Minimal production lessons in Ableton Live
Minimal is detail music. With so few elements on the go, the groove lives in tiny things: a hi-hat nudged a few milliseconds late, a shaker that's only half there, a bassline that moves one note every eight bars. Get those right and a track can roll for nine minutes without anyone noticing it hasn't "done" anything. Get them wrong and it's just empty.
I've taught Ableton Live one to one since 2012, and minimal sits right at the heart of the underground sound I love: somewhere between house and techno, belonging to neither. These lessons are live, online, and built around the minimal you want to make, whether that's the shuffling micro-house sound, the long, rolling Romanian end of things, or something deeper and more stripped back.
Where minimal comes from
Minimal grew out of the stripped-back, shuffling sound of German labels like Perlon around the turn of the 2000s, then went deep in Romania, where the "rominimal" scene turned it into long, rolling, hypnotic tracks built for all-night sets. Its tools are restraint and repetition, and almost all of its tricks are in the timing.
What we work on
- Micro-percussion and swing. Shakers, rims and clicks with swing from the Groove Pool and hand-nudged timing, so a sparse groove rolls instead of ticking.
- Subby basslines. Warm, round subs that move slowly and sit under the kick without crowding it.
- Resampling. Tiny melodic fragments and vocal snippets resampled, warped and re-pitched until they're unrecognisable.
- Movement over time. Clip envelopes, LFOs and automation, so loops evolve over minutes, not bars.
- Sound design. Operator, Drift and Simpler for clicks, blips and pads, with Echo and Hybrid Reverb for space.
- Long arrangements. Eight to ten minute tracks that change so slowly you only notice when you look back, and that work in a DJ set.
- Mixing as you go. In a sparse track every sound is exposed, so levels and space matter from the first session.
The problems I hear most in minimal tracks
“My track feels empty, not minimal.”
Minimal isn't fewer sounds, it's every sound doing more. We give each element movement and a reason to be there.
“My groove is stiff.”
Usually everything is on the grid at the same velocity. Swing, ghost hits and a few hand-nudged parts make it roll.
“Nothing happens for eight minutes.”
The change has to be constant but tiny. We plan movement across the whole track with filters, sends, muting and parts that drift in and out.
“My low end is either thin or boomy.”
With so little else going on, the sub is everything. We tune it to the kick and check it on headphones and in mono.
Minimal students
Sam Wragg, one half of Kyle & Sam and part of the mödum crew, has released the Chapters EP on Arupa Music in 2026 and 'Chapter 44' on Cadre Music.
Flo Reen works across minimal, deep-tech and organic house, with original tracks and collaborations with NIF (RO).
Listen: 'Martin Patino' (deep tech) 'Together' (organic house) 'She Was There' (deep house)
Plus many more. Catch up on the latest student releases in the news.
How lessons work
Every lesson is fully bespoke and one to one with me, live over Zoom, usually 90 minutes. No two people learn the same way, so I adapt to how you learn, what inspires you and where you want to go. I hear your Ableton session exactly as you do, and we work on your music, not a generic project.
- Five Sessions, £360: for a specific problem or a track you want to finish.
- Beginner Course, 12 sessions, £799: from opening Ableton for the first time to finished tracks.
- Ableton Live Masterclass, 32 sessions, £1,999: the full path, genre-focused, for going all the way.
Rather do it in person? With the Ableton Live Intensive I travel to you, from £550 a day.
Students on my structured courses can also get a discount on a new Ableton Live Suite licence. Ask me about it in your free session.
The first 30 minutes are free, with no obligation.
Minimal production FAQs
What BPM is minimal?
Most minimal sits around 122 to 128 BPM. The rolling Romanian style often sits at the slower end, and the more techno-leaning end pushes a little faster.
Is minimal house or techno?
Neither, really. It borrows the swing and warmth of house and the repetition and restraint of techno, and it has its own labels, parties and sound. In lessons we use reference tracks from the end of minimal you love.
Is Ableton good for making minimal?
It's ideal. Clip envelopes, the Groove Pool, warping and resampling are the core minimal toolkit, and Session View is perfect for jamming long, evolving loops and recording the best takes.
Why are minimal tracks so long?
Because they're made for DJs playing long sets. Long intros and outros make tracks easy to mix, and slow change keeps a dancefloor locked in. We'll build arrangements that work in a set and on headphones.
Do I need hardware to make minimal?
No. Everything can be done inside Ableton. If you do have a drum machine or synth, we'll bring it into your sessions and build a workflow around it.
Book a free 30 minute session
Bring a loop that won't roll, a half-finished track or a record you love, and we'll start there.
All Ableton lessons and prices
Also teaching: TechnoHouseTech house and deep tech