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How to Add Sustain Pedal Effects Using GarageBand
Oftentimes, piano compositions require the usage of the sustain pedal to impart a flowing, continuous sound in the melody and to fill out the overall sound. Therefore, it may be desirable, depending on the type of music, to add pedal effects into a particular piano track. The "sustain" feature in GarageBand can be utilized to add pedal effects easily and effectively.
In the first part of this video, we hear a piano track without pedal effects. Now let's add some into our piano track. As shown in the video, click the "view" dropdown menu and select "sustain". This will change the view in the bottom portion of the screen to the sustain effects view. The concept of a sustain is relatively simple since it only takes on two states: either "on" or "off". "On" simulates the sustain pedal being pressed and "off" simulates the sustain pedal not being pressed.
To add sustain effects to our track, we first need to choose the parts of the track where the sustain should be "on". A common procedure is to sustain notes grouped by chords. Since each measure contains one chord, we will sustain each measure. To do this, press and hold the command key and click near the horizontal line corresponding to "on" at every second tick of each measure and click near the horizontal line corresponding to "off" at the first tick of each measure. Follow this procedure closely in accordance with the demonstration in the video. Essentially, this sustain pattern allows the melody in each measure to flow and feel connected. In some situations, you may want to sustain in half-measures instead of full measures as we have done here, or you may want to sustain only portions of the track while leaving certain parts "disconnected".
In the final part of the video, you can hear the track with the sustain effects added in. Can you hear the "connectedness"? Which version do you like better? There is no right or wrong answer here.
To add sustain effects to our track, we first need to choose the parts of the track where the sustain should be "on". A common procedure is to sustain notes grouped by chords. Since each measure contains one chord, we will sustain each measure. To do this, press and hold the command key and click near the horizontal line corresponding to "on" at every second tick of each measure and click near the horizontal line corresponding to "off" at the first tick of each measure. Follow this procedure closely in accordance with the demonstration in the video. Essentially, this sustain pattern allows the melody in each measure to flow and feel connected. In some situations, you may want to sustain in half-measures instead of full measures as we have done here, or you may want to sustain only portions of the track while leaving certain parts "disconnected".
In the final part of the video, you can hear the track with the sustain effects added in. Can you hear the "connectedness"? Which version do you like better? There is no right or wrong answer here.