3.9.10 - The Midi Beat

Warm Up (15 min)
P.O.T.D.

V.O.T.D.

On your blog, write one example sentence of the vocabulary words below.
1. pitch bend: to slide between notes
2. octave: a set of 8 notes (do, rae, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do).
3. velocity: the force a note is played.
4. metronome: A beat keeping device. Every click of the metronome represents one beat.
5. count in: One measure of metronome clicking that takes place before recording begins.

Demo (10 min)
My beat. 4 + tracks.
Why are these sounds on different tracks? What would an advantage of that be?

Musical Typing (60 min)
Students will identify how to set up a midi drum kit in garageband and record a 2 measure polyphonic beat.

Setting Up (10 min)

1. Open garageband
2. New Project
3. Loops
4. Name it “YOUR NAME _ midi beat”
5. Turn On Metronome (Control > metronome)
6. Turn On Count In: (control > count-in)
7. Open your Musical Typing Keyboard (Window > Musical typing).
8. Identify the sections of musical typing. Listen to their effects.
9. New Track (Track > New Track > Software Instrument)
10. Open your Information window. Press the “i” on your control bar
11. Select a Drum Kit
12. Duplicate this track 3 times (Track > duplicate track). You should now have a total of 4 drum kit tracks.
13. Open Editing Window (click the scissors on the control bar).

Recording Your Tracks (40 min)

Track 1: hi-hat

1. Rename your first track “hi-hat”
2. Make sure the red dot is on on this track. That lets you know that you are going to record on that track.
3. Find a hi-hat sound in your drum kit. You may have to browse around the keyboard octaves to find a sound you like.
4. We are going to record a hi-hat on every beat (4 beats per measure). So every time we hear the metronome click, we will play one hi-hat. Press the record button to start recording and the spacebar to stop.
5. After recording. Find your midi notes in the editing window. Select all notes by clicking in the window and pressing command + a.
6. Let’s use enhance timing to quantize our notes. Quantize to 1/4 notes. All of your hi-hats should be perfectly on beat now.

Track 2: snare

1. Rename your second track “snare”
2. Make sure the red dot is on on this track. That lets you know that you are going to record on that track.
3. Find a snare or clapping sound that you like. Again, you may have to browse around to find one that suits you.
4. We are going to record our snare on every other note, 2nd and 4th.
5. After recording. Find your midi notes in the editing window. Select all notes by clicking in the window and pressing command + a.
6. Again, let’s use enhance timing to quantize our notes. Quantize to 1/4 notes. All of your snares or claps should be perfectly on beat now.

Track 3: bass drum

1. Rename your third track “bass”
2. Make sure the red dot is on on this track. That lets you know that you are going to record on that track.
3. Find a bass drum sound that you like. Again, you may have to browse around to find one that suits you.
4. We are going to record our bass on every other note, 1st and 3rd.
5. After recording. Find your midi notes in the editing window. Select all notes by clicking in the window and pressing command + a.
6. Again, let’s use enhance timing to quantize our notes. Quantize to 1/4 notes. All of your bass drums should be perfectly on beat now.

Track 4: players choice

1. Find a sound in your drum kit that you like. This can be any percussion sound. Browse around the keyboard to find something that suits your beat.
2. Make sure the red dot is on on this track. That lets you know that you are going to record on that track.
3. Record your new instrument in any pattern you like. After recording, try quantizing to 1/16 swing heavy. If you don’t like that, try quantizing to another setting (1/16 note, 1/32 note, etc.).
4. Rename this track whatever it is that you chose.

SAVE YOUR GARAGEBAND FILE TO YOUR STUDENT SERVER AND MY DROP BOX FOR CREDIT.

Extending the Beat (20 min)
Use the remaining time to extend the length of your beat.
Using copy and paste, bring the different elements of your beat in and out on your timeline.


Extra Credit - make it into a loop
1. Save your beat as an mp3 (share > export song to disk > compress > mp3 > higher quality > export). Save to your desktop for convenience.
2. Once your beat is now saved as a mp3, we can drag it back into garageband.
3. With your beat selected, let’s make it into a loop (edit > add to loop library).
4. Name it “YOUR NAME _ BEAT” and choose an tags you want to be associated with your loop.

Content Standard:
Compose, Arrange, and Improvise

2.6 Compose music in distinct styles.

2.7 Compose and arrange music for various combinations of voice and acoustic and digital/ electronic instruments,