We have all sorts of software today, which is able to help us do more than we were able to do in the decades before. Software is really helpful because it makes some procedures a lot easier, while also allowing people who haven’t decades of formal experience to try and make something new.
However, one must know how to handle a piece of software if they want to make anything with it. This is where tutorials come in handy.
Ableton is a very powerful piece of software, meant for music production. Here is what you need to know about it and how to make music with it.
What is Ableton?
Ableton is a piece of software, actually called Ableton Live, which is meant for music production. It is classified as a digital audio workstation or DAW. Ableton Live is, as one can infer from the name, designed for live performances, composing, mixing music and performing in general. While it can be used for studio work and composing, it is also a very popular DAW used in live performances.
You can record multitracks, use sampled instruments, add parts and sequence them, use drum machines and mix and match the tempo as you like. One of the key features that Ableton Live had prior to anyone else is the ability to shift tempo without changing the pitch. The current version of the software is version 11.
How to Make Music With Ableton 11?
This is a rather hefty task that has a couple of steps one should do prior to actually starting to make music. Depending on whether you want to use real instruments or not, you will have to set up and connect your interface. Setting up MIDI is also recommended if you plan to work with various hardware.
If you want to start making music, you will need a sample library. It is hard to make music without having samples to start with, unless you play instruments. Ableton comes with its own sample library, though you would have to pay for it.
From the library, you can select the instruments and samples you want to use and start mixing them in the timeline. From drum beats, bass notes and other instruments, you can start making a song for almost any genre.
Virtual Instruments
The software gives you access to many virtual instruments which you can use to make anything from chords to melodies. A virtual piano is one of the easiest instruments to work with, mostly because it allows you to use the keyboard to make music. The piano doesn’t have to play piano sounds, but rather whichever instrument you selected as the sample one. This is a good way to transfer your keyboard skills into music, no matter the instruments. It also means you can build melodies, basslines and chords with your own two hands, like playing an instrument, but through a computer.
There are many ways to use Ableton Live to make music. A comprehensive tutorial would require much more space and is often better in a video format. However, getting the gist of the software is also important, to know what to expect.
There is a free version, so trying is always an option.
