Do you want to save time and have a faster workflow on Ableton?

Today with Top Music Arts we bring you a detailed list with all the shortcuts you need!

As we know, learning all the keyboard shortcuts of your DAW of choice is an essential skill to make your work more fluid, it may sound obvious, but most of the producers out there tend to overlook or remember just the most used ones.

As always we try to make it useful for beginners, to learn how to properly use the key features Ableton offers. But this is also for advanced producers, who could use help remembering all of them (they´re a lot!) or learning some new tricks.

Let´s start...







Showing and Hiding Views

Windows Mac Toggle Full Screen Mode F11 CTRL - CMD - F Toggle Second Window CTRL - Shift - W CMD - Shift - W Toggle Session/Arrangement View Tab Tab Toggle Device/Clip View Shift - Tab or F12 Shift - Tab or CTRL - F12 Hide/Show Detail View CTRL - ALT - L or Shift - F12 CMD - ALT - L or CTRL - Shift - F12 Toggle Hot-Swap Mode Q Q Toggle Drum Rack/last-selected Pad D D Hide/Show Info View Shift - ? Shift - ? Hide/Show Video Window CTRL - ALT - V CTRL - ALT - V Hide/Show Browser CTRL - ALT - B CMD - ALT - B Hide/Show Overview CTRL - ALT - O CMD - ALT - O Hide/Show In/Out CTRL - ALT - I CMD - ALT - I Hide/Show Sends CTRL - ALT - S CMD - ALT - S Hide/Show Mixer CTRL - ALT - M CMD - ALT - M Open the Preferences CTRL - , CMD - , Close Window/Dialog ESC ESC



Accessing Menus

In Windows, you can access each menu by pressing ALT and the first letter of the menu ( ALT - F for “File,” for instance). While a menu is open, you can use:

the up and down arrow keys to navigate the menu items;

the right and left arrow keys to open the neighboring menu;

Enter to choose a menu item.

In OS X (Mac), you can access individual menu entries by pressing CMD - ? . This opens a search field that will suggest menu entries as you type. You can then navigate the suggested options by pressing the up and down arrow keys and press Enter to choose one.



Adjusting Values

Windows Mac Decrement/Increment up and down arrow keys up and down arrow keys Finer Resolution for Dragging Shift Shift Return to Default Delete Delete Type in Value 0 ... 9 0 ... 9 Go to Next Field (Bar.beat.16th) . - , . - , Abort Value Entry ESC ESC Confirm Value Entry Enter Enter



Browsing

In addition to the shortcuts shown here, the Editing shortcuts can also be used in the Browser.

Windows Mac Scroll Down/Up up and down arrow keys up and down arrow keys Close/Open Folders right and left arrow keys right and left arrow keys Load Selected Item from Browser Enter Enter Preview Selected File Shift - Enter Shift - Enter Search in Browser CTRL - F CMD - F Jump to Search Results down arrow key down arrow key Assign Color(s) to Selected Browser Item(s) 1 ... 7 1 ... 7 Reset Assigned Color(s) for Selected Browser Item 0 0



Transport

Windows Mac Play from Start Marker/Stop Space Space Continue Play from Stop Point Shift - Space Shift - Space Play Arrangement View Selection Space Space Move Insert Marker to Begin Home Function +left arrow key Record F9 F9 Back to Arrangement F10 F10 Activate/Deactivate Track 1..8 F1 ... F8 F1 ... F8



Editing

Windows Mac Cut CTRL - X CMD - X Copy CTRL - C CMD - C Paste CTRL - V CMD - V Duplicate CTRL - D CMD - D Delete Delete Delete Undo CTRL - Z CMD - Z Redo CTRL - Y CMD - Y Rename CTRL - R CMD - R Select All CTRL - A CMD - A

By holding down an additional modifier key, some of the above commands can also be applied to:

Windows Mac Clips and Slots Across all Tracks Shift Shift Time Across all Tracks Shift Shift The Selected Part of the Envelope ALT ALT



The Tab can be used to move from one track or scene to another while renaming.



