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.