Syllabus for teaching Ableton to newbies?

[leedsquietman]

Won't Max4Live have automatic teaching capabilities, bring Peace to the Middle East and cure all known Cancers and others which have yet to be discovered ...

[nebulae]

^ yes, yes, maybe, and probably.

[Airbase]

Thanks for all the great tips guys!

So from what I've gathered here, I believe I'm gonna do it in shorter blocks with Q&A in between, that sounds like a good idea. I remember being in school myself (back in the stone age) and I hated when they asked me to keep the questions to the end. I'll also try and focus on one bit at a time. Confusing parts like Session and Arrangement relations is a given, also the different views in the bottom row. And simple things like how to move clips from session to arrangement view (the single most asked question I get).

I did a little research on what the students knows and what the premises were and it seems they have some minor experiences with different daws, and they have also done some introductionary courses with Reason and Cubase. Given they understood those courses (and not got all confused), it will be easier to relate to those if I have to. It's 8 students and they all have a computer with Live installed. I'll be sitting up front with my own computer also visible on a projector.

This will be fun!

Again, thank you for the input!

[Android Bishop]

I do private lessons for ableton live. I try to keep it as hands on as possible. I break things up into basic components that build into more complex features later. First lessons are always channels, audio vs midi, clips, arrangement view, etc. from there move on to basic arrangement techniques, basic recording, basic envelopes/automation, etc. eventually get to instruments, effects, synthesis/sampling, racks, audio/midi routing, and all that other shit once they get the fundamentals down. Thats key. they HAVE to get the basic foundations down pat or all the complicated stuff wont work out for them. I also make them do almost everything. I'm not showing them jack, I sit them in the chair and tell them "do this. do that. the keyboard shortcut is this, etc". making them do it gets it into their brains quicker.

[Homebelly]

you should also try and build some kind of printed hand out/work book.
These are a great tool for two reasons.
One, the student can follow the lesson and write questions next to the relevant part of the lesson for the Q&A.
Two, it is also a record they can take home and use as a memory jogger.
it doesn't have to be a super professional publishing quality thing. you could easily build one in MS word or
apples pages. i did an introduction lesson for a bunch of people a while back as a project for one of my teaching qualifications.
I'd send you that as a template, but it was on my mac book pro that died and got replaced by apple, so it is no longer living
I've got this half baked idea that i might try and organize one of these sessions my self here in Auckland.
Maybe...
maybe....
maybe......