Contents
Resources for Ableton and Music Learning and Teaching
I’ve curated the following resources to help music educators of all kinds support learners and students when using Ableton in music programs.
Topics
Books
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Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers by Dennis Desantis
Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers is a great set of creative strategies as the title indicates. This book is made with Ableton in mind but goes far beyond manual-style books that only focus on the components of a software program. You could use any of the strategies in a music program to spark some creative projects and activities. Don’t let the “for electronic music producers” part of the title scare you off, this book could really be used in any musical context and is sure to get some creative juices flowing.
Interactive Composition: Strategies Using Ableton Live and Max for Live by V. J. Manzo and Will Kuhn
Interactive Composition: Strategies Using Ableton Live and Max for Live provides you with step-by-step instructions for making great sounding music with Ableton Live and Max. Both authors have extensive experience teaching music so they understand music education. The instructions are so detailed that you can start with barely any prior knowledge of how to use Ableton or Max and still feel successful as you work your way through the book. I think this is a great book to get for yourself to build up some knowledge and skills to feel comfortable doing the same or similar projects in music programs or in lessons with private studios. Once you have the hang of working with the book and the projects, you will be on your way to creating your own projects for students and even allowing them to approach the projects in a more open-ended manner. The book is also great in situating skills with Ableton and Max in the context of actual music projects, so you are always making music as you learn Ableton or Max. So much more interesting than learning each function separately without a musical context.
Web Forums
When looking for an answer to a question it is sometimes helpful to search through online forums and then posting a question if you don’t find what you are looking for. Check out some of the following forums for support.