ENROLL IN THIS COURSE OR THE ENTIRE 3-COURSE BOOTCAMP
Overview
This is the first course in our 3-course Music Production Bootcamp. You can enroll in any of the 3 courses individually or enroll in the entire 3-course Music Production Bootcamp and save 20%.
Each course is 6 weeks long making the entire bootcamp 18 weeks long in total. Classes meet twice per week with an optional office hours day for one-on-one instructor interaction. Each class is 2 hours long and they alternate each day between a lecture day and a lab day with a homework assignment in between.
During this 6 week course we will focus on using the instruments in Ableton Live to compose a song. We will touch on making drum beats with the drum rack and some basic rhythmic techniques for certain genres (broken beats versus straight beats, syncopation), adding a bass line that complements the rhythm of the drums, choosing a key and scale type based on the feel you want to achieve, basic chord progressions, and organizing the clips as Scenes (with each scene being a different combination of clips that will reflect a different part of the arrangement).
At the conclusion of this course, students will have a much better understanding of how to compose musical ideas from scratch and organize these ideas into different song sections.
Week 1: Arrangement View and a Linear Timeline
Lecture Day
Get an orientation to Ableton Live by watching the instructor produce a composition from scratch.
Learn how to find clips of specific types and add them to the different kinds of tracks in Live.
Learn how to download additional Live Packs to get more content to work with.
Homework & Lab Day
The first homework assignment requires students to compose two different scenes using audio and MIDI clips.
In the first lab session, students will share their homework assignments for immediate feedback from the instructor and fellow students, giving everyone exposure to different approaches to composition.
Week 2: Arrangement Concepts
Lecture Day
Learn how to compose using built-in MIDI instruments starting with the Drum Rack, a virtual drum machine.
Study different styles of rhythm from straight beats to broken beats, half-time, etc.
Discussion on how to quickly add or modify sounds in the drum rack presets.
Homework & Lab Day
Students will create a new project and compose drum patterns with at least 3 different stylistic variations using a custom or modified drum rack.
In the lab session, students will share their homework with the group and discuss other topics such as polyrhythms and additional MIDI clip editing techniques.
Week 3: Keys, Scales, and Chord Progressions
Homework & Lab Day
Create chord progressions in specific keys to complement the drums created from the previous week.
In the lab session, students will share their homework for feedback.
Students will also discuss more exotic scales, how chords can create moods, and how the rhythm of the chords can change the vibe of the track.
Lecture Day
Discuss scales and what the concept of “key” is, and how these aspects influence decisions when creating melodies.
Learn about several scales and how to create chords using scales.
Learn common chord progressions in a specific key signature.
WEEK 4: Adding Bass lines and basic EQualizing
Homework & Lab Day
Students will continue adding to their ongoing project by choosing a bass sound and composing parts that complement the drums with necessary EQ adjustments.
During the lab session, students will share their bass compositions and discuss how to modify bass presets, effects for adding character, and adding a more human feel to the bass lines.
Lecture Day
Learn how to compose bass lines building upon your knowledge of key signatures.
Study different approaches to bass lines and how they complement rhythms, chords and melodies.
Study the various frequency ranges of the layers and learn how to use an equalizer to remove conflicting frequencies.
WEEK 5: Melody and Adding Lead Sounds
Homework & Lab Day
Create a lead melody for the ongoing project to be shared with the class. Students must ensure frequencies don’t interfere with other parts of the arrangement.
In the lab session, students will share their homework, get feedback, and discuss common arrangement concepts found in major genres like pop, rap, r&b, EDM, house, and techno.
Lecture Day
Discuss lead sounds with examples of guitar, synths, vocals, etc.
Discuss the concept of flow state and using it as an effective technique in the creative process.
Learn about the value of simplicity in melodies and how to craft arrangements with scenes.
WEEK 6: Transitions and Clip Envelopes
Homework & Lab Day
In the final homework assignment, students will add transitions and impacts to their compositions.
In the lab session, students will share their compositions and discuss ways to improve their results along with other ways to use clip envelopes and effects to add more variation and movement.
Lecture Day
Learn about transition techniques like reversed cymbals, filter sweeps, pitch risers, etc.
Learn how to use clip envelopes to create variations and add movement.
Use the mixer’s sends and return tracks for efficient effects processing.