Ableton Live is Holding You Back…
5 years ago, I woke up from a dream in which a melody was playing in my head.
It was a melody I’d never heard before, but it sounded catchy.
I leaped out of bed, grabbed my laptop, and…
…I lost it.
Too slow.
Too many clicks.
Too much time setting things up.
I hadn’t taken the time to master my DAW. I had no process or workflow. I couldn’t get ideas down quickly when it mattered.
My DAW held me back.
What Everyone Ignores
What’s the one thing standing between the musical ideas you have in your head, and them existing in reality?
Sure, you need to be skilled enough to know how to write that idea down.
You need to know how to arrange it.
And you need to know what sounds to use.
But that’s not the one thing…
…the one thing is Ableton Live.
It’s what you use to create music. It’s the link between mental ideas and tangible product.
Most producers I know either haven’t recognized this, or just flat-out refuse to acknowledge it because it means they have to put some time and effort into learning Ableton.
And this kind of mindset, this ignorance, or failure to see the importance of mastering Ableton Live, is exactly what holds so many producers back.
3 Ways Ableton Live Holds Producers Back
When you enter Ableton Live for the first time, it’s overwhelming.
There’s a bunch of knobs, controls, meters, numbers, icons…
…it’s like trying to drive a manual transmission car for the first time (except it’s a lot safer because you can’t drive Ableton Live into another object or human being).
But over the period of a few days, you start to figure out how it works. Maybe you skim through the manual (but probably not, because who reads manuals, right?). You know how to put together a basic song.
Unfortunately, that’s where most people stop learning.
- They don’t go any further to learn the ins and outs of Ableton…
- They don’t learn the hidden features…
- They don’t master the software… in fact, they don’t even become proficient in it.
When you don’t know how to use Ableton Live well, it holds you back. Here’s how.
#1 – You Let Ideas Go To Waste
If I’d known how to use my DAW properly, the melody I heard in my dream would actually exist today.
But it doesn’t. Because I couldn’t get it down fast enough.
When you don’t know how to use Ableton quickly—and you don’t know about certain tools or techniques that aid melody writing or drum programming—you’re at risk of losing ideas that enter your head.
#2 – You’re Less Creative
Did you know that you can create complex rhythmic patterns with a non-rhythmic instrument (like a pad) by feeding a percussion loop through Ableton’s Gate tool with sidechain enabled?
Knowing hacks like this (that, by the way, the manual won’t teach you) will not only help you work more quickly in Live, but it will help you be more creative.
#3 – You Get Frustrated ALL The Time
How many times have you thought to yourself, “If only there was a way to do this in Ableton, I’d be able to move on and finish my track!”
A lack of knowledge and mastery of Ableton will always lead to frustration. Not just because you’ll work slowly, but also because you won’t know how to solve certain problems that you encounter.
But when you know Ableton well, instead of getting frustrated and giving up when you’re faced with a problem, you’ll have a solution at your fingertips.
How Can I Work Like a Pro in Ableton Live?
The way I see it, you only have 3 options…
Option #1: “Should I figure it out myself?”
If you want to learn the tools and techniques in Ableton Live, discover things that the manual won’t teach you, and develop a comprehensive workflow, there are a lot of free resources available on the web.
But here’s the problem with this option: you learn slowly, and there’s a lot of bad advice.
As an example, I’ve seen videos where people tell you how “this one quick hack in Ableton will change the way you producer music forever..”
Not true at all.
A solid workflow is comprised of more than just “one quick hack.”
So what else can you do?
Option #2: “Should I Hire an Ableton Coach?”
You can hire an Ableton Pro to teach you. You’ll learn a ton of stuff, and the results will be good.
But you know what? It’s not going to be cheap.
Most coaches I know charge $100/hour. And you’ll need longer than an hour to learn everything you want to learn.
That can get expensive real quick. And you don’t come away with something tangible that you can reference and return to time and time again.
And this leads me to the last option…
Option #3: “You should invest in a comprehensive package that shows you exactly what to do, how to do it, and more.”
I’ve always loved that people condense years of hard work and learning into a resource that can be followed by anyone, no matter how experienced they are.
…and that’s exactly what the Ableton Workflow Bible is all about. It’s an eBook and 30-day training guide package that will walk you through how to use Ableton like a pro, from the most basic functions to creative techniques that most people don’t even know about.
And it’s a fraction of the price of a one hour coaching call.
Besides, it’s an investment.
Choose the package that works for you…
“The second I opened up the book, I could put it to use. It lays out the step-by-step processes that really helped me understand the methods of the pros. Thank you EDMProd for another great resource.”About the Author
Connor O’Brien
I work at EDMProd and have been using Ableton Live for 5 years.
I’ve worked behind the scenes as a ghost producer and have written multiple chart topping sample packs (3 Beatport Sounds #1’s). I’ve also produced for several major-label pop artists.
As an Icon Collective graduate, I use my expertise and professional experience to develop music education resources like Workflow Foundations, and, of course, The Ableton Workflow Bible.
The Pro Package
The Ableton Workflow Bible:
Discover the tools, techniques and secrets that Ableton pro’s already know and use with 100+ pages of tips and examples.
AWB 30-Day Mastery Plan:
Need some guidance? Follow a step-by-step framework to master Ableton in one month.
Video lecture: Finding Your Flow
Struggling to finish music? Here are 10 strategies to help you finish more music.
Video lecture: Active Listening
How do you use other music as an educational tool? This lecture explains how to actively, and intentionally listen to music.
Video lecture: How to find and develop your own sound
It’s more important than ever to sound unique. Here’s a framework for developing your signature sound.
30-Day Creativity Challenge:
Develop your skills, think outside-the-box, and find more enjoyment in music production.
3 Ableton Live Template Projects:
Analyze, pull-apart, and learn from these 3 fully-produced project files (listen to the previews here)
Extra Resources: Drum Racks, Vocal Pack, and Serum Preset Pack.
“This book is so conversational yet also prescriptive. Really cuts to the bone of all the features in Ableton. Plus, the added pro tips added throughout the sections are absolute gold!”The Standard Package
The Ableton Workflow Bible:
Discover the tools, techniques and secrets that Ableton pro’s already know and use with 100+ pages of tips and examples.
AWB 30-Day Mastery Plan:
Need some guidance? Follow a step-by-step framework to master Ableton in one month.
Video lecture: Finding Your Flow
Struggling to finish music? Here are 10 strategies to help you finish more music.
Video lecture: Active Listening
How do you use other music as an educational tool? This lecture explains how to actively, and intentionally listen to music.
The Book Package
The Ableton Workflow Bible:
Discover the tools, techniques and secrets that Ableton pro’s already know and use with 100+ pages of tips and examples.
AWB 30-Day Mastery Plan:
Need some guidance? Follow a step-by-step framework to master Ableton in one month.
“With my busy schedule, I didn’t have the time or patience to sift through Ableton’s extensive user manual. After spending time in Live with The Ableton Workflow Bible, I feel I approach production with an entirely new level of creativity and technical understanding”WHAT IF THE ABLETON WORKFLOW BIBLE ISN’T RIGHT FOR ME?
“Ableton is a powerhouse, but sometimes can be difficult to navigate. The Ableton Workflow Bible is full of pro tips and hidden features that, once you know about them, you’ll use all the time. I’d recommend it for producers of all levels..”
“It’s actually kind of fun reading through this. For the past maybe 3-4 months I’ve been solely living in ‘modular hardware land’ learning my system. This is making me excited to finish learning and get in and make tracks again.”
