Ableton, the Berlin-based software music company, is renowned on the scene, with its ever-popular Ableton Live having been used extensively by the likes of STS9, Blockhead, Flume, Flying Lotus, Four Tet, Panda Bear, The Glitch Mob, Bassnectar, Skrillex, and so many other big names in music. Already well-known artists aside, the software company just launched a brand-new website called Learning Music, which is clearly geared toward those striving to reach Skrillex-status someday. The new site teaches visitors the basics of beat-making from the ground up, giving straight-forward tutorials and letting users get hands-on experience crafting beats in their web browser for free before they choose to upgrade to the full Ableton Live 9 suite, which costs upwards of $700.
Check Out These Adidas Concept High-Tops With A Built-In Roland TR-808 Drum Machine
Ableton’s Learning Music builds on itself, with ten chapters that move from beats to notes and scales up to chords, basslines, melodies, and song structure. Each chapter is broken into a handful of mini-lessons, frequently using well-known songs—such as “Single Ladies” by Beyonce, “When The Levee Breaks” by Led Zeppelin, “Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley and the Wailers, “Around The World” by Daft Punk, and even the classic hit that is “Mary Had A Little Lamb”—as models for the specific elements being taught. Once you’ve graduated from lessons, you can make use of the site’s “playground” to create and combine your own songs, then move onto their more advanced topics, which include lessons on modes, major and minor scales, inversions, triads, and more.
You can go and check out Ableton’s Learning Music site here. It’s pretty neat to play around with, even if you don’t ever end up becoming a world-famous producer on the same level as some of Ableton’s more well-known clients. Though, we’re holding out hope that at least a couple of you guys do.
[H/T Pitchfork]