A few months ago I wrote a post for the Loops in Worship blog called, “Determining what type of Loops work best”. It was part of our “Transitioning your Band to Using Loops” series and I feel like the concepts mentioned within it are so important that they need to be repeated. Obviously if you want to check out that article you can (heres the link), but this post won’t be a copy of that one verbatim, but we will use and discuss further some of the basic concepts used in that article. This series is called “Beyond Backing Tracks” and in it we will take a look at how go beyond just using loops as backing tracks. We will take it a few steps further then we went in the previous article and discuss how to create and use loops that aren’t “Backing Tracks”.
It is important when discussing this to mention that this is not intended to trash the concept of “Backing Tracks” or a way to talk badly of people that use them, but merely a chance to make people aware that loops don’t have to be backing tracks and that there are more options out there. First off a Backing Track typically consist of representations of “real” instruments that can’t be reproduced live. This can be anything from a Drum track that mimics what an actual drummer would play to a prominent Piano part. People typically use these types of loops to fill in the missing sounds, either from a musician being out or a situation where competent musicians are lacking and unavailable. For those purposes and those times, they are great. But for times when you have a few solid musicians and want to venture into using loops, this is how you can go further with it.
1) Playing “with” Loops, not “to” them
If there is one thing I preach over and over, and over… its that you don’t play “to” loops, but play “with” loops. A majority of people feel like Milli Vanilli when simply playing “to” tracks. They have to do the verse chorus, and there are lots of elements to the loop that create this huge sound but the band STILL doesn’t sound great! With the creation of Ableton Live you now have the ability to jump around within a song and repeat a chorus and bridge etc..but how many times do you actually do this, and break away from the actual arrangement? Most churches rarely do this, and if they do its because someone hit the wrong button! Even with the ability to change the order of the loop it still feels like we play “to” the loop. I personally would much rather play “with” loops and use them to create unique sounds to use with my band.
2)Bigger or Better?
What do you want from your band? Do you want your band to sound bigger? If thats the case then load up the track. You can have a drum loop, 3 synth parts, a piano, organ, pad part, background vocals and your band will be HUGE! Most of us have probably been in environments where we see 4 guys on Stage but hear 15 different instruments. Backing Tracks will definitely give you a bigger sound, but is that what your after? Some of us would probably benefit from our band sounding “Better” not “Bigger”.
Take for example a band with a Drummer, Bassist and Electric Guitarist. In this situation it is crucial that the Drummer and Bassist keep the backbone of the song solid and consistent. The guitar player may find himself playing basic Open Chords in attempts to “fill out” the sound and not be able to do much more.
(SIDENOTE: This is this point some people will mention bands like “Z.Z. Top” that have the same setup and get a “big” sound without using Loops. Sure, for what they do and the sound they are after they do it great. But what church do you know that will allow for the Drummer to have a huge Kit and Huge Guitar Amps cranked up? And sure Z.Z. Top doesn’t need loops to get their sound but how many churches do you know that want Z.Z. Top as their worship band?…so lets return to the real world now!)
If you create a track with a simple airy pad and a washy filtered loop you now have created a sound that these three guys couldn’t create on their own. You now have the ability for the band to drop down and the pad and loop will carry it. These aren’t representations of real instruments (i.e. we aren’t dropping to a very prominent piano part but parts that help fill out the sound, but don’t stick out and make people go, “where is that coming from?”) This also allows the guitar player to change up their voicings and not have to just play these huge nasty chords all the time. By using simple sounds that aren’t very prominent we can allow the rest of the band to fill in the more prominent and obvious spots of the song. Using loops in this way doesn’t restrict the band, but in fact “frees” the band to play out a bit more. Some people view using only a Pad track and a washy loop as the beginners approach to using loops, but rather we should view it as whatever best suits and serves our needs.
3)Don’t just Duplicate Sounds, but Create Sounds
When creating Backing Tracks the primary goal is to capture what is on tape, and to replicate to the best of your ability the “piano part” or the Strings solo etc… Going beyond backing tracks means going a step past just pure duplicating the piano part. Instead of just purely duplicating the piano part try laying down a basic pad to fill out the majority of the sound and use a delayed synth to carry most of the melody. Or have the electric keep a steady rhythm with a loop behind it. The main point of it all is that loops aren’t just duplications of original parts. This is another spot where even experimenting in the Intro with a “new” intro using sounds not heard in the song will change it up. Heres a few quick tips to change a song up quickly by creating “new” parts.
1) Switch Instruments to play different parts. Have a synth carry the melody. Have the synth play the guitar lick for a section then have the guitar crank in. Switch up who plays what.
2) Tweak normal sounds to become “new” sounds. Start with a normal piano sound, and add a bit of delay, reverb, and slight overdrive and you’ve got a new sound. Have the piano player play octaves and you now have “aural excellence”!
3) Try adding in a sound that isn’t in the original recording, something a little more electronic or busier, or less busier depending on the tune. You may find it adds an element that fills out the song without having to be “bigger”.
4) Less equals More
You’d be suprised at how much bigger your band will sound even just adding in a tamborine to the chorus of a song. Granted a tambourine is a representation of an acoustic instrument but it doesn’t carry the tune and stick out as much as an actual piano track. You’ll be suprised at how much it fills in the song and adds a new element. Even just having a simple repeating loop can fill out the space of the song, without stepping on everyone’s toes. There are times when using a loop that sounds like a drum set (i.e. having the drummer drop out for a few measures and having a overdriven version of the actual drum part) can make for a cool dynamic. Again, some people think the busier the loop is the better it will sound, but just a few simple loops will make a huge difference.
5) Fully Programmed Sequences
In the original article we talked about the term “Fully programmed Sequences”. I would not consider these “backing tracks” as they typically use “unique” and “different” sounds. Take for example a loop for a Crowder tune. There are lots of elements taking place, Synths, some simple percussive elements, and lots of circuit-bent electronic sounds. These aren’t “normal” sounds, but sounds used to add different textures and layers to the song that can’t be achieved by another player.
The bigger your band is the more attention you should pay to making sure the loops aren’t over bearing. If you’ve already got a percussionist and keys player as well as two electrics and a typical rhythm section, you may want to limit your loops to a simple loop here and there, and maybe some cool electronic beats or sounds. A good rule of thumb when creating loops that aren’t functioning as “Backing Tracks” is that if an instrument can play a part more effectively live then allow that instrument to do so. Don’t track an Electric lead part and have the guitarist play rhythm. You may find times where it’s effective to track a basic guitar part (simple open chords..) and blend it low into the mix with the rest of the loop when the guitarist is playing a solo as a supplement.
6) A brand new instrument
Essentially the goal in creating loops without them being “Backing Tracks” is to treat the loop as an instrument within itself. What parts will it play in your band, and what will it sound like? Like any other instrument it can’t step on other peoples toes, and it’s ultimate purpose must be to serve the song, and not try to play the coolest part. Treating loops as a new instrument in your band will allow you to create new sounds that otherwise you couldn’t create, and ultimately will allow your band to sound “Better” and maybe even..”Bigger” at the same time.
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