It’s not the most accessible, nor does it sound the best, but GarageBand for iPhone has turned out to be my favorite songwriting tool. Read on to understand why this app is so valuable to a songwriter, and why you should consider using it.
iPhone has GarageBand?
You’re probably thinking, “iPhone has garageband?” Yeah, I’ve lived in Nashville for the last 3 years and I’m still the only person I’ve met who uses it. But let me tell you, it’s perhaps my favorite tool for songwriting.
“But the screen is so small!”
I know, I know, but as with many small things, it’s all in how you use them.
Most songwriters will tell you that their Voice Memos are full of random snippets of song ideas, melodies, and turns of phrase overheard in conversation and then hastily (and discreetly) recorded in a public bathroom stall or as soon as they get back to their car. See – there’s nothing worse than having an idea out in public and having no way to get it down (so that you can pick it apart and capitalize upon it later).
Voice Memo is great, but it’s just not
Apple’s Voice Memo is probably the best tool for first inspirations (though damn if it’s not fraught with some key problems of its own, which make Voice Memo as infuriating as it is invaluable).
“Hey Apple – ever thought about letting us us organize our memos into folders?” That would solve half my frustrations, and probably prove valuable to even non-songwriters.
“Or, hey what about a search option? Ever think of that?”
I literally have thousands of voice memos. Their only distinguishing factors are the titles I give them and the dates on which they’re created. Which means that I may have multiple ideas for a song over the course of years (yes, I’m that kind of writer / revisionary) that I have to sift through if I’m revisiting an idea I haven’t tackled in a while. Ugh.
Anyway, enough grumbling. Back to why GarageBand is great.
GarageBand has the basics: all you need for song structure
Let’s start by asking the question: what are the key elements to a song?
Melody, lyrics, chords, and structure.
I know, bassists and drummers, you feel left out. But literally, as important as you are to the finished product, you’re not often the thing a songwriter needs to hear and analyze and stew upon initially. No, you can come later.
Ok – so now that you have your idea (and you’ve found it on Voice Memo), it’s time to take it Garage Band.
Open a new file.
Click the little plus at the top right of the screen, and extend the number of bars out to something in the hundreds (you’ll reduce it later). Click the little wrench icon and choose your tempo.
Now you have lots of space to create (and you won’t run the risk of running out of recording length).
Now, create a new track (drum track) and drop in Smart Drums. They don’t have to sound good, they just have to have keep the beat and, ideally, give you something more than just the downbeat. The eighth and sixteenth notes will help if you’re fingerpicking, or doing funkier rhythmic strumming.
Ok, now create a new instrument track. Now comes the fun part – keep the left earbud in your ear (so you can hear the click and the drums) and… yes this will sound odd, hold the right earbud in your mouth. If you do it right, the mic will dangle just above the sound hole of your guitar.
Press record and lay down a track.
Keep the latest version of your song in your pocket, always
Perhaps for you “song-a-day” writers out there, GarageBand will have little practical appeal. But for all you revisionists (like me)… having the latest iteration of a song at your fingertips at all hours of the day is the best thing as you’re developing your piece of art.
Play it over and over in the car, as you walk down the street, or as you’re doing your laundry. When you realize how a part could be stronger, just add a new track and sing into your earbud microphone what the edit should be, and then get it down cleanly later.
But gone are the days of having to remember the little moments of illumination and clarity that seem to care very little for whether or not they fit into the rest of our busy lives.
Each individual part is there to improve, or re-learn
Come back months later with a better idea of that solo? You don’t have to recreate anything – just delete the track and record again.
Or did you forget how to sing or play something? It’s still there.
Again, none of these capabilities are new to anyone who has recorded on a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) like Logic or ProTools, or even if you’ve simply used GarageBand on a MAC. But the key is, it’s in your pocket.
You show up to rehearsal, or recording, and you can single out that harmony line with the touch of a button, even if you forgot your computer at home.
Ok. I’m not an Apple Fanboy (yes, I like their products, but I don’t pray to them). And if someone shows me a better app that does exactly what GarageBand for iPhone does (and more), I’ll happily switch.
But until then, I’ll sleep soundly knowing if I wake up in the middle of the night with the next “Yesterday” still in my head, I’ll be able to open GarageBand, tap the tempo, and sing a la Paul McCartney to my sleepy heart’s content.
~Cecil
ps – I’m supporting myself (and releasing one, studio quality song per month for, well, as far into the future as I can see), by generous listeners and readers like you. Check out my Patreon page – a simple $5 pledge gets you free downloads of each monthly song, as well as exclusive content (song ideas I’m working on, updates on shows, news from traveling, and more). It allows me to take you along on this journey I’m on, as a full-time recording artist. Every little bit helps, so thank you in advance for your consideration!