Loop Brace and Start/End Markers

The loop brace and start/end markers must first be selected before any of the following commands will apply to them.

Windows Mac Move Start Marker to Position Shift -click Shift -click Nudge Loop Left/Right right and left arrow keys right and left arrow keys Move Loop By Loop Length up and down arrow keys up and down arrow keys Halve/Double Loop Length CTRL- up and down arrow keys CMD - up and down arrow keys Shorten/Lengthen Loop CTRL-right and left arrow keys CMD - right and left arrow keys Select Material in Loop CTRL - Shift - L CMD - Shift - L



Session View Commands

See also the Editing commands.

Windows Mac Launch Selected Clip/Slot Enter Enter Select Neighboring Clip/Slot arrow keys arrow keys Select all Clips/Slots CTRL - A CMD - A Copy Clips CTRL+D rag ALT+D rag Add/Remove Stop Button CTRL - E CMD - E Insert MIDI clip CTRL - Shift - M CMD - Shift - M Insert Scene CTRL - I CMD - I Insert Captured Scene CTRL - Shift - I CMD - Shift - I Move Nonadjacent Scenes Without Collapsing CTRL - up and down arrow keys CMD - up and down arrow keys Drop Browser Clips as a Scene CTRL CMD Deactivate Selected Clip 0 0



Arrangement View Commands

The shortcuts for zooming, snapping/drawing, and loop/region settings also work in the Arrangement View. Also the Editing commands.

Windows Mac Split Clip at Selection CTRL - E CMD - E Consolidate Selection into Clip CTRL - J CMD - J Create Fade/Crossfade CTRL - ALT - F CMD - ALT - F Toggle Loop Selection CTRL - L CMD - L Insert Silence CTRL - I CMD - I Pan Left/Right of Selection CTRL - ALT CMD - ALT Unfold all Tracks ALT - unfold button ALT - unfold button Scroll Display to Follow Playback CTRL - Shift - F CMD - Shift - F Deactivate Selection 0 0 Nudge Selection Left/Right right and left arrow keys right and left arrow keys Reverse Audio Clip Selection R R Zoom to Arrangement Time Selection Z Z Zoom Back from Arrangement Time Selection/Zoom Out Arrangement Completely Shift - Z Shift - Z





Commands for Tracks

See also the Editing commands.

Windows Mac Insert Audio Track CTRL - T CMD - T Insert MIDI Track CTRL - Shift - T CMD - Shift - T Insert Return Track CTRL - ALT - T CMD - ALT - T Rename Selected Track CTRL - R CMD - R While Renaming, Go to next Track Tab Tab Group Selected Tracks CTRL - G CMD - G Ungroup Tracks CTRL - Shift - G CMD - Shift - G Show Grouped Tracks + + Hide Grouped Tracks - - Move Nonadjacent Tracks Without Collapsing CTRL arrow keys CMD arrow keys Arm/Solo Multiple Tracks CTRL-click CMD-click Add Device from Browser Enter Enter Deactivate Selected Track 0 0



Commands for Breakpoint Envelopes

The shortcuts for zooming, snapping/drawing, and loop/region settings also work in the Envelope Editor and Arrangement View. Also the editing commands.

Windows Mac Toggle Automation Mode A A Finer Resolution for Dragging Shift Shift Create Curved Automation Segment ALT ALT



Key/MIDI Map Mode and the Computer MIDI Keyboard

Windows Mac Toggle MIDI Map Mode CTRL - M CMD - M Toggle Key Map Mode CTRL - K CMD - K Computer MIDI Keyboard M M Adjust Computer MIDI Keyboard Octave Range Up/Down X and Y keys X and Y keys Adjust Computer MIDI Keyboard Incoming Note Velocity Up/Down C and V keys C and V keys



Zooming, Display, and Selections

Windows Mac Zoom In + + Zoom Out - - Drag/Click to Append to a Selection Shift Shift Click to Add Adjacent Clips/Tracks/Scenes to Multi-Selection Shift Shift Click to Add Nonadjacent Clips/Tracks/Scenes to a Multi-Selection CTRL CMD Follow (Auto-Scroll) CTRL - Shift - F CMD - Shift - K Pan Left/Right of Selection CTRL - ALT CMD - ALT



Clip View Sample Display

The shortcuts for zooming and loop/region settings also work in the Sample Display.

