I’m a novice in music production and wish to learn Ableton. I’m aware that Ableton is vast and complex and there are few limitations. With that said, it’s difficult knowing where to start.
I’m looking for the most efficient way to learn the basics and advanced concepts of Ableton. I am aware that experimentation and good old fashioned trial-and-error will have to be used, but I would rather not spend hours (or longer) learning how to do X when I can learn it in 10 minutes by reading a paragraph or watching a tutorial.
So, I’m wondering if you guys have any suggestions regarding books and online tutorials that teach Ableton in a clear and concise fashion. If you do, please list them here. Thanks in advance and I look forward to your input.
I’ve Been using Live since version 8, and still reference the manual at times.
If you plan on really getting into live, and have the newest version the manual is a must.
Once you understand the workflow, the only limitation is your musical knowledge and skill.
Warp Academy has a 75% off sale right now I believe, all Live Certified trainers behind that project and some really well done videos. Also, Live has a lot of lessons built in, I’d start with those as they are really well done too and can get you up and running quickly with the basics.
open up some racks and see how each components are mapped to its macro. might not be what u want to learn, but u’ll definitely pick up some ideas from reverse engineering stuff.
Coursera has a class on Ableton Live that is very good. There is a session going now.
This class is a head first dive into a project. It covers just enough Ableton to get you being creative with the project. The BEST part is that you can look at other projects to learn how they solved the same problem you were given.
Plenty of good recommendations, but the one thing nobody seems to have mentioned - there is no efficient way to learn production. Making music is a very serious endeavor, be prepared to spend the rest of your life working on it. I’ve been at it for decades, and I’m just startin’ to feel like I’m gettin’ OK at it.
My piano teacher continually tells me that music will kick my you know what, and it’s a life long endeavor of getting said body part kicked. And he’s done some pretty big things musically.
Best way to get to know Ableton is to watch youtube when necessary, but just make as much music as possible with it.
After three years, I have managed to reliably turn out the most generic and banal elevator music you have ever heard.
Granted, my work flow is good, my understanding of the tools is improving, my library is growing and getting better organized…so that is something. But, as of yet, my taste FAR exceeds my ability.
