FAST Synth Bass in GarageBand - by DianaDee Osborne

FAST SYNTH BASS 

DATE of posting:       30 March 2018     SUBSCRIBE  
https://dianadeegarageband.blogspot.com - 

RECORDING HINTS -- written about using  GarageBand -- BUT
these Hints help increase your skills in ProTools, Logic, etc. 

If you've already recorded a piano track for your song in GarageBand -- and other programs --
here's a quick way to get a synth bass to fill in your sound until a bass player
adds live bass. 

REMINDER: YOU NEED TO QUANTIZE PIANO before these steps,
or you'll have double the work quantizing both two tracks later.
It's also MUCH EASIER if you can join all piano regions into one track first....
     but Step 5 includes way to create bass without joining the regions if desired.

GETTING READY

A. PREPARATION
1. Create a new track for bass.
2. Record one note, any note, to "populate" your track. This KEEPS track name as "Bass".
3. Extend the track to match the length of your piano track.
4. Delete your temporary note.

5. SKIP TO STEP 6 if your piano track contains only one region,
since the next steps are easier if the piano is all in one track.Do Step 5 here if you have separate regions and want to keep them separate,
__5a. Select and join all piano regions.
__5b. Hit the home key to put the marker on   Measure 1 Count 1.
__5c. Do steps 6 and 7 below. Do NOT do step 8 yet.
__5d. Choose Edit > Undo. Your copied notes are still on the clipboard.
__5e. SKIP TO STEP 8 (you've done 6 and 7)

6. Open the Notation view for the piano track, and  to go to home >>
             Measure 1, Count 1.
Then select the bottom-most notes of the piano. (If you get some higher notes, they're
                 easy to delete later.) 
7. Choose Edit > Copy.
8. Go into the Notation view for the new bass track.
Hit your home key to put the marker on Measure 1, Count 1.

9. Choose Edit > Paste.

NOW YOU'RE READY FOR THE FUN!
B. CREATING THE BASS.
Here's where the work comes in -- but it's quick and fun:
1. In some places, you will have picked up a double-note bass for a count. Go to these and delete one note, usually the higher note.
2. Piano has a wider range than bass.
Ensure that no notes go below a low low B (13 steps below middle C) 
that can be played by 5- or 6-string basses. 
And, since it's bass, you probably don't want notes going too high
into the sonic range of other instruments including guitars and flutes.
3. Turn the piano volume down some and the bass volume up. Then play the 2 tracks.
4. Adjust notes here and there to the sound you like.

HINT FOR FINDING PIANO CHORD'S ROOT (BASS) NOTE:
*If you're "stumped" and can't figure out what the bass note should be,
it's easy to put the marker on the measure in question, then go into the piano track
to look at the chord for that measure.
 If there are 3 or more half-steps between the two bottom piano notes,
this is the guitar equivalent of a slash chord.
The root is the bottom one with no space above, usually.

ALMOST FINISHED!
C. POLISHING THE BASS SOUND
Piano tends to be "busier" than bass.
So you should go into the bass track to polish the final sound:

1. For measures that copied in multiple notes from the piano track,
    delete bass notes after count #1 and extend the remaining bass note
    to extend through the measure.
2. Bass doesn't *have* to be the root note... it's your song. Use harmony notes if you like!
3. In some places the piano held a chord where a nice bass walkdown etc. would fill in....

Much joy to you creating new music!
Lots of Examples to hear free at http://www.DianaDeeOsbornesongs.com/

©2018, 2011 DianaDee Osborne;  all publication rights reserved

(An earlier version published 12 September 2011)

Aligning Imported MP3s Easily

ALIGNING IMPORTED MP3s EASILY

DATE of posting:       23 March 2018  morning     SUBSCRIBE  
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RECORDING HINTS -- written about using  GarageBand -- BUT
these Hints help increase your skills in ProTools, Logic, etc. 

THIS IS  *so* IRRITATING...

Have you ever dragged an MP3 file into your GB project to create a new track?
It's a great way to add flute or "atmosphere" or other enhancements
to an older version of one of your songs if you don't have a BAND file for it.
BUT  what often happens: a STRUGGLE
to make it the IMPORTED track align in timing with your GB click track. 
Here are a couple of easy hints to try before you fret too much over the attempt:

1. First, you'll probably need to PUT SOME SPACE in front of the MP3 track.  
So slide the track to the right,   to add at least one measure of room.

2. Turn OFF the Snap to Grid feature (under Control menu item).

3. Now play the metronome with the track: Keep sliding the imported MP3 region
until it's as close as possible to the first count of the music hitting the first count of GB's metronome (also under Control).

Here's the TRICK for the Annoying Part that sometimes happens:
4. If it still is not quite "on" but you're having trouble hearing where count one comes in to match the MP3 and metronome, here's a cool hint:

--a-- Open the Notation View (the "snowflake" at the bottom left).
--b-- Click on the new MP3 track's NAME to select it. The WAV files of the MP3 will now be showing in the Notation view.
--c-- WithOUT the metronome on, play the MP3 track solo, and watch the peaks. 
After a bit of time, you should be able to hear the timing of the music's first counts
and  slide the track until the peak in the WAV file matches count 1,

This doesn't always work, but it usually does  ...
or gets you much closer before trying something else in Garageband.
Note that the BIG PROGRAMS like ProTools & LOGIC have a SLIP feature that's more exact..

