Tascam US-200 audio interface

We use an audio interface for just about everything in Ableton. Before we even log in and open the software, there a re a few things you should know. Click the video or open it in a new window.

Ableton Preferences

Now that you know how to use the audio interface, set Abelton's preferences to that you can hear from your headphones or monitors as well as record audio and MIDI at optimal settings. Click here to open a new window. Take the quiz at the end of the video.

First Clips

In this lesson, you'l learn about the ever-helpful Info View window. You'll also learn how to open and close windows to change your work environment. Then we'll add an instrument to a track, set the metronome and record a few clips. No quiz for this lesson, but you do have to create a file called "First Clips" watch the video to find out how.

Edit MIDI Clips

Building on the last lesson, we tweak some of the MIDI clips you made. Click here for the video in a new window.

Load A Drum Kit With Push

Load a drum kit into Ableton using push, Adjust the parameters of drums in the drum kit using Push. Click here to open the video in a new window.

Metronome With Push

How to set up the metronome using Ableton Push. Toggle the metronome on and off, tap in a tempo, start and stop playback, adjust cue volume, record four on the floor kick pattern. Click here to open in a new window.

Drums 1 with Push

In this video we'll create our first drum beat using Push. Click here to open the video in a new window.

 Drums 2 With Push

The second installment of drums goodness with Ableton Push Click here to watch the video in a new window.

Basic Beats and Finger Drumming

The fastest way to get your musical ideas from your brain into Ableton is to play- not click- play your music with your fingers. It will take a little practice, and you'll probably have to edit a little bit when you're done recording but in the end, you'll be far more productive and far more expressive. After you get the hang of a few basic patterns, you'll be finger drumming up a storm.  Click here to open the video in a new window

Drums with Novation Launchkey

Learn to record using the controls on the Novation Launchkey keyboard.  Also learn about the session record button to record in layers speed up your workflow   Click here to open in a new window.  Submit your collection  of  4 clips when you're done recording, editing and quantizing

Intro to Chords, Inversions and Suspensions

In this video, you'll lear how to create variations on a C chord. These variations can be applied to any chord, but for now, we'll stick with one chord- C major. You'll learn how to invert a chord and how to create two kids of suspensions. Click here to open in a new window.

Chords and Bass with Push

In this lesson, we create variations on a C chord using Push, and then we add a bass line Click here to open in a new window

C and F Chords with Bass

 Create a new live set using the C and F chords with proper inversions for good voice leading. Add bass and drums too. Bonus points for routing a channel into send A or B for built in reverb or delay. Click here o open in a new window

Four Chord Song

Create a song with C, G, A minor (I''ll explain what a minor chord is in the video) and F.  Finish it with bass and drums. .Click here to watch in a new window

Minor Chord Progression

Create another chord progression- this time in a minor key. It's all explained here in a shiny new window: 

Good Melody Guidelines

Create a melody to go with the chords you've learned so far. There are three guidelines to follow in this video 1. Make your melody repeatable. 2. Use the rule of recovery and 3. stay in one key. This lesson build off of the chord progression in the previous video and uses the same example song "Breath" by Jax Jones. Click here for a shiny new window.

Transpose

Transposing means taking a chord progression from one key and putting it into another. Before computers, musicians had to do this the hard way by playing their music in the new key, and some still do. But why not let the Ableton do the work? Click here to find out how.

Automation

Automation allows you to control the value of almost any parameter over time. In this video, we record some filter automation on a bass in real time, and then draw some panning automation. To finish up, we overdub gate automation on a track that has already been recorded. Don't know what any of those terms mean? Watch this video

Warping Audio

In this lesson, we record an audio sample from an iPad app, and warp it to match the tempo of a bass clip. Click here for a new window.