Ableton for Music Creators and Artists
Course 9: Music Video Creation/Composition & Instrumentation

Building on what you learned in the last week, you’ll continue to build your brand through something other than just music. In this course, you’re going to jump into music video creation! With today’s technology and a little savvy, you can bring your song to life by shooting and editing your own music video.

You’ll cover it all in course 9, from performance to getting your establishing shot, cutaways, nature shots, FX shots, and ample B-roll. You’ll learn the importance of lip-synching, some equipment you’ll need, and how to set up a shot indoors and outside. Lighting will be important, too, as you create four videos in four different environments.

Then you’ll head back to the studio to learn about composition and instrumentation. You’ll learn how placeholders are used to fill out your song even though they may not be the right instrument or sound you’re looking for. You’ll learn how to search the Ableton library for the right sounds (or the sounds that are good for right now). You’ll also cover orchestration and how to use different combinations of instruments.

Waves is the reigning king of FX bundles, and your digital field trip for course 9 will send you to its website to investigate the different bundles they offer for reverbs, compressors, EQs, and more. You’ll figure out which bundles are best suited for you, both in terms of cost and functionality. Your listening library assignment will be Beck’s Mellow Gold, the album that brought him into the limelight and cemented the artist’s fame.