What is a Sketch
With
Isaac CotecIsaac Cotec explains what a 'sketch' is - a quick melodic or rhythmic seed for a track - and where it sits before composition in Ableton Live.
What's in the course
19 lessons (2h 54m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Starting Sketches in Ableton Live
In this video, we're going to be looking at how we can start sketches in Ableton Live and really begin producing our music. Here are the stages we've talked about:
- Concepts Pre-Production
- Sketches (stage two)
- Composition
What are Sketches?
A sketch is a very basic idea.
- I like to think of it as a melodic or rhythmic seed,
a concept that can grow into a full track. - Imagine it as a zip file: succinct, but packed with information.
- The composition part is when you unzip it and unpack it into a larger song.
What Sketches Are and Aren't
-
Sketches are:
- Just ideas
- Unfinished concepts you're playing with
-
Sketches are not:
- Mixing or EQing
- Developing new sounds
Ideally, you would have already done that in either the pre-production phase or plan to do it much later during mixing.
Focus on Ideas
Don't worry too much about getting the exact right preset or having the beat be perfect. It's just a beginning concept.
"Every musician will make 100 bad songs, make them as quickly as possible and move on."
In other words, if you sit down to write the best track ever, you might end up with a subpar idea simply because you're obsessed with finishing it.
Embrace the Process
A sketch allows you to create numerous ideas and then go back later to pick the best one. You might find that the third or fourth sketch is way better than the first one you obsessed over.
Key takeaway: It's all about speed!
Examples of Sketches
As an example, I'm going to show you a finished sketch. This is something that I put together in about an hour, and it has a few elements:
- A beat
- Some percussion
- A screechy sound
- A very simple bass
- Some texture
You can hear that this can go in many different directions. This sketch is missing a lead and a second part; it could have a more complicated bass. Regardless, I spent around an hour on it and then moved on.
Another Sketch Example
Here's another sketch I created, with a total of five tracks. I made this in about 40 minutes. It features:
- Interesting drums
- A melody
Overall, it feels a little sparse and simple, but it's a good starting idea where changes can open up into the rest of the track.
Conclusion
In the upcoming videos, I will go over building a sketch, exploring different agendas, concepts, and ideas to enhance your speed and creativity in creating sketches that can eventually evolve into full compositions.
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Isaac Cotec is, arguably, one of the best Ableton trainers in the world! While working on his own music, he began teaching recording techniques, sound design, and Ableton Live to private students, and since earning his certification as an official Ableton Certified Trainer he has helped thousands of producers step up their game and succeed as musicians.
Isaac started producing electronic music in 2005 with Psyche Sonics, an experimental group working with the science and research of binaural beats and altering consciousness through sound. After touring, he continued writing music under the alias Cotec and later emerged as the artist Subaqueous, blending his electronic past with both future and organic production techniques. To date, he has released 3 albums and 4 EPs.
Isaac is also the founder and manager of the record label Invibe Music, which represents some of the Pacific Northwest's best electronic music and specialises in midtempo dance music.
In his Ableton Live courses, Isaac shares the production, sound design and songwriting techniques he has spent years refining - the very skills he uses to turn a spark of an idea into a finished track.
