GUITAR GUIDES

There aren't any shortcuts to becoming a better guitar player, but plenty of tools to help you along the way. 

Whether you’re a seasoned vet looking to add some depth to your live playing or a beginner trying to play by ear -- the best possible weapon you can have in your arsenal is a great looper pedal. 

We're going to walk through what looper pedals are, why you need one, and your best options depending on how you plan to use your looper.

Let's get going! 

In the most basic sense a "looper" is a guitar pedal that records musical phrases from an instrument and plays them back to you. 

This means you can record a catchy bass-line or some riffs and then play along endlessly to the rhythms and songs you’ve just composed!

By adding a looper to your daily practice sessions you can develop a better sense of rhythm. Not only that, but you'll definitely have more fun since you won't be mindlessly plucking away at your guitar any longer.

What makes a looper an essential addition to your pedal box is the way it meets the needs of all categories of players, across all genres.

You can record multiple loops and then overdub them, giving your performances a layered richness that would otherwise only come by adding some extra musicians playing there with you.

It also helps out in the studio, since you can record chords, riffs, licks, or solos, and then loop them to come up with extra phrases and melodies. Who knows, maybe you'll go a step further, flesh out your melody, and make a fully featured song -- all with just one guitar in hand! 

That's the power of the looper.

This means your creativity never again has to be interrupted by PC or smartphone software recorders, until it comes time to put pen to paper and get the composition down of course.

Using a looper to its full potential will make you a more efficient guitarist -- and if you're up for it, a stronger composer in the long run.

Even if you have no interest in writing your own tracks, a loop pedal is still a fantastic improvement tool.

By controlling playback options and speed through your looper you can slow down and break down some complex riffs and work your way up to full speed.

Breaking down songs, or "reverse engineering" them, is an extremely effective way to practice. 

Once you think you’ve nailed the piece of the song you've been practicing, you can record it and listen on the fly while keeping an ear out for your mistakes.

This way you can record, tweak, record again, and then practice along endlessly until your cover is just right.

Unlike most other pedals that handle specific effects and aren’t entirely necessary (let’s be honest, not everyone needs a fuzz pedal), the functions of a loop pedal are actually quite generic. 

At its core, all it needs to do is record audio and play it back.

If that’s all you want, then the cheapest option off the shelf of your local music/guitar store will do.

However, due to its versatility as both a practice and gigging tool, I highly recommend you buy the most feature complete model you can afford.

The more switches and options it has, the more likely it will be to carve out a permanent home in your pedal box both at home and on the road.

If you cheap out on basic functions like playback speed control or reverse playback you might wish you bought something better later down the line.

Remember, buy it nice or buy it twice.

With that being said, some controls are more important than others, so at the bare minimum here are the things that you should be looking for:

As with anything music related, it’s crucial that the pedal has high enough sound quality to accurately reflect the notes that you’re strumming out.

Any distortion is going to ruin your tone and mask any inaccuracies in your playing; this makes it rather worthless both live and as a practice tool.

If you only play at home to learn your favorite songs, however, this might not be a deal breaker for you. But for anyone who’s trying to take the jump to the next level as a performer/professional, this should be one of your highest priorities.

Make sure playback is accurate and you’ll get much better, much faster.

This is a more divisive category among loop fans, but I’m of the opinion that it’s always better to be prepared.

Whether you’re recording rhythm or lead sections there’s always the chance that you might play/record something you’re truly proud of. This is when you'll start wishing you could back it up and keep it safe.

Unfortunately, many looper pedals out there today don’t have on-board storage.

Much like RAM in your computer, once it loses power it loses the data.

Thankfully, there are models that can record to SD cards. Some even have USB ports for easy transfer to your computer, so this is a handy little feature to look out for.

Some riffs and solos can be endlessly complex.

The key to getting these dialed in is repetition, consistency, and the ability to control playback tempo.

Having the ability to control your playback tempo allows you to break down difficult sections and find all the subtle flaws in your playing.

It's definitely a useful feature -- even more so if you’re self-taught or practicing alone.

With no one keeping tabs on your progress, it’s up to you to be vigilant and keep an eye out for errors.

If you don't fix a technical error or wrong note while practicing, it can persist and develop into a bad habit that's incredibly difficult to break. 

That being said, these three core things I just mentioned are ones you absolutely want to have with your next loop pedal purchase (although this list isn't exhaustive).

There are features like tap tempos that can be "nice to have" but aren’t necessarily essential.

But ultimately, the needs of professional touring musician are different from the casual weekend warrior.

So without further ado, let’s take a dive into some great options for your next looper.

A loop pedal is one of the most important additions you can make to your pedal box. 

It’s a versatile piece of equipment that can help you train your ear to play more accurately, or to just put on compelling solo performances full of depth and multiple layers.

The pedals I’ve listed won’t steer you wrong no matter which direction you choose to go in, but for the best bang for your buck, I recommend going with the JamMan Solo XT.

Still, as it stands, even the cheaper options are great; I need to go out, pick one up, and get looping!