Skip to content
UdemyMusic ProductionPaid courseAll LevelsCertificate

Music Theory with the Ableton Push (Udemy.com)

Applying the concepts of music theory with the Ableton Push as our instrument.

Created by: J. Anthony Allen

Last updated May 2026

icon
What you will learn

  • Learn the layout of the push in "in key" mode.
  • Learn the layout of the push in "chromatic" mode.
  • Write chord progressions and melodies using the Ableton Push

How it compares

Against the other 241 rated Udemy courses in Music Production on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.2 out of 5higher than 6% of them
  • Reviews165#135 of 242 by number of reviews
  • Length1.1 hoursshorter than 91% of them
  • Last updatedMay 2026more recently than 82% of them

icon
Course Description

100% Answer Rate!  Every single question posted to this class is answered within 24 hours by the instructor.

Traditionally, music theory is taught with a piano as the main tool to learn the concepts. In this class, we take music theory concepts and apply them to the Ableton Push controller. Using the Push, we can find the patterns for chords, harmony, and intervals that will get you producing, songwriting, or composing with the Ableton Push. 

For the best success in this course, it is recommended students have already taken the other Music Theory for Electronic Musician classes. They are: 

Music Theory for Electronic Musicians I 

and 

Music Theory for Electronic Musicians II: Minor Keys and More 


My Promise to You:

I am a full-time music producer, composer, and Educator. If you have any questions please post them in the class or send me a direct message. I will respond within 24 hours. And if you find this class isn't for you, I am more than happy for you to take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked.


What makes me qualified to teach you?

In addition to being a composer and educator,  I also have a Ph.D. in music, I am a university music professor, and have a long list of awards for teaching.

But more importantly: I use this stuff every day. I write music professionally, I am an active guitarist, and I stay on top of all the latest production techniques, workflows, and styles. As you will see in this class, I just love this stuff. And I love teaching it.

Let's get started! 

See you in lesson 1.

All best,

Jason (but call me Jay...)

icon
Udemy Discount

The discount is applied through our link. Open the course from here and Udemy's current promotional price is applied at checkout on most courses, no code to type.

Some courses are excluded from Udemy's promotions. If the price does not drop, clear your browser cookies and use the button again.

icon
Instructor Details

J. Anthony Allen

Dr. Allen is a 2026 Apple Distinguished Educator.

Dr. J. Anthony Allen is a distinguished composer, producer, educator, and innovator whose multifaceted career spans various musical disciplines. Born in Michigan and based in Minneapolis, Dr. Allen has composed orchestral works, produced acclaimed dance music, and, through his entrepreneurship projects, he has educated over a million students worldwide in music theory and electronic music production.


Dr. Allen's musical influence is global, with compositions performed across Europe, North America, and Asia. His versatility is evident in works ranging from Minnesota Orchestra performances to Netflix soundtracks. Beyond creation, Dr. Allen is committed to revolutionizing music education for the 21st century. In 2011, he founded Slam Academy, an electronic music school aimed at increasing accessibility to music production education. His innovative approach to academia was highlighted in 2024 when he received tenure and resigned from his university position on the same day.


As a composer, Dr. Allen is known for his unique synthesis of diverse musical influences, often blending acoustic music with electronic dance music elements. With a Ph.D. in Music Composition, multiple master's degrees, and numerous awards, Dr. Allen's academic and professional achievements are substantial.

icon
More courses by J. Anthony Allen

$124.99

$149.99

$19.99

$11.99

$12.99

$13.99

icon
More Music Production courses

$84.99

$10.99

$17.99

$109.99

$19.99

$89.99

icon
Reviews

4.2

165 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Geir Thorvaldsen Breimo on 1/24/2025

Ableton should really make this class available for all push user's, it's fundamental for being able to play the instrument. It's also exactly the same for the push 3. you will not learn to produce with the push though, just play it. So we are eagerly awaiting the produce with push class J. .

By Kimberly Velthouse on 12/31/2022

Glad I'm taking the Music Theory class to wrap up my learning. A great compliment to Charles Cornell's course(s). Grateful for both fantastic teachers this holiday season.

By Nicholas Koterba on 12/27/2018

Hello, this course is very much fine, however, I do not think it holds up value compared to your other courses. Maybe you could include it for free in one of your other course bundles? don't feel like it had that much to offer as I already had a basic knowledge of guitar fretting (which is really similar to that of push's) I am enrolled to your other courses, though!

By Maks Sherstobitow on 11/24/2017

The course is basic but it gave me many insights. Right during the course I got how to play simple melodies and the understanding what I am doing. I recommend the course for all the beginners to get the Push better.

By Naren Duffy on 12/6/2016

A really good explanation of where to find the notes on Push. It is well presented, and a quick, easy way into building on your theory knowledge. That said, a lot of this info can be found elsewhere on the internet. THAT said, I do like the way that J Allen presents, so I can definitely recommend this course!

By Adrian Vecchio on 9/20/2016

The lectures are too brief and should include exercises.

By Colin Skow on 1/12/2016

This course was short, to the point, and delivered as promised. I was brand new to both music production, Ableton, and Push. I learned how to play notes and chords that sound good together. I learned the patterns to play any chord progression I want without having to think about it. Highly recommended to anyone who is new to Push and also new to music in general!

By Philippe Teixeira on 9/20/2015

I've been away from Push from some months and needed a little reminder of the layout of the pads to play chords. The course was ok but I'm surprised Jason didn't show the simplest and most obvious way to play triads, which is by doing a triangle shape with your fingers. Instead, he went for the inverted triangle which is not intuitive at all and diagonal shape which are not intuitive at all, especially if you play live.

By Geoff Spence on 1/4/2015

Very good short course. J. Anthony Allen is a really good teacher, he explains things very well. I did part 1 of the Music Theory course first. If I hadn't I wouldn't have had a clue what was going on but this is great if you understand at least a little bit of music theory and have got or are thinking of getting a Push. It definitely does what it says on the tin.

By Dcastaings castaings on 12/6/2014

This course is truely great. Even if every lesson may seems short you succeeded in providing a lot of useful infos. This improved tremendously my way of using Push. Still as you perfectly stated it you need a little of music theory background to fully benefit this course.

Showing all 10 reviews on CourseDuck

Read all 165 reviews on Udemy

icon
Quality Score

No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.

Content Quality
/
Video Quality
/
Qualified Instructor
/
Course Pace
/
Course Depth & Coverage
/

Overall Score : 84 / 100