Apple GarageBand App Icons and Symbols Meaning Complete Guide

Apple’s GarageBand app is a powerful studio in your pocket, letting you create music wherever inspiration strikes. But with its array of tools, controls, and effects, the interface is full of colorful icons and symbols. We explain the meaning of each icon and symbol in the GarageBand app for each instrument, such as drums, keyboard, and more.

Table of Contents

Control Bar Icons (Same for All Instruments)

You’ll find a control bar at the top of the screen, packed with functions for your instruments and recording. Let’s explore these icons first:

Navigation button (White Down Arrow) Icon: Provides quick access to the My Songs browser to open other projects and also displays the available keyboard sounds.
Browser button (Three Squares) Icon: Opens the Sound browser (Home Screen). Here, you can choose a different Touch Instrument to play or switch to the Live Loops grid if you’re working with loops.
Tracks button (Three Horizontal Lines with a Gap/ Brick Wall) Icon: It appears once you’ve made your first recording with the Keyboard in Tracks view. It allows you to toggle between the current Touch Instrument interface and the main Tracks view, where you can see and edit your recordings.
Track Controls button (Three Vertical Lines with Dots) Icon: Opens the Track Controls specifically for the currently selected track. It allows you to adjust volume, pan, and other settings for that individual recording.
Go to Beginning button (Triangle Pointing Left with a Vertical Line) Icon: Move the playhead back to the very beginning of your song. When the song is playing, this icon transforms into a Stop button that you can tap to halt playback.
Play button (triangle pointing right) icon: Start your song playing from the current position of the playhead. If the song is already playing, tapping this button will stop it.
Record button (red dot) icon: Recording begins after tapping. To stop recording and also stop the playhead, simply tap the Play button.
Metronome button (triangle with pencil icon): This icon toggles the metronome on and off. The metronome provides a consistent tempo by producing audible clicks at regular intervals (measured in BPM) to help you stay in time while recording.
Controls button (Regulator switch) Icon: Show or hide the specific controls area for the Keyboard Touch Instrument you are currently using. These controls include knobs to switch between different tones with Autoplay.
Settings button (Gear Icon): This gear icon opens the main song settings. Here, you can adjust various parameters for your entire project, including the metronome settings, the overall tempo (speed) of the song, and the key signature.

Tracks Menu Icons (Same for All Instruments)

Once you’ve recorded something with the Keyboard Touch Instrument or any other instrument, you’ll likely want to work with it further in Tracks view. In Tracks view, each track visually represents a recording you make with that instrument. Here’s a breakdown of the icons you’ll find within the Tracks view:

Instrument Button with Gear Icon: Displays an icon representing the instrument used for that track (in this case, a keyboard). Tapping this button reopens the specific Touch Instrument interface for the selected track, allowing you to play or further adjust its settings.
FX Icon: Toggles Remix FX controls. These allow you to apply real-time audio effects to your entire mix or individual tracks as the song plays.
Mute (Loudspeaker) Icon: Silence the audio output of that specific track.
Solo (Headphone) Icon: Will make only that particular track audible, muting all other tracks in your project.
Volume Slider (Grey Dot) Icon: You can drag this dot left or right to adjust the overall volume level of that specific track in the mix.
Instruments Icon: These icons visually indicate which instrument is assigned to each track in your project, providing a quick overview of your arrangement.
Expand/Collapse Track Header (Grey bar) Icon: Allows you to expand or collapse the track header, which has these mute and solo options.
Add Instrument Track (Plus) Icon: Open the Sound browser to add a new instrument track to your song by choosing a new Touch Instrument to record with.
Sound Waves (Yellow sound waves) Icon: Within each track, you’ll see a visual representation of the recorded audio. When there is no sound, this area will appear as a flat line. When sound is present, it will display yellow sound waves, often appearing as a dynamic “Frisbee-type” design that reflects the audio signal.
The Loop Icon: Opens the Loop Browser. Here, you can browse, preview, and add pre-recorded loops to your song, which can be useful for building rhythms or adding instrumental layers.
Add Sections (Plus) Icon: Allows you to add new sections to your track. You can then specify the number of bars (measures) you want for each section, providing structure to your song arrangement (e.g., Verse, Chorus, Bridge).

Keyboard Touch Instrument

When you select the Keyboard Touch Instrument in GarageBand, you’re presented with an interface for playing and recording musical parts. Let’s take a look at the meaning of each icon in this tab:

Icons Below the Control Bar in Keyboard Touch Instrument

Below the primary control bar, you’ll find another set of important visual cues and controls that further enhance your interaction with the Keyboard Touch Instrument and your song’s timeline.

Playhead (Pencil Nib) Icon: Moves horizontally across the Ruler Icon (described below) as your song plays. It visually indicates precisely which part of the song is currently being played back or where the recording will begin.
Ruler Icon: Displays musical time in terms of bars and beats. This helps you understand the structure of your song and navigate to specific musical moments. The Playhead moves along this ruler during playback and recording.
Arpeggiator (squares aligned in up arrow shape) Icon: Any chords you play on the keyboard will be arpeggiated. This means the notes of the chord will be played sequentially, one after the other, rather than all at the same time, creating automatic rhythmic patterns.
Chord Strip (Mobile Shape with Windows) Icon: Displays when the lower portion of the keyboard interface transforms into chord strips or keys. Tapping this icon again will typically revert the display to the standard keyboard layout. It allows you to easily play full chords, bass notes, and automatic accompaniment patterns with a single touch on a strip.

