Audacity is a great program for Windows and Mac – here are some links for it and for additional resources
www.computer-answers.ca/2011/music-recording/q-i-downloaded-audacity-to-edit-mp3s-now-how-do-i-use-it/
Sony Acid Express (Win only) www.sonycreativesoftware.com/download/freestuff
MULab Free (Mac and Win shareware) www.mutools.com/mulab-product.html
Rosegarden (Linux) www.hitsquad.com/smm/programs/Rosegarden/
And of course, GarageBand comes with every new Mac
More resources:
Shareware Music Machine http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/
SonicSpot http://www.sonicspot.com/music.html
FreeMusicSoftware http://freemusicsoftware.org/
You can also look on C|Net (download.com) for shareware and freeware music tools for Mac download.cnet.com/mac/audio-production-recording-software/?tag=rb_content;main
and Windows download.cnet.com/windows/audio-production-and-recording-software/?tag=rb_content;main
Computer Music magazine comes with a suite of freeware tools on the cover DVD
Also: Hit the library and read up in back issues of magazines, or subscribe, to Electronic Musician, Keyboard, Computer Music, FutureMusic, Sound on Sound, Recording and Mix – they have hundreds of how-to articles and comparative reviews of software, instruments, equipment and interfaces.
If you search on YouTube, you’ll find all kinds of tutorial videos for the program(s) you are using. Here are links to some other online tutorials for
Audacity:
audacity.sourceforge.net/manual-1.2/tutorials.html
Garageband:
acomp.stanford.edu/tutorials/garageband_music_composing
www.apple.com/findouthow/music/
Looping:
www.loopblog.net/category/tutorials/
www.videomaker.com/article/14205/
General music making tutorials:
www.hitsquad.com/smm/tutorials.html
www.world-of-songwriting.com/home-music-recording.html
www.kevinkemp.com/homerecordingtutorial