I admit it: I have more guitars than I need.
I’ve got a bit of a hobby — perhaps an obsession — with collecting them. I’m holding steady at about a dozen instruments these days, which seems to be enough to keep me from wanting any more…for now.
But strangely enough, my GAS (that’s Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) doesn’t extend to amps or pedals. I am actually quite minimalistic in this regard.
I have one amp, for example — a cheap Chinese clone of a Fender Blues Jr. It sounds fantastic, so I don’t need anything else.
And when it comes to my pedal board, I only have the bare minimum: overdrive, chorus, and delay.
Actually, I have one more pedal on my board, too, and it’s my favorite one — because it’s the one that helps me become a better musician.
Enter the looping pedal
I’m talking about my looper.
I have the most basic of loopers on the market: the TC Electronics Ditto Looper. With one footswitch and one knob, it’s extremely simple, but it does the job.
If you’re not familiar with looping pedals, they allow you to record yourself playing for a period of time and then replay the recording on a loop. Once you’ve laid down the basic loop, you can add on new layers to form the backdrop of a song.
In essence, a looper allows you to accompany yourself.
Looping stations can get quite complicated, and some musicians can do amazing things with them. If you want to see an example of this, go no further than the great Phil Keaggy.
I’m not Phil Keaggy. My playing is not even in the same universe as his. I don’t craft intricate songs with my pedal or bring in egg shakers.
I use my looping pedal to help me practice and grow as a musician.
But I do use my looping pedal to help me practice and grow as a musician. In fact, here are three ways that help me and hopefully can help you too.
Be your own metronome
I have a bad practice habit. I hardly ever use a metronome. (Don’t be like me, kids!)
But with my looper, I can lay down my own tracks to practice things like scales or solos. And in order to lay down a good backing track, I have to have the tempo and the beat dialed in. Otherwise, the track will be off and I won’t be able to play over it.
I have to practice playing at a consistent tempo and getting the timing down pat in order to lay down a usable loop.
Thus I have to practice playing at a consistent tempo and getting the timing down pat in order to lay down a usable loop, and I can then use that loop as a makeshift metronome to work on other aspects of my playing.
Learn to think like a composer
When you want to lay down a more complicated track with multiple layers, you have to think like a composer.
I usually start with thinking about what chord progression I want and then I have to come up with a “bass” line on my guitar that has the tempo, style, and feel that I’m going for. Once I’ve recorded that, I have to add in a suitable rhythm guitar part (or two). Next, I might have to think about how to mimic a keyboard or perhaps come up with some short guitar riffs to add a little more flavor.
So for each part, not only do I have to find an idea that works well with the rest of the tracks, but I have to consider sonic textures as well. How can I switch effects or pickups — or occasionally even guitars — to get a different enough sound for each part? Where on the neck does each line need to be played? Can I make use of harmonics or muted strumming for a percussive effect? The possibilities are endless.
All of these decisions help you to better understand how all the layers of a song should work together.
All of these decisions help you to learn how to break down or build up a song and better understand how all the layers of a song should work together, because you are actually composing and arranging in that moment.
Be your own personal practice buddy
I don’t exactly have a lot of other guitarists living with me at my house.
My teenage son is just starting to learn the instrument (which is pretty cool!) but he’s not much help yet if I need to practice a song for church or something.
My looping pedal allows me to practice whatever riff, fill, or solo I need without having to wait until band practice.
So when I need to work on a lead riff or something similar, the looper yet again comes to the rescue. For this, it’s usually good enough to just lay down a basic chord progression, but it allows me to practice whatever riff, fill, or solo I need without having to wait until band practice.
A fun and useful tool
All of these benefits (and more) of a looping pedal make it a fun and useful tool. Even a simple looper like the Ditto can expand your musical horizons and abilities if you know how to use it.
If you don’t own a looper — or maybe you do and are afraid or don’t know how to use it — I’d encourage you to jump in and start. It doesn’t take long to figure out the basics, and once you do you’ll find that there are a lot of potential applications like the three I mentioned above.
If you use a looper, I’d love to hear the cool things you’ve discovered it can do.
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