Turns out inspiration doesn’t always strike when you’re in front of your Mac… so it’s great that GarageBand is on iPhone and iPad too. The apps have been optimized for smaller screens and using on the go, and you can use the touchscreen to play pianos, make beats and strum guitars. Those aren’t your only options though. As we’ll discover, you can use Voice Memos to quickly capture ideas (and Notes to jot down lyrical ideas). And if you feel you’re outgrowing GarageBand on iPad, you can get Apple’s pro–spec music workstation Logic Pro for your tablet.
The virtual guitars and basses in GarageBand are great fun. You can even do your own guitar and bass solos, including string bends.
But before you do that, it’s worth investigating the many apps and instruments that plug in to GarageBand on iPad —and the many GarageBand and Logic Pro alternatives too. Music–making is a bit like browsing the web or making documents: you don’t have to stick with the Apple option if there’s an alternative app that suits you better.