| name | ableton-arrangement |
| description | Arrange and structure a track in Ableton Live via the abletonsdk MCP tools — place clips on the Arrangement timeline, build song form (intro/verse/chorus/breakdown), duplicate/move sections, and work with automation and clip envelopes. Use when laying out or editing song structure over time (NOT for writing notes within a clip — that's ableton-midi). |
Ableton arrangement & structure
The over-time layer: lay clips onto the Arrangement timeline and shape song
form. ableton-midi makes the clips' contents; this skill places them in time.
Workflow
- Perceive —
ableton_get_context for tracks + existing arrangementClips; the
tempo/time-signature context.
- Plan structure — decide sections (intro/verse/chorus/breakdown/outro) and their
bar positions; for creative form ideas see
music-strategies (finishing.md).
- Act —
ableton_run_code: create/place clips at beat positions, duplicate
sections, clear ranges, add cue points.
- Verify —
arrangementClips / ableton_get_clip_notes {kind:"arrangementClip",…}.
Time model
Positions are beats from the arrangement start (bar N in 4/4 starts at beat
(N-1)*4). A clip's own notes use clip-relative time. Clip length & loop are set
at creation and can't be changed after, so plan section lengths up front.
Reference (read on demand)
| File | When |
|---|
reference/arrangement-clips.md | Placing/duplicating/moving/clearing timeline clips, cue points, scenes |
reference/song-structure.md | Building intro/verse/chorus/… ; subtractive arranging, common forms |
reference/automation.md | Automation & clip-envelope concepts and the hard SDK limit |
Hard limits
- Clip timing/loop fixed at creation — to "resize", delete and recreate.
- No programmatic automation or clip envelopes — you can set a parameter's
current value (
setValue) but cannot write time-varying automation. See
reference/automation.md for the workaround/limit.
- No clip fades in the SDK (UI-only); no transport/playback control.
- Before destructive edits (
deleteClip / clearClipsInRange / moving the user's clips): confirm + group one-undo — see ableton-safety.
- For clip contents →
ableton-midi; for device/mixer values → ableton-sound-design / ableton-mixing.