Amp Touch Instrument

The Amp Touch Instrument in GarageBand allows you to plug in your electric guitar or bass and access a range of virtual amplifiers and effects, essentially turning your mobile device into a portable guitar rig. Here’s a breakdown of the key icons you’ll encounter:

Set Input Options (Audio Jack) Icon: Opens the input settings. Here, you can configure options such as the input source you’re using to connect your instrument, whether to monitor the incoming audio through your device’s speakers or headphones, and adjust the input level to optimize the signal from your guitar or bass.
Tuning Button (Catapult/ U Magnet type) Icon: Activates the tuner. Tapping this button will bring up a tuning interface that helps you accurately tune the strings of your connected guitar or bass by indicating whether each string is sharp (too high), flat (too low), or in tune.
Stompbox (Remote) Icon: Opens the Stompbox panel. Stompboxes are individual effects units that guitarists and bassists use to alter the sound of their instruments. In the virtual realm of GarageBand’s Amp Touch Instrument, these stompboxes emulate classic and modern effects like distortion, overdrive, chorus, delay, reverb, and many others.

Tuner Screen Icons Meaning in Amp Touch Instrument

When you tap the Tuning Button in the Amp Touch Instrument, you’ll be presented with a dedicated screen to help you get your guitar or bass perfectly in tune. Here’s what the key visual elements on this screen represent:

1. Alphabets/Letters: Represent the note name that the tuner detects from the string you are currently playing. For standard tuning on a six-string guitar, these letters would typically cycle through E, A, D, G, B, and high E as you pluck each open string.

2. The Red / Blue Horizontal Lines: On either side of the central note name, you’ll see horizontal lines that can appear in red or blue. These lines act as visual indicators of your string’s pitch accuracy:

Red Lines: If the horizontal lines are red, it signifies that the string is out of tune. The direction of the red lines indicates whether the string is too low (flat) or too high (sharp). Typically, red lines appearing to the left suggest the string is flat (below the correct pitch). The red lines appearing to the right suggest the string is sharp (above the correct pitch).
Blue Center: The note name in the screen’s center will turn blue when the string reaches the correct pitch and is in tune. This provides a clear visual confirmation that the string is accurately tuned. The horizontal lines will likely disappear or become less prominent when the note is perfectly in tune.

Audio Recorder Touch Instrument Tab

The Audio Recorder Touch Instrument in GarageBand allows you to capture sounds using your device’s built-in microphone or an external audio input. It provides a straightforward way to record vocals, instruments, or any other audio directly into your project. The interface offers simple yet effective controls to manage your input level, shape the tone, and apply creative presets.

Here’s a breakdown of the key icons and controls you’ll find in the Audio Recorder Touch Instrument:

Adjust Input Level (Transparent Circle with green and grey bar) Icon: Displays the current input level being received from your microphone or selected input source. The green portion of the bar shows the strength of the incoming signal. You can drag this slider up to increase the input sensitivity or down to decrease it.
Adjust Tone (Knob) Icon: Allows you to adjust the overall tone of your recording.
Switch Between Fun and Studio View (Regulator/Knob) Icon: Offers two distinct views with different sets of controls to manipulate your sound. a) Fun view provides a quick and easy way to alter the character of your recording using a selection of creative presets. b) Studio view, on the other hand, offers a more detailed set of tools and options for fine-tuning your recording with effects like EQ, compression, and reverb.
Adjust Squeeze (Knob) Icon: Allows you to adjust a specific sonic characteristic. Note: Different presets within the Fun view and Studio view will often have unique knobs that control parameters relevant to that particular sound.
Presets (Objects/Animals) Icons: Different presets are available for the Audio Recorder in Fun view. Each of these icons corresponds to a unique sound effect or processing chain that will be applied to your recording.

Strings Touch Instrument Tab

The Strings Touch Instrument in GarageBand carries instruments like violins, cellos, and basses. It lets you create rich and expressive melodic and harmonic textures. Most icons are the same as covered above. Here’s a breakdown of the key icons you’ll find in the Strings Touch Instrument:

Show String Controls ((Regulator/Knob) Icon: Opens a dedicated control panel for the Strings Touch Instrument.
Chord Strips button Icon: Allows you to switch between two primary playing modes on the Strings Touch Instrument.

Bass Touch Instrument Tab

The Bass Touch Instrument in GarageBand provides a virtual bass guitar, allowing you to play low-end grooves and foundational rhythms for your songs. Similar to other stringed instruments, it offers controls tailored to bass playing. Again, most symbols are the same, and we have already covered them above. Here’s a breakdown of the key icons you’ll find in the Bass Touch Instrument:

Bass Control (Regulator/Knob) Icon: Shows Bass controls for the Instrument.
Chord Strips button Icon: Allows you to switch between two primary playing modes on the Bass Touch Instrument. When this button is active, the lower portion of the screen will display Chord Strips.

That wraps up all the icons and symbols in the GarageBand app. We have covered the Keyboard, Tracks View, Amp, Tuner, Audio Recorder, Strings, and Bass Touch Instruments in GarageBand. We will soon update this article with other instruments, too. Curious about the symbols in other apps? Check our guides below.