Compose your song.
Start with an idea. Shape the parts. Take it into Ableton.
Choose the harmony.
Accompaniment and learning notes
This changes chord-note timing and spacing while keeping the same harmony.
Why this chord and inversion?
Am is i in A minor. This is the minor home chord. Return here to settle the phrase. Listen to the change in color from the preceding chord. Putting E in the bass changes the shape without changing the chord. Compare the movement with root position.
Roman numerals count from the key’s home note. Uppercase means major, lowercase minor, and ° diminished.
E · A · C
Why this chord and inversion?
F is VI in A minor. This major chord shares two notes with i, so it can open the color while staying connected. It shares A and C with the preceding chord. The root is the lowest note.
Roman numerals count from the key’s home note. Uppercase means major, lowercase minor, and ° diminished.
F · A · C
Why this chord and inversion?
C is III in A minor. This is the relative major chord. It shares two notes with i and brightens the same note collection. It shares C with the preceding chord. Putting E in the bass changes the shape without changing the chord. Compare the movement with root position.
Roman numerals count from the key’s home note. Uppercase means major, lowercase minor, and ° diminished.
E · G · C
Why this chord and inversion?
G is VII in A minor. This major chord starts one whole step below home. It can lead back to i without a raised seventh. It shares G with the preceding chord. Putting D in the bass changes the shape without changing the chord. Compare the movement with root position.
Roman numerals count from the key’s home note. Uppercase means major, lowercase minor, and ° diminished.
D · G · B
One chord per bar. New compositions choose inversions that reduce movement between chords, including the return to the first chord. Why? Shared notes and small movements help the harmony flow beneath your melody. You can still change each inversion.
Shape each part.
Melody · editing bar 1 · 8-bar phrase
Ableton: Leads / Lumen Synth / Lumen MIDI
Note edits affect the note you select. Use the playback dock to mute a part across the song.A3 is the root of Am. It belongs to both the scale and the chord, so it can provide a settled landing point.
Variations and comparison
Capture your current version before trying a variation.
Density affects the next melody variation. Choose its bar, scene or song range above. To replace all parts, use Create composition in Idea.
Tap a note to audition or edit it. Enable Draw notes to add notes. Density applies to the next variation.
Play this part on the keyboard
# means sharp · b means flat · natural means no sharp or flat · the number tells you the octave.
A minor / A · B · C · D · E · F · G
A natural, octave 3
Ableton octave labels: MIDI 60 = C3. Scale highlighting is guidance; you can audition every key.
Build the groove.
Audition individual drum sounds
These buttons audition each sound, even if its lane is muted or empty.
Kick: 32 hits · on / Snare: 2 hits · on / Clap: 16 hits · on / Hi-hat: 32 hits · on
Drums / Impulse kit · Kick C3 · Snare D3 · Clap E3 · Hi-hat F3 (Ableton labels)
A grounded four-on-the-floor pulse with soft offbeat hats. Leaves the melody in front.
Made for your restrained, cinematic house direction · best around 122 to 124 BPM. Your current drum steps are preserved until you apply a pattern.Arrange your song.
112 bars · cinematic melodic house · a recurring hook, restrained drums and space between layers. Scene lengths follow your Ableton template.
Build a full song using your key, tempo and harmony. Your current phrase stays available with Undo.
View the 17 template scenes
Take your song into Ableton.
Open your composition in Ableton.
Gus Music Template.als is built in. Your instrument destinations, Impulse drums, notes, scene lengths, tempo and locators become a populated Live 12 Set in Arrangement and Session View.
Gus Music Template.als is ready to use automatically.
Next: Open the downloaded .als in Ableton, use Arrangement View for the full timeline, and press Play. Tempo and scenes are already set. Record your hardware, shape the sounds and automate transitions there. Save it in a new project folder.
Why this template? Compose, Learn and Live share the same musical roles. Kick C3, snare D3, clap E3 and hi-hat F3 share your Impulse kit. Compose uses your chosen destinations; Learn uses the same template roles.
Opening the Set on your Mac
The template loads only when you export and is cached for later downloads. Your song is built on this device; your Mac can be asleep. Open the Set in Live 12.4.5 or newer with your installed plug-ins, samples and connected hardware. The website uses the saved template snapshot; edits made in Live are not synced automatically.
Take exactly what you need.
Bars 1 to 8 · 8 bars. Scene and selection clips start at bar 1 inside the file. Place them at their original song bar in Arrangement View, or in the matching Session scene.
Why: Every exported part keeps the same range length, including rests, so clips line up. MIDI contains notes and touch, not instrument audio. Selected muted parts export as playable MIDI. Ableton Set downloads instead preserve your mute state.
Next in Ableton: Set 123 BPM. Import the MIDI as separate tracks, then move each named part to its matching template track. Combine the four drum parts on Impulse kit, or download the combined drum clip. Place it at song bar 1. Use the Ableton Set download above when you want every part placed automatically.
Instrument destinations and octave labels
A place for every part.
Choose the actual MIDI track in your Ableton set where each part belongs. Export creates named MIDI tracks; it does not control Live or change hardware routing.
One template, the same musical roles.
Kick C3 anchors the pulse. Clap E3 marks the backbeat. Snare D3 adds occasional quiet pickups and build detail. Hi-hat F3 adds motion between beats. All four have separate web lanes and share your Impulse track in Live.
Gus Music Template.als is used automatically for Ableton Set downloads. Choose a pitched instrument above when you want another sound; each drum keeps its matching Impulse slot. Percussions and FX remain yours to explore in Live.
Hardware destinations use your existing Moog and Minilogue MIDI tracks. Companion audio tracks are for recording their sound. This page does not adjust monitoring or arm tracks.
Save, restore or transfer a web project
MIDI exports include every part, including muted tracks. All tracks end at the same phrase boundary. Project files preserve edits, locks, settings and destinations.
Saved versions / this browser
Save a version before exploring a different direction.
In Safari, use Share → Add to Home Screen. On Android, use your browser’s Install app option. Open the app online once to cache it for offline use.
Phone → desktopDownload your project file and transfer it with AirDrop, Files, or your cloud drive. Open this page on desktop and import it. Projects are saved locally; there is no account or automatic cloud sync.
Sound and keyboard settings
Optional. You can always use the touch keyboard.
Space plays or stops · ⌘/Ctrl Z undoes · Shift ⌘/Ctrl Z redoes. Shortcuts leave text fields alone.