Take Control of
Making Music with GarageBand

Third Edition

Learn to use loops, assemble them into a composition, mix the song, and use basic audio effects in GarageBand ’06 (part of Apple’s iLife ’06 suite), also known as GarageBand version 3.

This product has been discontinued.

Trying to make music with GarageBand 3? Seattle musician Jeff Tolbert’s step-by-step instructions guide beginning and intermediate users through using GarageBand’s built-in loops to create two songs, teaching you how to use GarageBand’s editing and mixing features and how to be playful and creative while composing tunes that please the ear. You’ll learn how to plan a song, edit loops using both graphical and notation view, create exciting mixes, and export your masterpieces to iTunes. The ebook also covers how to change track volume and pan dynamically, and how to work with GarageBand’s effects. Linked-in audio lets you listen to examples while you read about them. Bonus! Is your Mac bogging down while playing complex tunes? The ebook includes seven suggestions for solving performance problems.

"I had a tough time getting started with GarageBand until I bought Take Control of Making Music with GarageBand."
    -Lyle H.

What version of GarageBand does this book cover?

Good question! This book covers GarageBand 3, part of iLife '06. It includes a download option for older PDFs that cover GarageBand 1 and 2.

Do you have later editions of this ebook that cover later versions of GarageBand?

Sure thing. For GarageBand '11 (version 6, part of iLife '11), there's Take Control of Making Music with GarageBand '11. Then, for GarageBand '09 (version 5, part of iLife '09), there's Take Control of Making Music with GarageBand '09. And, if you want a book that covers GarageBand 4, part of iLife '08, check out Take Control of Making Music with GarageBand '08.

  • Read Me First
  • Introduction
  • Making Music with GarageBand Quick Start
  • Configure GarageBand
  • Make Your First Tune
  • Make a Great Song
  • Transform a Magic GarageBand Song
  • Learn More Loop Techniques
  • Export Your Song
  • Learn More
  • Appendix A: Improving Performance
  • Glossary
  • About This Book
  • We have no plans to update this particular edition of the book, but note that other titles are available to cover later versions of GarageBand.