Learn the basics of songwriting, creating a sound palette, sketching a song, sound design elements, mixing, and mastering.
Read more.Instructor
Jason Allen is a PhD in music, and was recently named one of the semi-finalists for the Grammy Foundations "Music Educator" award.
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Who this course is for:
- Aspiring Songwriters: If you have never written a song before, but you want to learn how it’s done, this course is for you.
- Songwriters: If you are a traditional songwriter, but want to expand your palette by using electronic elements, or just help recording your songs, this course is for you.
- Musicians: If you have wanted to improve your compositions by understanding how the writing with audio software works, this course is for you.
- Producers: Improve your tracks by gaining a deeper understanding of form, sketching, structure, and development.
What you’ll learn:Â
- How to craft songs using audio software as your main tool
- Using MIDI for composition and songwriting
- Creating a sound “palette”
- Sketching your song
- Defining the form of the song
- Lyrics and vocals
- Drum programming
- Sound design elements
- Adding in real instruments (recording)
- Mixing
- Mastering
Requirements:Â
- Students should have a desire to write great songs, and access to a computer with any audio sequencing software (DAW).
- The ability to record instruments is not required, although it will be discussed and demonstrated in the class.
Software version used in the course:Â
- This course is NOT specific to any DAW program.
- I’ll be using Ableton Live Suite 10 in this course as my main DAW, but if you are using any other program you will be able to follow along just fine. That includes Logic, FL Studio, Pro Tools, Reaper, Reason, Cubase, or any of the others. My method in this class is to teach concepts, so whatever I do, you will be able to do it in your own software.
Welcome to Songwriting in Ableton Live (Or Any Audio Application!)
This course is “5-Star Certified” by the International Association of Online Music Educators and Institutions (IAOMEI). This course has been independently reviewed by a panel of experts and has received a stellar 5-star rating.
In this class, we are going to write a song together. We will start with just messing around on the keyboard until we find an idea, then we will work on the song structure, form, sound design, and end with mixing it and a discussion about mastering the track. Beginning to end – step by step!
In this class, we start with the very basics of songwriting and work all the way up to a finished song. I’ll walk you through every step of the process and explain the logic behind every decision I make.
The goal of this class is for you to learn how to make original, compelling, and memorable sounding music.
I’m best known for working with electronic music, but I’ve designed this course to be as inclusive as possible when it comes to genre. We will talk about songwriting techniques for all genres, sounds, and styles. All genres are welcome here!
Our Promise to You
By the end of this course, you will have learned how to write your own track from start to finish.
10 Day Money Back Guarantee. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, simply contact us and we’ll give you a full refund. No questions asked.
Get started today and learn more about songwriting.
Course Curriculum
| Section 1 - Introduction And Overview | |||
| Introduction | 00:00:00 | ||
| What We Are Covering Here | 00:00:00 | ||
| Tools You Will Need For This Class | 00:00:00 | ||
| My Approach In This Class | 00:00:00 | ||
| Section 2 - Working With MIDI | |||
| How MIDI Works | 00:00:00 | ||
| Why MIDI? | 00:00:00 | ||
| MIDI Setup In Live | 00:00:00 | ||
| MIDI Controllers | 00:00:00 | ||
| Using The MIDI Grid | 00:00:00 | ||
| Making It “Real” | 00:00:00 | ||
| Overdubbing Real Instruments | 00:00:00 | ||
| Section 3 - Defining Your Palette | |||
| What Is A Songwriting Palette? | 00:00:00 | ||
| Building A Library Of Samples | 00:00:00 | ||
| Building A Library Of Drum Sounds And Loops | 00:00:00 | ||
| Building A Library Of Synths | 00:00:00 | ||
| Setting “Favorites” | 00:00:00 | ||
| Building A Template Session | 00:00:00 | ||
| Section 4 - Sketching | |||
| What Is A Sketch? | 00:00:00 | ||
| Example Sketch | 00:00:00 | ||
| Developing The Sketch | 00:00:00 | ||
| Try This In Session View! | 00:00:00 | ||
| Expanding The Sketch | 00:00:00 | ||
| “Don’t Fall In Love With Your Work!” | 00:00:00 | ||
| Section 5 - Defining Form | |||
| Starting To Bring The Track Into Focus | 00:00:00 | ||
| Using Locators For Form | 00:00:00 | ||
| Don’t Get Married To The Form. Let It Take On A Mind Of Its Own. | 00:00:00 | ||
| Section 6 - Taking Stock: What We Have So Far | |||
| How Is Our Track Coming So Far? | 00:00:00 | ||
| Preparing For The Second Stage | 00:00:00 | ||
| Thinking About Sound Design | 00:00:00 | ||
| Track Update | 00:00:00 | ||
| Section 7 - Lyrics | |||
| Thinking About Lyrics | 00:00:00 | ||
| What Is The Message Of The Music? | 00:00:00 | ||
| What Clues Are In The Music? | 00:00:00 | ||
| Do You Need To Adjust The Key For The Singer? | 00:00:00 | ||
| Section 8 - Drum Programming | |||
| What Kind Of Drum Sounds Do We Want? | 00:00:00 | ||
| Finding Drum Sounds | 00:00:00 | ||
| Freesound | 00:00:00 | ||
| Programming Basics | 00:00:00 | ||
| Swing And Feel | 00:00:00 | ||
| Section 9 - Synths: Sound Design Elements | |||
| Let’s Really Focus In On Those Synths | 00:00:00 | ||
| Register And Frequency Things To Consider | 00:00:00 | ||
| The Bass Sounds | 00:00:00 | ||
| Section 10 - Adding In Some Real Instruments | |||
| Fixing “Real” Sounds | 00:00:00 | ||
| Making The Samples Sound Better | 00:00:00 | ||
| Setting Up To Record | 00:00:00 | ||
| Recording Violin | 00:00:00 | ||
| Editing For Pitch | 00:00:00 | ||
| Section 11 - Mixing The Track | |||
| Mixing Principals | 00:00:00 | ||
| Balancing By Ear | 00:00:00 | ||
| Balancing By Noise | 00:00:00 | ||
| Fine Tuning | 00:00:00 | ||
| Creating Depth | 00:00:00 | ||
| Creating Space With EQ | 00:00:00 | ||
| Re-Balancing | 00:00:00 | ||
| Section 12 - Mastering | |||
| What Actually Is Mastering? | 00:00:00 | ||
| The Best And Easiest Way To Master A Track | 00:00:00 | ||
| Using A Rack Preset | 00:00:00 | ||
| “Printing” The Master | 00:00:00 | ||
| Section 13 - Wrap Up | |||
| What Comes Next? | 00:00:00 | ||
| Thanks For Watching! | 00:00:00 | ||
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