BMWS 2021

This track is limited in size. We will be giving those students who sign up for every class in this track preferential treatment. If you don’t select every class, you may be dropped from the class due to lack of space.


K E Y S  — T R A C K

This track will focus primarily on how to use Ableton Live to play keys for worship. In order to get the most out of this track, the following software programs are recommended but not manditory:

Ableton Live 11 Trial https://www.ableton.com/en/trial/ (free)
Spitfire LABS Soft Piano https://labs.spitfireaudio.com/soft-piano (free)
Spitfire LABS Synth Pads https://labs.spitfireaudio.com/synth-pads (free)
Spitfire LABS Piano Pads https://labs.spitfireaudio.com/piano-pads (free)
Helm Synth https://tytel.org/helm/ (free)




Day 1 - Intro To Ableton Live

In this class we will learn how to use Ableton Live for playing keys. Ableton Live is a powerful keys workstation that lives on your computer and you can take with you anywhere you go. You’ll have access to all the same keys sounds, creation tools, and tracks, no matter what keyboard you are using.

Day 2 - Building A Set

Learn how to create a set from scratch that you can use to play at church. This set will have a couple different pianos, pads to layer, and filter, verb, delay controls you can adjust while you’re playing.

Day 3 - Sound Design

Last class we learned how to build a set from scratch. Today we’re going to learn how to build a patch from scratch, using a synth engine. The goal is to be able to replicate a synth sound from any song using sound design tools.

Learn the basics of sound design, how to develop sounds and patches for keys. We’ll talk about oscillators, LFOs, envelopes, and filters. How do I get a really great pad sound, or a punchy synth lead? These are things you’ll learn how to do in this class.

Day 4 - Using Tracks In Worship

The goal of this class is to learn how to use tracks effectively in a worship setting. Tracks add extra production elements to your set that can improve the overall quality of the mix. Learn how to transpose songs, split tracks into sections, and use follow cues to allow for arrangement flexibility.