How to Use a Computer Keyboard as Piano in GarageBand?

Your keyboard can not only type words but can compose melodies for you. It can act as a piano with your pocket-friendly music studio, GarageBand. Most of us might need to be made aware of its extraordinary features.

GarageBand is an Apple education product that turns your iPhone, iPad, and Mac into a full-fledged music studio. You can easily create, remix, edit, save, and share your tracks with GarageBand. Most significantly, you can learn. There are tutorials and guides available.

This article is a comprehensive guide on how to use a computer keyboard as a piano in GarageBand.

About GarageBand

GarageBand is a free music creation software that comes pre-installed on Apple devices. This Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is a part of Apple Suite.

Steve Jobs released GarageBand at Macworld in 2004 to democratize music-making. Though initially developed for macOS, Apple incorporated it into iOS in 2011.

Most iOS apps are paid, but GarageBand is free. The company’s vision is to educate people about music composition and production basics.

Your favorite musicians have been using GarageBand to record and create music. In fact, some tracks were entirely created on GarageBand.

Celebrities like Rihanna and John Mayer used the product to create music. In addition to music production, many podcasters have been using the app for their podcasts.

How to Open Keyboard in GarageBand?

You can easily import your samples through features like Apple loops. You can also use the onscreen keyboard to create tracks on the GarageBand app.

You can play piano or organ with this onscreen keyboard. You can also use your computer keyboard for musical typing.

Before using your computer keyboard as a piano on GarageBand, here’s how you can open it:

Open GarageBand on your Mac and go to Music Creation.
Click on Window and select Show Keyboard or click on Window and select Show Musical Typing.
On clicking the Show Keyboard tab, ivory keys will open in a new window.
If you click Show Musical Typing a basic computer keyboard will pop up in the new window.
Adjust the key range by clicking on the top of the keyboard. Drag the blue box to select your desired range. You can use the arrows on the left and right sides..
For best results, adjust the keyboard sensitivity. Click on the Smart Controls button at the top-left of GarageBand. Then, find the Keyboard Sensitivity slider at the bottom left. Move it to set the desired sensitivity.

How Do You Play Piano on Your Computer Keyboard with GarageBand?

You can play the piano without needing any physical instrument. GarageBand has made it much easier to create music.

Here is how you can play piano using your computer keyboard:

Launch GarageBand

Look for GarageBand on your Mac. Look for an app with a guitar icon and click on it. Launch the application and you will land on the browser.

Create a New Project

Look at the top left corner of your screen and go to the File menu. Click on File to open a drop-down menu. Then select New and choose New Project. A window with different project templates will pop up.

GarageBand has various templates like Keyboard Collection, Electronic, Songwriting, and more. Select the template that best fits your project or choose Empty Project. After that, click Choose to create your new project.

Add a Software Instrument Track

At the bottom of the GarageBand window, you will find a + button. Click the “+” button to add a new track to your project.

From the options that appear, choose Software Instrument. This will create a track for you to play virtual instruments. After selecting Software Instrument, click Create to add the track to your project.

Open the Musical Typing Keyboard

With Musical Typing, you can use Mac keys to play notes, melodies, and chords.

Look at the top menu bar of your screen and click Window. You’ll get a drop-down menu.
From this menu, select Show Musical Typing or use the keyboard shortcut Command (⌘) + K. The Musical Typing keyboard interface will appear on your screen which looks like a virtual piano keyboard.

Select an Instrument

Locate the Library panel on the left side of the GarageBand window. This panel typically displays various instrument categories and sounds.
Click on Sounds & Loops to access different instrument categories.
Within the Keyboard category, select a piano instrument of your choice. GarageBand offers various piano sounds and styles. You can get a Grand Piano and an Electric Piano.
Clicking on the GarageBand will load the instrument into your project.

Understand Keyboard Layout

Before you get started, get familiar with the Musical Typing interface. It displays a graphical representation of a piano keyboard on your screen. The keys on your computer keyboard are mapped to notes on the virtual piano.

The middle row is the white keys, and the row above represents the black keys of a piano.
Note the octave shift keys (Z and X) and additional controls for modulation, pitch bend, sustain, and velocity.

Using Musical Typing

The Musical Typing window displays a simplified keyboard where letters represent notes. The middle row (ASDF) corresponds to white keys. The top row (QWERTY) represents sharp and flat black keys.

When you press a key, the note plays if you hold it. It stops when you release it. Pressing Tab holds the note even after releasing the key until you release the Tab key.

Other keys on the keyboard have different functions and effects:

Pressing 1 or 2 while holding a note changes the pitch up and down, respectively.
Numbers 3 through 8 adjust the modulation of the note.
Pressing C and V changes the velocity of typed notes, determining the strength of each note. Higher velocity produces louder and stronger notes.
Pressing X and Z changes the octave of the keyboard.
The on-screen keyboard shows the portion of the full-size keyboard in use.
Users can adjust their playing area by dragging the highlighted section left or right.
During recording in GarageBand, notes are saved to the project and can be edited later. It is like input from a MIDI keyboard.
Black and white keys in GarageBand represent a single octave (C3 to C4 by default) on a piano keyboard.

Play and Record

Now that you have everything set in place, it is time to record play and record.

Press the keys to create a track for you. Experiment with different combinations.
Start recording by tapping on the red “Record” button at the top of the GarageBand window. You can also press the R key on your keyboard to record.
Click on the “Stop button” or press the Spacebar to stop recording.

Edit Your Recording

After you finish playing and recording, look for the feature that will help you fine-tune your performance.

Open the Piano Roll editor by double-clicking on the recorded region in the timeline. This editor allows you to view and edit the individual notes of your performance. You can adjust the timing, pitch, and length of notes by using your mouse to drag notes to different positions or change their duration.
Use quantization to correct any timing issues.
GarageBand helps you align notes to the beat or grid with different options.
Finally, explore different editing tools and effects to enhance your recording, such as adding reverb, delay, and EQ.

Summing Up

GarageBand is an economical product that saves you money in every possible way. You can now easily use your computer keyboard as a piano in GarageBand. You don’t need to pay fees for your music classes; GarageBand has tutorials. You don’t need extensive audio gear or high-fi music studios to record your first track.

Its popularity is due to its usability and versatility. GarageBand is available at no cost, allowing you to live your musician dreams.

FAQs

Can I use GarageBand to create professional-level music?

Yes, you can create professional-level music on GarageBand.

GarageBand is pre-installed on Mac computers and available as a free download on iOS devices. It is a free platform for Apple users. You can easily access your tracks or music across Apple’s ecosystem.

Is GarageBand only available on Mac devices?

While GarageBand is pre-installed on Mac computers, it is also available as a free download on iOS devices. You can easily access your tracks or music across Apple’s ecosystem.

Is GarageBand suitable for beginners with no music production experience?

GarageBand is designed for every learner. The app has tutorials and guides for beginners that educate the users about the basics of music composition and production. These resources offer step-by-step instructions and helpful tips.

It allows beginners to learn at their own pace and love their artist dreams with GarageBand. So, you don’t need any experience in music production.