FINAL STEP   for FINISHING UP:
STEP 5 finally: You have to get rid of that space in front of the audio track if you want to clean up your project. There are two main ways:

(1) split the region on a count 1 just before the music starts,
delete the unnecessary front region, and slide the 2nd region to the front of the track.
Ensure that Count 1 of the track lands with Count 1 of the metronome...
usually a bigger WAV peak there.

(2) Solo the audio track and send it to iTunes, bounce it, or whatever.  
Then bring back the now-filled-in full track with the extra front space
 into your project. Delete the old audio after you ensure everything is working right.

Much joy to you creating new music!

Lots of Examples to hear free at http://www.DianaDeeOsbornesongs.com/

©2018, 2011 DianaDee Osborne;  all publication rights reserved

 (An earlier version published 2 September 2011)

Easy Counter-Melodies Making - by DianaDee Osborne

EASY COUNTER-MELODIES MAKING

DATE of posting:       16 March 2018  morning     SUBSCRIBE  
https://dianadeegarageband.blogspot.com - 

RECORDING HINTS -- written about using  GarageBand -- BUT
these Hints help increase your skills in ProTools, Logic, etc. 

Annoying feature we CAN work around!

One of the annoying features of GarageBand & some other
oftware recording programs is that
you can see the Notation View (the music notes on the staff) of
only one track at a time.
So if you want to add a synth bassline or a simple 
counter-melody in flute or sax, for example, you must either hope
you've memorized the chord progression, or
you must waste paper printing a multi-page music score you need for only a few minutes.

A FUN  EASY FIX !!! --
1. Select by highlighting the track name of the track that is your main instrument (already recorded); for me it is usually grand Piano. In this case, if you select just a note within the notation view, this hint also works.

2. Select  File > Print.... but don't print. Shows the score (notes).

3. Click on Preview and  
then slide the preview window over to the side of your monitor scrren
where you can see both it and the GarageBand main window.

4. I GarageBand, just click on the new track where you want to record the
counter-melody or bass (etc.) track, and begin recording,
using the Preview window as your guide, like a SCORE SHEET.

A fun wisdom hint I love sharing with you! Saves $$$ too!
then threw in the trash before I realized I could easily play from the Preview window.

Much joy to you creating new music!
Lots of Examples to hear free at http://www.DianaDeeOsbornesongs.com/

©2018, 2011 DianaDee Osborne;  all publication rights reserved

(An earlier version published 25 August 2011)

Deliberate Percussion Mistakes - by DianaDee Osborne

DELIBERATE PERCUSSION MISTAKES

DATE of posting:       9 March 2018  morning     SUBSCRIBE  
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RECORDING HINTS -- written about using  GarageBand -- BUT
these Hints help increase your skills in ProTools, Logic, etc. 

Your music does NOT have to be perfect.... Perfect notes, perfect timing, etc.
In fact there's a PHRASE  for what you've probably heard in classical music:

FLEXIBLE  TIMING.
Drums & percussion can add deeply to your song's mood... 
including to reflect angst & sorrow with
DELIBERATE  "mistakes". 
EXAMPLE:   the ear rather expects the kick drum to always 
fall first on either count 1 or 2 depending on the song, 
and then to stay there through the song. 

Deliberate Mistakes can IMPROVE music!

Suppose you keep alternating where that kick falls?
You create an off-kilter, "something's not right" feel is added to your song.
And if your LYRICS  have the message that Life is off-kilter 
and just not right.... well, your percussion mood 
punches fantastic emphasis into your song.

EXAMPLE OF DELIBERATE DRUM MISTAKES:
In my song COMFORT IN MISTAKES,
I used a standard jazz 4/4 drum loop that had the quiet, sad feel of the words.  
BUT... the song is written in 3/4.
RESULT: The kick & high hat & everything else "feels" off-kilter when you really listen.
What's really cool though is that people generally don't focus on the percussion at first
unless that's "their instrument."
So the song gives an off-kilter "MISTAKE" feeling that
                       can't be explained from the main instruments.

You'll find this example song at www.DianaDeeOsborneSongs.com >>
      COMFORT WITHIN MISTAKES (SONG AUDIO)
LINK TO DOWNLOAD MUSIC SHEETS AND LYRICS:  >>    LINK
 
Other songwriting hints are at another of my blogs, 
DianaDee Easy Songwriting Hints for Song Writers >>
http://dianadeeosborne.blogspot.com/

Much joy to you creating new music!
Lots of Examples to hear free at http://www.DianaDeeOsbornesongs.com/

©2018, 2011 DianaDee Osborne;  all publication rights reserved

(An earlier version published 23 August 2011)