If your like me when you start something new you want to dive right in full force. You got some new software and you know every inch of it within 2 days of getting it, and your ready to start using it this Sunday. Its important when we start using loops to slow ourselves down. Its easy to get excited and show up with a loop for every song on Sunday that is super programmed. Your band will hate you, and YOU will hate YOU after that Sunday. The odds are very high that it won’t go well, and most likely you’ll end up not using loops again any time soon or EVER again. Remember like we talked about earlier when your working with Amateur Musicians you’ll have to take your time. Still set your expectations high by take time to reach those expectations. In this post we’ll talk about a few ways to Start Simple when your using loops.
1) Start with songs your band knows
We’ve preached this idea over and over but it is crucial to the success of your band using loops. When your starting out with loops, use them only on songs that your band knows. They’ve got to know the Arrangement, the Chords, everything. You don’t want them to think about how to play the song as they are “learning” to play with a click and loops. It’s best to pick a song you’ve done alot and you might want to pick a very familiar song that your Congregation knows as well. Here’s why. Your band and your Pastor and your Congregation will more likely notice how loops can add to a song. If they are used to hearing a song and know how the song normally sounds and one sunday they hear it with something new, and it works, they will be on board with the idea of loops. It’s not about manipulating them into being on board, but give them a good example of what using loops will be like. If you keep it simple so that you can’t screw it up then you’ll succeed in your goal of getting everyone on board with using loops.
2) Start with simple Loops and Click
Remember the reference up above to those of us that “over do ” it by trying to use crazy busy loops right off the bat? This one will be difficult for us. The first time you use a loop start with something simple. Just use a tambourine or shaker. You’ll be surprised at how much it can add to your song. If you want to use a “loop” and not just an acoustic sounding instrument then use a “simple loop” that repeats itself. Something similar to whats found in our Elements collections. Don’t start with a loop that is arrangement/length specific. You don’t want your band to be worrying about when to play and not play, while also playing with a loop for the first time. Don’t make them think about when to come in and when to switch between the verse and the chorus, just let them play and see how using loops can add to the sound of the band.
You may want to just use a click for a while before you even use any loops. Your band will see how much “tighter” they sound when everyone has a “true” that they can follow. We have a solid foundation for your band to “build” their sound upon. You’ll be able to see how it all locks in. Sure there are times you want a song to flex and flow in tempo, but don’t let your band use that as an excuse to not use click. A negative response to change is typically based upon insecurity not wisdom. People that aren’t confident in their abilities will always try to convince you that doing “X” isn’t the right thing. Playing with a click is a challenge at first and its difficult, but don’t say its useless until you’ve tried it and succeeded in playing with one!
3) Start with what you have
People are often afraid to start using loops because they’ve heard how much money it cost. Their buddy at the church down the road just bought a new Macbook Pro, and Ableton Live, and Reason, and an M-audio keyboard and interface to use loops. Your yearly budget is $500 and your thinking how in the world will I be able to use loops? Don’t feel like you have to go out and spend $4,000 on all new equipment. There aren’t alot of churches/people that can afford to go out and do this, and most likely the churches that are doing it, are going into debt to do it. Plus, if your using equipment that you or your band already has and you’re not buying new equipment, there is a very low commitment level. If using loops with your band doesn’t work out your not out of a ton of money, and you don’t have tons of expensive equipment just sitting around. So if you want to start using loops look at what Equipment you have.
Do you have?
- a Laptop
- an Ipod
- In-ears
- an In-ear System (Aviom, Hearbacks, Wireless in-ear packs)
- Headphone Amps
- Small Mixers
- Recording Programs
First, figure out what you’ve got, then figure out what you need. If you’ve got an Ipod and In-ears then your off to a great start. Start with some free software like Audacity to make quick edits to your loops. Keep your loops & clicks simple so that your not spending alot of time editing lots of parts with a simple software. Now what do you need next? You could buy a better recording software, then a laptop, then eventually an audio interface. Figure out what you need to fill in the gaps in your equipment list and make a game plan to purchase everything else you need. Your making a much wiser financial decision and you’ll make everything else easier on your band and yourself in the long run.
In our next post we’ll be taking a look at what equipment it takes to use loops. Make sure to not miss it! What has helped you while starting using loops? Let us know by leaving a comment in the section below.
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