Unlocking Push 3: Chromatic Mode, MPE Tricks & One-Hand Voicings by Jamie Blake

Join Jamie Blake at Ableton’s U.S. Headquarters (Nov 9, 2025) for a deep-dive workshop on mastering Push 3 as a real performance instrument. This session covers chromatic mode, interval shapes, chord voicings, two-hand techniques, muscle-memory exercises, expressive MPE workflows, Sampler sound design, and creative modulation tricks using Expression Control. If you produce with Ableton Live or Push 3, this is packed with gold. 👉 Stay tuned for the next Weekend Retreat at Ableton's U.S. Headquarters! Subscribe to the email list here: https://www.abletonpodcast.com/newsle... 00:00 – Intro & difference between In-Key vs Chromatic Mode 00:48 – Root notes, pad layout & octave explanation 02:22 – Why play Push in Chromatic Mode? 03:15 – Memorizing C major shapes for consistency 04:05 – Interval shapes (2nds, 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, 7ths) 04:41 – Guitar-inspired shapes & fourths-based layout 05:45 – Octave shapes for voicings & inversions 06:41 – Navigating scales up/down the grid 09:00 – Multi-position notes & navigating rows 11:00 – Muscle-memory exercises for scale movement 12:13 – Two-hand dexterity tips 13:31 – One-hand chord voicings (maj7, min7, triads, 9ths) 15:39 – Setting up Push in C major + fourths layout 16:03 – Voicings from each scale degree 18:48 – Hand ergonomics & avoiding strain 19:51 – Practicing I–ii chord progressions 21:10 – Simple melodic exercises over chord patterns 22:29 – Developing rhythmic independence between hands 23:46 – Building musical vocabulary & improvisation skills 24:32 – Q&A on scale layouts & major/minor differences 26:58 – Chromatic vs scale mode for theory visualization 28:59 – Intro to MPE on Push 3 29:53 – Recording a vocal & building an MPE expressive instrument 30:36 – Editing, looping & tuning samples in Sampler 33:02 – Mapping filter cutoff/resonance to MPE 35:45 – Using Slide (Y-axis) for expressive filtering 37:33 – Playing MPE-enhanced chords 38:06 – Pitch bend mapping per-note 40:30 – Using Expression Control for deeper modulation 41:41 – Mapping Slide to FX sends (reverb throw trick) 42:30 – Combining chords + expression for dynamic performance 43:57 – Advanced modulation, instrument selector ideas 46:21 – Using Move + Push together in performance 47:10 – Differences between Push 2 & Push 3 48:35 – Using Push 3 in pro studio & performance contexts 49:32 – Templates for fast production & performance 50:17 – Using CV outputs for modular/Moog control 52:10 – Pedal inputs as CV outs 52:35 – Closing remarks