Plain-language guides to synthesizers, chords, scales and making music on iPhone.https://gelatoaudio.com/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/1-5-6-4-chord-progression/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/1-5-6-4-chord-progression/The 1 5 6 4 chord progression is I-V-vi-IV, or C G Am F in C major. Why it works, the hits built on it, its vi-IV-I-V twin and all 12 keys.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/adsr-explained/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/adsr-explained/What attack, decay, sustain and release do on a synth, why sustain is a level and release a time, plus ADSR settings for bass, pads and plucks.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/airpods-latency/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/airpods-latency/Why AirPods lag in GarageBand, what a 2019 test measured (144 to 274 ms), and the fixes: the speaker, a wired adapter, quantizing and nudging late takes.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/apps-like-chrome-music-lab/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/apps-like-chrome-music-lab/Ten apps like Chrome Music Lab for kids and teachers, from Incredibox and Bandimal to Blob Opera and BeepBox, with prices, devices and account needs.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/best-chord-synths/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/best-chord-synths/The best chord synths compared on price, speaker and strum: the $174.99 Minichord, $320 HiChord, $649 Orchid, Omnichord OM-108, Roland J-6 and more.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/best-fm-synth-apps-iphone/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/best-fm-synth-apps-iphone/Eight FM synth apps for iPhone with US prices: DX7 clones KQ Dixie 26 and M2DX, free King of FM and FM Essential, and two easier picks for beginners.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/best-looper-apps-iphone/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/best-looper-apps-iphone/Loopy Pro, Quantiloop, GarageBand and five more looper apps for iPhone, compared on price, tracks and foot control, with a first-loop walkthrough.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/best-synth-apps-iphone/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/best-synth-apps-iphone/15 synth apps that run on iPhone: free picks like GarageBand and Synth One J6, one-time buys like the Minimoog Model D, and which synths are iPad-only.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/best-synth-for-kids/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/best-synth-for-kids/The best synths for kids by age: Blipblox SK2 and Dato DUO from age 3, pocket synths under $100, the Yamaha reface CS for 8 and up, and an iPhone app.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/chord-progression-apps-iphone/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/chord-progression-apps-iphone/10 iPhone apps that play chord progressions out loud: generators like Suggester 2, backing bands like iReal Pro, and chord pads like GarageBand's.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/chord-symbols-explained/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/chord-symbols-explained/How to read chord symbols: what m, M, 7, maj7, 9, add9, sus, the circle, the triangle and the slash mean, with the notes in every chord.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/chords-that-sound-good-together/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/chords-that-sound-good-together/Eight easy sets of chords that sound good together, in C, G, D and F major and A, E and D minor, with piano notes and guitar and ukulele shapes.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/circle-of-fifths-songwriting/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/circle-of-fifths-songwriting/Use the circle of fifths for songwriting: read the six main chords of any key, chain ii V I changes that pull home, find relative minors and change key.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/common-chord-progressions/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/common-chord-progressions/The 12 most common chord progressions in pop, rock, blues and jazz, in Roman numerals and easy keys, with songs from 'Stand by Me' to 'Despacito'.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/dreamy-chord-progressions/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/dreamy-chord-progressions/Eight dreamy chord progressions in C major and A minor, from maj7 and add9 loops to the Royal Road and a Lydian lift, with voicings and pad settings.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/easiest-chord-instruments/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/easiest-chord-instruments/The easiest instrument to play chords on has chord buttons. Six instruments ranked by time to a first song, with 2026 prices and C, G, Am, F shapes.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/electric-piano-sounds/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/electric-piano-sounds/The six types of electric piano sound, from Rhodes and Wurlitzer to the DX7, CP-70, Pianet and Clavinet: how each works and how to tell them apart by ear.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/find-chords-for-melody/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/find-chords-for-melody/Find chords for a melody: work out the key, match each bar's main note to one of three chords that hold it, test by ear. Twinkle Twinkle as the example.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/find-chords-in-any-key/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/find-chords-in-any-key/Stack a chord on each scale note and every major key gives the same seven chords, I ii iii IV V vi vii°. The minor-key method and all 24 keys in a table.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/fm-synthesis-explained/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/fm-synthesis-explained/FM synthesis explained simply: carrier and modulator, what ratio and amount do, why FM sounds like bells and glass, plus a five-minute first patch.