Trying to use Ableton to help compose simple songs...
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- Posts: 99
- Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2012 3:46 pm
Trying to use Ableton to help compose simple songs...
Hi all, I'm trying to use Ableton to help compose simple songs -- I mostly hope to record some keyboard, perhaps add some guitar or voice, and try to wind up with a song structure -- just for fun.
I picked Ableton because the building block approach appealed to me -- but I seem to be having trouble figuring out how exactly to get started, and I'm partly wondering if I should perhaps be using simpler software. I'm trying to reach that "ah-ha" moment in which I finally get how Live comes together.
For example, let's say you want a 12 or 16 bar loop, have it play twice, then play some other loop, then back to the first -- would you record all that in one pass? Then cut it up? Would you start off in Arrangement or Session?
I think if I could work up to one simple example with a few loops and a few tracks, that would be tremendously helpful.
Thanks kindly for any suggestions!
I picked Ableton because the building block approach appealed to me -- but I seem to be having trouble figuring out how exactly to get started, and I'm partly wondering if I should perhaps be using simpler software. I'm trying to reach that "ah-ha" moment in which I finally get how Live comes together.
For example, let's say you want a 12 or 16 bar loop, have it play twice, then play some other loop, then back to the first -- would you record all that in one pass? Then cut it up? Would you start off in Arrangement or Session?
I think if I could work up to one simple example with a few loops and a few tracks, that would be tremendously helpful.
Thanks kindly for any suggestions!
Re: Trying to use Ableton to help compose simple songs...
Everyone who replies will say read the manual...it explains it all better than any of us can. Start in session view.
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Re: Trying to use Ableton to help compose simple songs...
I actually enjoy reading manuals -- but at 600 pages, I'm trying to figure out where to jump in.Logic8807 wrote:Everyone who replies will say read the manual...it explains it all better than any of us can. Start in session view.
So to record, say, a simple blues pattern. that should start off in Session?
When you record a clip in Session, is Live automatically warping it?
Re: Trying to use Ableton to help compose simple songs...
I'd start it in session view. Create a four bar clip. Copy it (for the repeat). Copy again (rev, invert etc) and copy once again for bars 13-16. Set follow actions to taste.turnstylenyc wrote:For example, let's say you want a 12 or 16 bar loop, have it play twice, then play some other loop, then back to the first -- would you record all that in one pass? Then cut it up? Would you start off in Arrangement or Session?
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Re: Trying to use Ableton to help compose simple songs...
Thanks, when you say "copy it" do you mean within that one Session clip? Meaning, you play those 4 bars into a Session Clip, and then within that clip you copy it to become 8? Or are you winding up with a second 'rectangle' within the Session View?Bagatell wrote:I'd start it in session view. Create a four bar clip. Copy it (for the repeat). Copy again (rev, invert etc) and copy once again for bars 13-16. Set follow actions to taste.
Also, one thing I'm not quite clear on -- when I record my clip in session, I see all these markers that I believe to be warp markers -- is Ableton automatically changing the timing of what I play into it?
Re: Trying to use Ableton to help compose simple songs...
create the first clip, select it, hold down alt and drag it to the slot below. You'll end up with a stack of four clips.turnstylenyc wrote:Thanks, when you say "copy it" do you mean within that one Session clip? Meaning, you play those 4 bars into a Session Clip, and then within that clip you copy it to become 8? Or are you winding up with a second 'rectangle' within the Session View?
Only if you quantise the clip.turnstylenyc wrote:Also, one thing I'm not quite clear on -- when I record my clip in session, I see all these markers that I believe to be warp markers -- is Ableton automatically changing the timing of what I play into it?
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Re: Trying to use Ableton to help compose simple songs...
Sorry, I'm not following -- alt-drag doesn't seem to do anything (fwiw, I'm using a PC) -- and ctrl-drag creates just one copy, so I'm not quite sure how you wound up with four?Bagatell wrote:create the first clip, select it, hold down alt and drag it to the slot below. You'll end up with a stack of four clips.
Is the idea that you would then have that 4-bar segment on one row in Session, and another copy on another row -- and do you use a "trigger" to have it go from one row to the other? Or are you manually clicking "play" for each 'scene' to move it along?
Thanks -- these might seem like daft questions to you all, but it's actually very helpful hear how I should be thinking about it, thanks!
Re: Trying to use Ableton to help compose simple songs...
turnstylenyc wrote:Is the idea that you would then have that 4-bar segment on one row in Session, and another copy on another row -- and do you use a "trigger" to have it go from one row to the other? Or are you manually clicking "play" for each 'scene' to move it along?
I usually do this with MIDI clips, obviously recording audio will be different, but yes, I'd have four clips on four contigous scenes and trigger them with follow actions.
This is just what I do. It's by no means the only way.turnstylenyc wrote:Thanks -- these might seem like daft questions to you all, but it's actually very helpful hear how I should be thinking about it, thanks!
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Re: Trying to use Ableton to help compose simple songs...
One quick question: I recorded several passes at a simple 4-bar from my audio keyboard, and then dragged the clip's in/out markers to my preferred take -- but it doesn't loop quite right.
Is the idea that I then ctrl-drag the warp markers that showed up in the clip, to tweak the timing (especially at the in point)?
Also: if I wind up liking the loop that starts at the *second* beat of a measure (ending at the second beat of the next measure) -- if I then select that in/out range, is there some way to "wrap it around" so that when it plays, it starts on the first beat? (I hope that made sense!)
Thanks!
Is the idea that I then ctrl-drag the warp markers that showed up in the clip, to tweak the timing (especially at the in point)?
Also: if I wind up liking the loop that starts at the *second* beat of a measure (ending at the second beat of the next measure) -- if I then select that in/out range, is there some way to "wrap it around" so that when it plays, it starts on the first beat? (I hope that made sense!)
Thanks!
Re: Trying to use Ableton to help compose simple songs...
there are excellent tutorials within Live itself:
View > Help View
View > Help View