Today’s GarageBand Music Theory Lesson centers on Quarter Notes. If you’re new to GB Music Theory, be sure to check out the previous weeks’ lessons on Whole Notes and Half Notes.
A Quarter Note is literally a quarter of the value of a whole note. Because a whole note is held for four beats a quarter note is held for exactly one beat.
Let’s begin by selecting the Keyboard Instrument in the GarageBand App:
We’ll use the default Grand Piano sound for this lesson. Click the “Play” Button located at the top of the screen.
You should hear the metronome clicking away. Each one of those clicks is a beat. A quarter note will occupy 1 of those clicks.
Let’s play a simple quarter note melody using only the white keys. Touch the record button (the red circle located at the top of the screen). After the four click Count-In, choose a white key and hold it down for one click. Then move on to a different white key and hold that for one beat. Continue this process until you reach the end of the 8 measure grid located above the keyboard.
Finish by pressing the “Stop” button.
Now, press the play button to hear your brilliant, 8-measure quarter note melody!