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/fm-vs-subtractive-synthesis/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/fm-vs-subtractive-synthesis/FM vs subtractive vs wavetable vs additive synthesis, with real settings to try: why FM makes bell tones a filter can't, and which type to learn first.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/free-music-making-apps-iphone/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/free-music-making-apps-iphone/14 free iPhone music apps you can use without a subscription, from GarageBand and BandLab to free synths, plus which 'free' apps hide a weekly plan.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/garageband-alternatives-iphone/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/garageband-alternatives-iphone/10 GarageBand alternatives for iPhone, from quick sketchpads like Ableton Note to full DAWs like Cubasis 3, with what each costs and what you get free.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/hichord-alternatives/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/hichord-alternatives/Seven HiChord alternatives compared on price, size and speaker: the $174.99 Minichord, Roland J-6, Orchid, Omnichord OM-108 and three iPhone chord apps.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/how-synthesizers-work/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/how-synthesizers-work/How a synthesizer makes sound, knob by knob: oscillator, filter, amp, the envelopes and LFO that move them, and effects, with starter settings to try.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/is-bandlab-safe-for-kids/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/is-bandlab-safe-for-kids/Is BandLab safe for kids? Its 13+ age limit, private teen accounts and chat ban explained for parents, plus no-account music apps for under-13s.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/is-garageband-hard-to-learn/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/is-garageband-hard-to-learn/GarageBand on iPhone is quick to play and slow to learn as a studio. Why the 8-bar song section trips beginners, and which 3 features to learn first.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/maj7-vs-7-chords/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/maj7-vs-7-chords/Cmaj7 is C E G B and C7 is C E G Bb. How to read maj7 vs 7 in chord symbols, why one floats while the other pulls to F, and where each fits in a key.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-beats-on-iphone/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-beats-on-iphone/How to make beats on iPhone for free: set a tempo, program a 16-step drum pattern in GarageBand, then add a bassline and a hook in A minor.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-fm-bell-sound/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-fm-bell-sound/How to make a bell sound on any FM synth: two sine waves, a 1:3.5 or 1:1.4 ratio, zero sustain, and FM that fades out before the volume does.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-music-on-iphone/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-music-on-iphone/Make your first song on iPhone in one evening: free GarageBand, C, G, Am and F at 90 BPM, a 4-bar loop built in layers, then export and share it.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-music-without-theory/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-music-without-theory/Yes, you can make music with no theory. Loop C, G, Am and F, hum over it, let scale-locked pads keep you in key, then learn five pieces of theory later.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-pluck-synth/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-pluck-synth/Make a pluck synth in 5 steps: a 1 ms attack, 300 ms decay, zero sustain and a fast filter envelope on a saw wave. Plus house, harp and marimba settings.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-synth-bass/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-synth-bass/How to make a synth bass on any synth, with starting settings for a clean sine sub, a filtered saw, an FM slap bass, a 303-style acid line and an 808.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-synth-sound-bigger/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/make-synth-sound-bigger/Why a synth sounds thin, and six fixes with starting settings: detune, chorus, unison, octave layers, drive and reverb. Plus when bigger backfires.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/music-making-apps-beginners/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/music-making-apps-beginners/11 music making apps for beginners, ranked easiest first, from Incredibox and Chrome Music Lab to GarageBand and BandLab, with prices and platforms.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/music-making-apps-kids/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/music-making-apps-kids/12 music making apps and sites for kids, each checked for ads, accounts, chat and in-app purchases, with the age it suits and what it costs.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/music-modes-by-mood/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/music-modes-by-mood/The 7 music modes ranked by mood, from dreamy Lydian to uneasy Locrian, with each mode's notes on C, a song that uses it and a two-chord vamp to try.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/notes-that-sound-good-together/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/notes-that-sound-good-together/What notes sound good together and why some clash: all 12 intervals ranked by ear, the every-other-key rule on piano, and a scale with no half steps.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/omnichord-alternatives/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/omnichord-alternatives/Nine Omnichord alternatives that cost less than a new OM-108: the $174.99 Minichord, a used QChord, HiChord, Roland J-6, an autoharp and 3 iPhone apps.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/omnichord-apps-iphone/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/omnichord-apps-iphone/Seven Omnichord-style apps for iPhone compared on chord buttons, strum plates, sound and price, with three free picks and a GarageBand workaround.