Windows Mac Quantize CTRL - U CMD - U Quantize Settings... CTRL - Shift - U CMD - Shift - U Move Selected Warp Marker right and left arrow keys right and left arrow keys Select Warp Marker CTRL -right and left arrow keys CMD- right and left arrow keys Scroll Display to Follow Playback CTRL - Shift - F CMD - Shift - F Move Clip Region with Start Marker Shift- right and left arrow keys Shift- right and left arrow keys Zoom to Clip Selection Z Z Zoom Back from Clip Selection/Zoom Out Clip Completely Shift - Z Shift - Z



Clip View MIDI Editor

The shortcuts for zooming, snapping/drawing, and loop/region settings also work in the MIDI Editor.

Windows Mac Quantize CTRL - U CMD - U Quantize Settings... CTRL - Shift - U CMD - Shift - U Scroll Editor Vertically Page Up/Down keys Page Up/Down keys Scroll Editor Horizontally CTRL-Page Up/Down keys Shift-Page Up/Down keys Copy Notes CTRL-D rag ALT-D rag Change Velocity From Note Editor ALT-D rag CMD-D rag Move Insert Marker to Begin Home Function +left arrow key Move Insert Marker to End End End Scroll Display to Follow Playback CTRL - Shift - F CMD - Shift - F Move Clip Region with Start Marker Shift- right and left arrow keys Shift- right and left arrow keys Zoom to Clip Selection Z Z Zoom Back from Clip Selection/Zoom Out Clip Completely Shift - Z Shift - Z



Grid Snapping and Drawing

Windows Mac Toggle Draw Mode B B Narrow Grid CTRL - 1 CMD - 1 Widen Grid CTRL - 2 CMD - 2 Triplet Grid CTRL - 3 CMD - 3 Snap to Grid CTRL - 4 CMD - 4 Fixed/Zoom-Adaptive Grid CTRL - 5 CMD - 5 Bypass Snapping While Dragging ALT CMD



Global Quantization

Windows Mac Sixteenth-Note Quantization CTRL - 6 CMD - 6 Eighth-Note Quantization CTRL - 7 CMD - 7 Quarter-Note Quantization CTRL - 8 CMD - 8 1-Bar Quantization CTRL - 9 CMD - 9 Quantization Off CTRL - 0 CMD - 0



Working with Sets and the Program

Windows Mac New Live Set CTRL - N CMD - N Open Live Set CTRL - O CMD - O Save Live Set CTRL - S CMD - S Save Live Set As... CTRL - Shift - S CMD - Shift - S Quit Live CTRL - Q CMD - Q Hide Live CMD - H Export Audio/Video CTRL - Shift - R CMD - Shift - R Export MIDI file CTRL - Shift - E CMD - Shift - E



Working with Plug-Ins and Devices

Windows Mac Show/Hide Plug-In Windows CTRL - ALT - P CMD - ALT - P Open Second/Multiple Windows with Plug-In Edit Button CTRL CMD Open Mac Keystroke Plug-In Window with Plug-In Edit Button Shift Group/Ungroup Devices CTRL - G CMD - G Activate/Deactivate All Devices in Group ALT device activator ALT device activator Click to Append Devices to a Selected Device Shift Shift Load Selected Device From Browser Enter Enter



Using the Context Menu

A context menu is available in Live for quick access to many commonly used menu items. To access the context menu, right-click (PC) / CTRL - click (Mac) on the part of the interface where you would like to execute a particular command.

It´s worth noting that Live’s context menu may sometimes contain applicable settings from the Preferences. You should change these options with care, as they will affect not only the currently selected item but the general settings of the program.

Some commands only appear in the context menu.

You can tell us which ones are most handy to you or if we missed one in the comments.

We hope you all can find this list of shortcuts useful and apply them as much as you can!