By the time we reach the middle of the first NUS semester, all EML new members who have been attending EML session should be able to make the outline of a basic song / track quickly. This session is a non-graded test to get the song / track done within 60 minutes

1. 60 Minutes to Music
Mid Semester Check Point for Electronic Music Lab
By Benjamin Ang

2. Work in groups
 Identify who is:
 comfortable with beats?
 comfortable with tunes or chords?
 comfortable with moving around the software?
 Work with someone who can complement your abilities or
inabilities

3. 1. Make a Beat (15 minutes)
 either use the drum / kit core 808 or 909 (Ableton Live 9) to
make a new beat (refer to Lesson 1)
 or use the drum clip from the demo Ableton set that you
downloaded previously
 if you use this clip, you have to make changes to the beat
 make 3 variations of your beat
 you have 15 minutes

4. 2. Make a Bassline (15 minutes)
 select from either
 Instruments / Operator /
Bass
 Instruments / Analog / Bass
 and make a bassline clip
using the key of C
 OR use the bass clip from
the Ableton set you
downloaded previously
(then you must make
changes to the bassline)
 Make copies of the bassline
clip and change them to
 C (1 bar)
 G (1 bar)
 A (1 bar)
 F (1 bar)

5. 3. Add instruments (15 minutes)
 select from either
 Instruments / Operator / Synth Lead
 Instruments / Analog / Synth Lead
 and make a SIMPLE riff / tune in the key of C
 The riff / tune should fit your bassline roughly
 you have 15 minutes

6. Common song structure Common dance remix
Stop for instructions:
How to make a song structure
 Verse
 Chorus
 Verse
 Chorus
 Bridge
 Verse
 Chorus
 Intro (beats only)
 Section 1
 Section 2
 Breakdown
 Section 1 or Section 2
 Breakdown
 Drop
 Out tro (beats only)

7. Tips on song structure
 Add something new or remove something every 8 or 16 bars
 Make copies – repetition is your friend
 Use rolls or gaps to signal the end of one section
 Use drum crashes to signal the beginning of another section

8. 4. Make a structure (15 minutes)
 Turn the tune into a radio edit (up to 4 minutes long)
 beats, bass and lead start immediately
 copy and paste sections to get verse, verse, breakdown,
verse (or your own variation)
 use crashes (from kit 909) and filters to mark out the sections
 you have 15 minutes