Workshop 1: Making Music in Ableton Live

Inspired by Trust FM's radio workshops Winston and Simon are sharing our collective skills with the wonderful production software that is Ableton Live.

These two stand alone workshops introduce community members to Ableton Live as a creative tool - one focused on music production fundamentals, the other on producing radio content. Together they give participants practical, hands-on skills they can use immediately, whether they want to make music or run a better show.

Summary: Participants build a track from scratch - beat, melody, and chords - then arrange and mix it into a finished piece, learning the core building blocks of production along the way through a hands on tutorial. A good ableton workflow can save you hours over the lifetime of a show.

Beats & Melody

• Program a drum beat using MIDI basics and rhythm roles (kick/snare, hats, percussion, fills)

• Write a melody using simple, emotion-based music theory

• Build a chord and explore basic sound design (ADSR, synths)

Arrangement

• Structure a track using bar phrasing (8/16/32 bars)

• Use macros, automation, and FX for transitions

• Add and edit an audio track (warping, cutting up loops)

Mixing

• Balance levels across tracks

• Apply basic EQ

• Use sends and groups for a cohesive mix

What to bring:

• Laptop

• Headphones

• a curious spirit

• Copy of Ableton Live (available as a free trial for 30 days)