Garageband 09’s Lesson system (in shiny HD!)

Had some snow here last week, so I finally got the chance to try out the new iLife stuff. So here’s my take on the new Garageband features, and specifically, the Lessons system.

After installing the update, finding the digital keyboard, plugging it in, and re-acquainting myself with the piano (haven’t played it for a while), I went into the lesson, of which there are two already installed ones: Piano Basics 1 and Guitar Basics 1. Since I play piano, I tried the Piano Lesson.

After being greeted by a friendly person, I was introduced to the basics of piano. My instructor went through basic chord progression, the hold pedal, and, at the end of the lesson, played a simple song with me using the chords we learned. The interface, as you can see above, is nice, with HD video and a visual guide to help you, along with the instructor. While I haven’t had a chance to try the Artist Lessons, I’m assuming they work the same way, just with real musicians teaching you their songs instead of the Apple Instructor teaching piano basics. In theory, one could teach themselves an entire instrument using the system, which is quite cool.

Overall, it’s a cool concept, that works just as well as one would expect. Definitetly a worthwhile feature for anyone who has iLife 09′ to try out.