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/pick-key-for-song/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/pick-key-for-song/Fit a song key to your vocal range in four steps, with a worked C to A major example, plus the keys pop, rock and country songs use most.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/sad-chord-progressions/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/sad-chord-progressions/Ten sad chord progressions in minor and major keys, from Am F C G and the Andalusian cadence to the minor iv, with tempos, guitar shapes and why they work.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/scales-by-sound/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/scales-by-sound/Phrygian dominant is the scale that sounds Egyptian. See it and 11 more for Spanish, Japanese, spooky or dreamy music, with notes and a chord for each.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/songwriting-apps-iphone/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/songwriting-apps-iphone/12 best songwriting apps for iPhone, sorted by step: Voice Memos for ideas, Suggester 2 for chords, Rhymer's Block for lyrics and GarageBand for demos.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/start-making-music-no-experience/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/start-making-music-no-experience/A seven-day plan to start making music with no experience: 15 minutes a day on a free phone app, in C major, ending with a finished 75-second track.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/sus2-vs-sus4/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/sus2-vs-sus4/Sus2 swaps a chord's third for the 2nd (Csus2 is C D G) and sus4 for the 4th (Csus4 is C F G). How each one sounds, resolves, and differs from add9.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/synth-filter-cutoff-resonance/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/synth-filter-cutoff-resonance/What filter cutoff and resonance do on a synth, how low-pass, high-pass and band-pass differ, what drive adds, and five filter moves to try.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/synth-lfo-explained/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/synth-lfo-explained/What an LFO does in a synth: vibrato on pitch, tremolo on volume, wobble on the filter. Rate zones, tempo-sync math and a 140 BPM wobble bass recipe.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/synth-waveforms/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/synth-waveforms/What sine, triangle, sawtooth, square and pulse waves sound like, which harmonics each one carries, and which to pick for bass, leads and pads.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/turn-loop-into-song/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/turn-loop-into-song/Turn a 4- or 8-bar loop into a full song: write a chorus from the same chords, map which layers play in each section, then add an intro and an ending.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/types-of-synth-sounds/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/types-of-synth-sounds/Bass, lead, pad, pluck, keys, bell, arp, drone and FX: the nine types of synth sounds, what each does in a song, and starting settings for each.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/voice-memo-to-song/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/voice-memo-to-song/Turn a voice memo into a song by ear: find its key, put chords under the tune, write the missing verse or chorus, and record a demo on iPhone.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/what-is-omnichord/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/what-is-omnichord/An Omnichord is Suzuki's electronic autoharp from 1981. How its chord buttons and strum plate work, each model up to the OM-108, and songs that use it.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/why-minor-sounds-sad/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/why-minor-sounds-sad/Minor lowers one note, the third, by a half step. Why that sounds sad, why tempo can matter even more, and whether D minor is really the saddest key.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/why-omnichord-so-expensive/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/why-omnichord-so-expensive/Used Omnichords list for $550 to $900 and a new OM-108 costs $769 to $999.99. Why the prices climbed, and who should buy one.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/why-pentatonic-sounds-good/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/why-pentatonic-sounds-good/The pentatonic scale drops F and B, the two notes that make half steps and a tritone, so C D E G A (or the black keys) sound good in any order.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/write-chord-progression/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/write-chord-progression/Write a chord progression in five steps: pick a key, start on I, move away, lead home with V and loop it. Then six ways to make a plain loop your own.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/write-melody-for-lyrics/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/write-melody-for-lyrics/How to write a melody for lyrics: set stressed syllables on strong beats, sing each line the way you'd say it, then add chords. Worked example in C major.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/write-melody-over-chords/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/write-melody-over-chords/Write a melody over chords: put chord tones on beats 1 and 3 and step between them. A worked C, Am, F, G example, plus 7 tricks for catchy tunes.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/write-song-with-kids/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/write-song-with-kids/A step-by-step for parents and teachers: pick a small topic, collect the child's words, write the chorus over C, F and G, then record it the same day.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://gelatoaudio.com/learn/write-song-without-instrument/https://gelatoaudio.com/learn/write-song-without-instrument/Write a song without playing an instrument: hum the tune into your phone, find its key with a tuner, tap the seven chords that fit, then add a chorus.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT