time you save a custom sound, a new Custom category appears, with an icon for your sound. You can rename or delete the sound by tapping Edit, then tapping the icon (to rename the sound) or the red circle (to delete the sound).
The world is your stage. This is your instrument.
GarageBand for iOS makes it incredibly simple to play, record, and share your music, no matter where you are. Tap into a wide range of instruments from around the world. And now with the Sound Library, you can choose and download more free instrument and loop packs when new sounds are released, to help you easily craft songs in your favorite styles — all right from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Download GarageBand for iOSPlay Make music. With or without an instrument.
The moment you launch GarageBand, you can start making music. Play stunningly realistic Touch Instruments, instantly build big beats, and create music like a DJ — all with just a few taps. The all-new Sound Library lets you explore and download sound packs tailored to help you build your tracks with just the right elements for the style you want.
Live Loops makes it fun and easy to create electronic music. Simply tap cells and columns in the grid to trigger musical loops, and then build your own original arrangements. You can even use Remix FX to add creative, DJ‑style transitions with Multi‑Touch gestures, or just by moving your iOS device.
If you can tap, you can play.
GarageBand comes with beautiful and highly expressive Touch Instruments that sound and respond just like the real thing. Play keyboards, guitars, and bass, as well as sounds designed for EDM and Hip Hop. Smart Instruments make you sound like a pro — even if you’ve never played a note. And now you can explore the sounds of Asia with traditional Chinese and Japanese instruments, including the Guzheng, the Koto, and an array of Taiko drums.
When it comes to how you make your beats, the choice is yours — from jamming live on virtual drum kits to instant drag‑and‑done Smart Drums. The all‑new Beat Sequencer lets you easily build rhythms using sounds and a workflow inspired by classic drum machines. And Drummer gives you access to a team of virtual session drummers, each playing a popular electronic or acoustic style with a signature kit.
Plug it in. Tear it up.
Plug in your guitar and choose from a van‑load of amps and stompbox effects that deliver the perfect feel — from dreamy soundscapes to stadium‑size rock.1 Our bass amps let you hold down the bass line with clean or distorted rigs modeled after vintage and modern amplifiers.
GarageBand includes Alchemy, one of the world’s most advanced synthesizers. Explore hundreds of Apple‑designed Patches, perfect for EDM, Hip Hop, Indie, Rock, and Pop music. Use the expressive Transform Pad to morph between sounds in real time, or just have fun using the simple Chord Strips that help anyone play like an expert.
Garageband For Ipad App
Sound Library. Your all‑access pass to a world of sounds.
With the new Sound Library, you’ve got instant access to an incredible and expanding collection of free loops and instruments from right inside the app. Explore and download Apple‑designed sound packs that include Touch Instruments, Apple Loops, Live Loops templates, and instrument presets that will help you produce tracks in a wide variety of genres and styles. You can easily manage your library as it grows, and GarageBand will even notify you when new sound packs are released and ready for you to download.
Record A full recording studio. To go.
With its powerful and intuitive interface, GarageBand makes it easy to capture, adjust, and mix your performances into a finished composition. Build a complete song using any combination of Touch Instruments, audio recordings, and loops.
Work with up to an astounding 32 tracks with GarageBand for iOS.2 With a compatible third‑party audio interface, you can even plug in the entire band and record everyone simultaneously on separate tracks. Take multiple passes to nail your performance using Multi‑Take Recording — just choose any Touch Instrument, tap Record, and play continuously over a looping song section. GarageBand automatically captures each one, and you simply choose your favorite.
Fine‑tune your tracks and record each tap, swipe, and twist of the knobs. Draw and edit volume automation for precise control over your mix. And let the Simple EQ and Compressor keep your tracks sounding crisp and clear. For even more detailed control, take advantage of 10 track‑mixing effects directly from Logic Pro, like the Visual EQ, Bitcrusher, Vocal Transformer, and more.
Audio Unit Extensions let you use your favorite compatible third‑party instrument and effect plug‑ins right in your GarageBand song. Browse the App Store and download your selections from leading music app developers like Moog Music.
iCloud GarageBand everywhere. Tweak your tracks. On any device.
iCloud allows you to keep your GarageBand sessions up to date across all your iOS devices. Using iCloud Drive, you can import song sketches to your Mac and take them even further, then share your finished piece on any of your devices. You can also import a portable version of a Logic Pro X project and add more tracks. When you bring the project back into Logic Pro, the original tracks are all there, along with the new ones you’ve added in GarageBand.
Garageband Ipad Sub Bass Pro
GarageBand for Mac
Your personal music creation studio.
GarageBand for iOS
Play, record, arrange, and mix — wherever you go.
Music Memos
Garageband Ipad Sub Bass Case
An app to capture your song ideas. Whenever inspiration strikes.