To slow down a track in GarageBand, you either lower the tempo of the project or use Flex Time so the audio stretches without going out of sync. Both methods work on Mac and iOS, but the exact clicks and taps are slightly different.

Mac: Slow Down Whole Song

If you want the entire project to play slower:

  • Open your project and look at the tempo field in the control bar (usually something like 120 BPM).
  • Click the tempo value and type a lower BPM (for example 120 → 90) to slow everything down.
  • Press play to hear the slower tempo; adjust up or down until it feels right.

For more control with visible tempo changes:

  • Go to Track → “Show Tempo Track” (or use ⇧ + ⌘ + T) to display a tempo line above your tracks.
  • Click on the tempo line to add points, then drag those points downward to slow down specific parts of the song.
  • Use multiple points if you want gradual slowdowns instead of a sudden change.

Mac: Keep Audio In Time With Flex

When using recorded audio (vocals, guitar, etc.), you often want GarageBand to stretch it to match tempo changes:

  • Double‑click the audio region to open the editor, then click the Flex icon to enable Flex for that track.
  • Make sure “Follow Tempo & Pitch” is enabled for that region so it will stretch when you lower the BPM.
  • Now reduce the project tempo (or tempo track line) and the audio will slow down along with the project instead of drifting out of time.

For very detailed timing tweaks:

  • Add Flex markers inside the audio region and drag them to subtly stretch or compress specific beats or notes.
  • This is useful if a riff or vocal line needs to be a little more relaxed without changing the whole song’s feel.

iPhone/iPad: Quick Tempo Slider

On mobile, the simplest way is to use the song tempo:

  • Open your project in GarageBand on iPhone or iPad.
  • Tap the wrench (Settings) icon, then tap Tempo to open the tempo controls.
  • Drag the tempo slider to a lower value to slow down playback across the whole project.

Notes for practice and learning:

  • Slowing a track is great for learning guitar solos or tricky drum fills because you can hear each note more clearly.
  • Lower tempos on iOS may affect pitch slightly, so always listen carefully and fine‑tune the BPM until it still sounds natural.

Slowing Only a Section

If you want just one part to slow down (for example, a dramatic slowdown before a chorus):

  • On Mac, isolate the track or copy the passage you want into its own project if you need extreme control.
  • Use the Tempo Track to create tempo points only around that section, dragging the line down where you want the slowdown to start and back up where you want normal speed again.
  • Enable “Follow Tempo & Pitch” on affected tracks so they follow that local slowdown smoothly.

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