Ableton Forum

I just got Live a couple weeks ago and I am struggling to find good instruction on how to learn the basics. I am doing a class on Linked-in and it's not what I was hoping. The instructor explains a lot of stuff, sure, but watching him work on his projects and executing various tasks doesn't really give me what I want. It's like watching your algebra teacher do equations on the board of advanced math problems before you even learned how to add. All the YouTube channels are similar--there is no hands-on training, no workbook exercises.

It's a lot of, "Here's how you move a clip from session view to arrangement view." But they don't tell you why you would want to do that. When you would want to do that. They haven't even told to me how to record a simple clip. I want it to be like learning a foreign language was in college but it's not. There's no start, no next step--just free form.

In my perfect world the video would say, today we are going to record a clip from a midi keyboard in session and arrangement view. Then, we are going to take the clip we recorded in session view and move it to arrangement view. Then we will do the same with the other. Then I would know. Then I'd remember.

So, how did you learn?

Thank you! Happy New Year!

Start here:

https://www.ableton.com/en/live/learn-live/

Yup, what this guy said ^^^

Live is overwhelming as you know - it's a very deep program...and there is always something to learn.

Google/YouTube will help you a lot...as long as you know what you're looking for. Experiment, try to do stuff...and when you can't, search for it. Or come here!

Give yourself a good 10 years of playing around and things will make sense

jestermgee wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 30, 2020 11:54 pm

Give yourself a good 10 years of playing around and things will make sense

Liar.

I did read the manual while trying out everything it alongside it.
Then, because you obviously can't retain all the information, do what Shift Gorden suggests: roll up your sleeves and do things, simple stuff, and as you encounter problems, go and find that specific topic in the manual. It's actually quite good. Sometimes it even suggests which situations "you would want to do" such and such thing.

Open Live's Help menu > "Help view" (or "Help window"?): you'll find intereactive (i.e with accompanying sets) tutorials here.
Do them all and you be good to go in a couple hours.

practice, practice, practice - like any other musical skill set

best of luck

Shift Gorden wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 31, 2020 4:57 am

jestermgee wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 30, 2020 11:54 pm

Give yourself a good 10 years of playing around and things will make sense

Liar.

Shhhh, don't want to scare off newbies with the truth that one never learns it all and instead just stockpiles retarded amounts of plugins and gear that will never be used to create anything remotely interesting to another living soul. Certainly makes sense to me now

Thank you! All!

Excellent advice! Words of wisdom!

You gotta figure that with millions of YouTube videos good tips exist once you know the basics. I checked out some popular ones and there are some sharp people doing them. But as everyone said, first read the manual and do the Ableton tutorials. Okay, not everyone said that. Ten years goes by fast!

Excited! Learned a lot already. Recording already. Struggling already. And after banging my head against the wall, solving the smallest problem and celebrating like I won the lottery.

It's a nice adult toy. Well, maybe not quite that but it's my new video game. Okay, not quite that either. It's challenging! It's a blast.

Thanks again!

Panax wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 30, 2020 5:20 pm

I just got Live a couple weeks ago and I am struggling to find good instruction on how to learn the basics. I am doing a class on Linked-in and it's not what I was hoping. The instructor explains a lot of stuff, sure, but watching him work on his projects and executing various tasks doesn't really give me what I want. It's like watching your algebra teacher do equations on the board of advanced math problems before you even learned how to add. All the YouTube channels are similar--there is no hands-on training, no workbook exercises.

It's a lot of, "Here's how you move a clip from session view to arrangement view." But they don't tell you why you would want to do that. When you would want to do that. They haven't even told to me how to record a simple clip. I want it to be like learning a foreign language was in college but it's not. There's no start, no next step--just free form.

In my perfect world the video would say, today we are going to record a clip from a midi keyboard in session and arrangement view. Then, we are going to take the clip we recorded in session view and move it to arrangement view. Then we will do the same with the other. Then I would know. Then I'd remember.

So, how did you learn?

Thank you! Happy New Year!

I will admit it being a process.

The built in lessons while cool for a complete beginner or an advanced user looking to brush up on something kind have skips over workflow practices a transitioning user would appreciate.

I got more mileage out of the manual. Ableton's manual is pretty good while it can be dry in certain areas, it does a pretty good job covering the program.

I'd also consider maybe a good paid video tutorial as well where a user would go through doing a whole project. That said even that can have issues if the persons workflow is extremely different than your own.



From there forums such as this one and especially YouTube have a ton of info. Once you get the basics down, you pretty much just tailor to what your interests are and what you would like to improve.




I'd say now Ableton has a much wider user base than it did when I started in 2007 (although there was a decent following then). It makes it easier to find good tutorials when you have a wider user base.


Sometimes too it pays to sit through other people's different workflows as you can often learn things that can help your own.

I'll also add that I think Ableton's free form workflow appeals to a certain user base.

My coproducer prefers a linear workflow. I might start a song with the bridge, then the hook, verse, then finally intro (I often work on intro last). I actually really don't even think arrangement when initially composing as I'm setting foundation. Session View works great for my brain to have a bunch of noncommitted blocks and once I'm comfortable going to arrangement putting the blocks together and finally committing to an arrangement.

I recommend 'Seed to Stage' YouTube channel and the new paid online courses.

Dont become afraid by all this horror-answers.

There a millions of useful beginner-vids on CENSORSHIP YT. but live vids are allowed so far;-)
IF you are halfway familiar with other DAWs, with rudimentary routing.... with terms like "latency"... you will learn the BASICS on one afternoon (if you are not completely stupid).
For all the advanced stuff and of course for the real special stuff, you will need lot of time more.

BUT to GENERALL understand and be able to use trhe basics.... this should be not so complicated/time-intensiv. If you are not familiar with COMPUTER_Audio.... in general, plan an afternoon for ONLY that... the terms routing, mixing, latncy, vst/vsti.... my hardware.... should be ENGRAVED in your mind, before doing the next step.
If you are familiar with GENERAL computer-audio/daw-concepts , then also plan an afternoon for just live-specific.... BASIC!
Of course BASIC for your OWN further FREE use...."

"Answers" like: "WHY should i move a clip from scene to arrange or vice versa"????" You will not found! From this point you are your OWN people! THATS on you!!!!!!! Its your freedom!!!! Are you a helicopter-child????? Ups, here my parents dont tell me, what i have do / level grade "my" way????? Become addult, there is no step-by-step way in the REAL world for child like you!!!! A lot of things you have to figure out by yourself, including win and fail, even to REALLY OPEN your OWN eyes the first time.....