Drums are the foundation of incredible music pieces in almost every musical genre in the world. Make great drums and beats – and your track will stand firm. As a music producer, learning how to make great-sounding drums and beats is one of the more important things you can learn in music production. In this complete guide to drums in Ableton Live, you will learn how to: Add your drums Mix your drums Pan your drums Compress your drums Tune your drums But before we start, make sure you check out these articles on creating masterful drums and beats: Guide:...

Consistently making fatter drums is what many producers strive for. The drums are the foundation of any great electronic music track. If your drums sound thin and weak, there’s a very good chance that will spread throughout your entire mix. And the last thing you want is a flat and thin mix! >> Learn how to make professional drum beats. Many times, the secret is to fatten up your drums – giving them more punch, power, and warmth. In this article, you will get five valuable tips on how to make fatter drums – every time. Just follow the tips...

Want to humanize your MIDI drums? Computers are robotic. That includes DAWs and programming your MIDI drums for your beats. When drawing out your drum notes into a perfect grid with maximum velocity, it can quickly become too perfect and boring. Why? Because it lacks life and a human’s touch. Luckily, humanizing MIDI drums in Ableton is easy. And in this article, we will show you exactly how you can humanize your drums in three simple steps. But first, let’s dive in to understand what humanizing drums mean. What Does Humanizing Drums Mean? Humanizing your MIDI drums means taking digitally...

Want to make a fuller, fatter lead sound? Then you need to learn how to layer leads. Layering your lead sound is a must-know technique that serves electronic music producers well. Once you know the process behind it, you can make all your lead sounds shine by enriching missing qualities and frequencies or making mind-bending harmonies that makes your listeners crave more. This article will teach you the five steps on how to layer your leads properly. You will also learn why to layer leads in the first place. Let’s dive into and look at the 'why.' Why Layer Leads? Layering leads...

What is the circle of fifths, and how do you use it? If you’re a music producer or went to music classes in school, you’ve probably heard about the circle of fifths. You have maybe even seen pictures of a wheel outlining all the different notes. Click here to learn everything you need in Music Theory.  When you look at first glance, the circle of fifths may seem complicated. But trust me, it's a lot simpler than it looks. In this article, you will learn how to use the circle of fifths in your music production. You will also learn how to...

Do you wonder how to become a music producer? Everyone loves music. It’s in our genes. When we hear a good beat, we start dancing or nodding our heads. Music excites us, helps us grieve, and can take us on sonic journeys transcending space and time – alone or dancing with others. The creative brain behind today’s modern electronic music is the music producer. If you want to create music for a living, this article will answer many of your questions. Let’s start with a brief explanation of what a music producer is before continuing with how you can start...

What is remixing music, how do you make a remix and can it be illegal? Remixing music is taking another artist's work and rebuilding it to your music style and flavor. It became popular in the late 1960s, when ska, reggae, and dub tracks got recreated by enthusiastic and local mixers to fit the tastes of their audience. Today, remixing is very easy in modern DAW’s. Producers remix other artists' music every day, and so should you. But there are a couple of things to know before you start remixing music. This article will give you the answers to what...

World-famous musicians create their music around cool chord progressions. Chords carry the emotion, tension, and stability of your sound. When you create interesting progressions, you take your listener through fascinating journeys in your music. But what is a chord progression, and what are Roman numerals when looking at chord progressions?   This article will give you the answer. You will also learn what makes a good chord progression and learn the popular "I–V–vi–IV” chord progression with easy examples you can follow in your DAW. Let’s dive in by explaining what a chord is first. Check out: FREE Chord Generator What...

In the video above, PML instructor Julian / Bound To Divide is making a Toolroom Style Piano House Track from Start To Finish. He is using the Ableton Live 11 Suite plus a couple of 3rd Party plugins like Diva, Valhalla Shimmer, Korg M1 Piano, Disperser by Kilohertz etc. -- If you enjoy Julian's style of producing, feel free to check out his PML Courses and Sound Packs: Courses:  Diva Sound Design Course Making A Track From Start To Finish: Progressive Melodic House Packs: Drum Samples "Midnight Punch for Melodic House / Techno" Bundle:  Bound To Divide "Melodic House Sound Pack...

What is a chord, and what makes chords that sound good together? Building chords is a lot easier than you think once you understand the music theory. Chords make up the modern and traditional music of our world. Vocalists sing to chords, drummers create their rhythm, and electronic music producers create melodies to chords. For any great song, nice chords and chord progressions are vital. Check out the FREE Chord Generator. This article will teach you what a chord is, what intervals are, and how you can use scales to create the chords you want. You will also learn the difference...