← quickstrokes
15 CARDS · ABLETON LIVE

ableton live

the moves that separate pros from hobbyists

platform: mac
STUDY · 15 cards

if you only learn 15 shortcuts in live, learn these. cmd+d, cmd+e, cmd+j alone shave hours off a session.

essentialediting
duplicate the selection (clip, track, scene, midi note — anything)
D

the most-used pro shortcut in live. duplicate a 1-bar loop into 4 bars without touching the mouse.

essentialediting
split clip at the insert marker
E

the surgery move. chops loops in-place without bouncing — every pro slices this way.

essentialediting
consolidate selection into one clip
J

flattens a multi-clip selection into one clean clip. cleans up arrangements before mix.

essentialplayback
loop the current selection
L

auditioning a section on repeat without ever touching the loop brace by hand.

essentialtracks
group selected tracks
G

drum bus, vocal bus, fx bus — group as you build. lets you mix in stems without thinking about it.

tracks
ungroup selected group track
G

ungroup just as fast as you group. lets you regroup mid-arrangement without fear.

essentialtracks
rename the selected track / clip / scene (then tab cycles to the next)
R

name your tracks. tab through and label all 24 in 60 seconds. mixing without names is amateur hour.

tracks
insert a new audio track
T

faster than the menu. learn this and you stop reaching for the mouse to add tracks.

tracks
insert a new midi track
T

the midi sibling of cmd+t. pair them and you build a session from the keyboard alone.

export
export audio / render
R

open the export dialog without hunting the file menu. rendering is something you do 30 times a session.

essentialview
toggle session ↔ arrangement view

the single most underused key in live. flip between session jams and arrangement edits instantly.

view
show / hide the clip detail view
L

more screen for the arrangement when you don't need it, instant access when you do.

editing
narrow the grid (finer resolution)
1

zoom into 16ths / 32nds for tight edits without picking from the right-click menu.

editing
widen the grid (coarser resolution)
2

the partner to cmd+1. fly between resolutions while you're chopping.

arrangement
delete time (cut selection + close the gap)

the arranger's scalpel — yank a section out and everything after slides left. no clean-up needed.

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