That's a great video and lesson! I find that using a metronome to check your looper is very helpful. Set the metronome, and listen to it for a few bars. Then turn it off, and record your loop. Then play the loop over the metronome. You'll see how much you have drifted. Also, you'll get better using LOWER bpms, not higher. Rythm practice is a life-long pursuit.
Slower is harder - when we were auditioning people for the band we'd always have something like the Elton John song Benny and the Jets or Heart's All I Wanna Do as they are slow and plodding and really highlighted those who rushed ahead and those who could keep time slow but still have some feel!
I watch your videos all times of the day. Always great content and playing. I've bought your Headrush presets plus several videos you've made helped me make more informed purchasing decisions as a consumer. This is especially important when you can't physically go try something out!! You don't review things for the sake of monetary gain and your approach is honest and genuine so keep up the amazing work John 🤟🎶
This is really solid. Cool thing is that you're playing on the Looper I have and had given up on messing with, until now. Thanks for showing me the proper way to use it.
This is a MUST practice. I've been using loopers since 2006 and I remember the first time using it live. I thought I knew what I was doing but, nope, the loop didnt record properly and threw the song off. I decided to go into the "looping woodshed" and things got better and way more fun!!
When I´ve got my first looper I bought it out of curiousity. I found out pretty quick that it wasn´t as easy as I thought coming up with interesting things. I learned so much practising with that pedal wether if it´s which chords gok together or how stacking pedals and sounds works. Today most of the things I do here on UA-cam are based on looping and I never thought it would become one of the most essential pedals for me. If you play a lot on your own, a looper is a pedal you should definitely try! Your ideas for practising are really thought out and I think I have to give them a try!!!
Make sure you get a QUALITY looper as many of the cheap ones have a noticeable delay on the switch and will actually record behind the beat so you'll be actually forcing you to press on the wrong spot to compensate for the lag of the pedal
I bought the digital deluxe ditto thinking it’d be better with more features and had horrible lag that made it unusable - just get the basic ditto. Paying more can backfire - read the reviews is my advice even if it’s a “reputable” company. Luckily it wasn’t my first looper or I’d have given up on looping I guess.
Great stuff. A couple of pointers though. I would put the foot closer to the switch. It's easier to be on time if you're closer to the target. And when doing longer loops, counting 1 2 3 4, 2 2 3 4, 3 2 3 4, 4 2 3 4... will make it clearer where you are in the loop and also train your sense of periodicity. Just my two cents. Thanks for sharing ✌✌
Very timely and informative video John. Looping is something I really struggle with and need to improve. I am very familiar with the Ditto Looper, as I own one too, but could you please (please) do a video on the Helix HX Stomp (XL) Looper(s)? Thanks! 😃
Just got a looper. This is by far the best intro to learning it I've seen. So often I need to be reminded to keep it simple and pay attention to the fine details. I want to practice coming up with nifty, musical layers. I NEED to practice that first loop over and over and over. Once I get both down I'll reward myself with an upgrade that has midi sync and drums.
One of the best tips is to tap your feet and find the groove or beat first. Is it slow and simple? Is it upbeat and funky? Imagine your guitar is a drum and your fingers/pick is the stick. Develop a solid rhythm first. That's the bedrock of any good loop imo.
Helpful. I made the mistake of getting a more complicated looping box (EH 720). Wish I’d gone for the single button ditto, as I was going to. No biggie, obviously. But still. Less is more, imo.
....and if you're going to be using a looper live practise with the shoes you'll be wearing live! (Been there, footwear makes a surprising difference!)
Looping is hard - I am starting to use a metronome to help. Next important thing is to have the looper in a comfortable accessible place to be able to start and stop easily (foot tapping).
I found this incredibly helpful, mate! I've had a bit of loopophobia for some time, but this systematic approach to building even simple loop layers makes a lot of sense. I have a questions, though - and forgive me if this is just me having a brain fart - but I don't exactly get why starting a loop on beats other than the first in a bar might be useful. Is it just simply to practice your timing? Or, is it because you might want another pattern to take over somewhere down the road, also starting on a beat other than beat 1? I'm just trying to wrap my head around the concept. Cheers!
The Boss RC-5/500/600 auto-quantizes the end of your loop which I really like. 5:40 I thought you said you think about the 2nd loop being like a “sprinkey little shit-fart” and had to go back and check.
@@clayteasouth The auto quantize is handy, but not flawless, if you have bad timing it will still limit you. If you have the fundamentals of good timing and can instinctively "hit the 1" without auto quantize, you'll find it easier to use these pedals too. What the auto quantize really does help with, is having 2 parallel loops running if you want to ensure that the 2nd loop is an equal multiple of the first (1-1 match, or twice, 4 times the initial loop etc)
Don't waste your money on a Looper without "auto-sensing". If you "arm" auto-sensing, a Looper with this feature will start recording the moment you start playing. This allows you to focus on what you're playing, instead of the mechanics of turning on Looper and start playing at the exact right moment. A Looper that can extend an initial short to match the length of a later longer length loop is also very valuable. It will make it possible for you to capture "magical" jams when they occur. This is typically done on a Looper that can record "multiple" separate loop tracks. Lastly, get a Looper that records at a high enough "bit depth and sample rate" to use as the actual recording in final product of a professional release.
@@consistentche3979 Do you want to use a Looper for live playing or just as a practice and/or recording tool? If the former, a physical Looper will probably be more practical, but more expensive. If the latter, there probably is "free" software available you can use. If you have a software DAW, it may already include a Looper, or you may be able to add Looper Plugin or get a stand-alone VST Looper. If you're new to Looping, I suggest trying a free 2-4 Track software Looper. And here's a tip worth remembering: Program the "auto-sensing" ARM and Stop function to a large key on you computer keyboard, like the "Spacebar" so you can press it without having to look carefully. 😉 I use an old, unsupported Windows software called "Mobius" that has 8 Looper Tracks, and 4 Sub-tracks per Track. This is definitely over-kill for all but the most intense looping enthusiast. At the time I got it, it was the only "free" multi-track Looper for Windows I could find that could do everything I wanted or could imagine.
I feel like a straight looper is terrible. i have a modeler with a looper and a drum machine built in. The drum beat takes all the error out of a straight looper.
When I'm learning something, the word hard never enters my mind. When you tell yourself or someone else that a task is hard, you set the stage for failure before you even begin. It's an artificial barrier. Instead, envision the goal and focus on success. Things get a lot easier when you stop telling yourself how hard they are.
That's a really good comment. I always tell my kid (and myself) "nothing is hard, it's just more time-consuming". Give yourself time, and you can accomplish anything. The subconscious is a powerful ally, but a terrible enemy.
I blocked that guy because he couldn't keep his libtard politics out of his comedy vids, but even I have to admit he had a good thing going with those skits.
Wish everyone would stop kissing Tom Bukovacs butt cheeks yes he knows some stuff but he's not God. Guy seems full of himself to me. Seems like he is one of those guys who pretends so badly to be humble but isn't. Could be wrong Lol
I don't mind if he's humble or not. He's an imperfect man and a great musician. Why are you getting so salty about what others think about him? Lol. Seriously bro, you need to grow out of that nonsense.
![The ART of Looping [Exercises, Tips and More]](/img/n.gif)
Being included in my lavatorial itinerary is quite an honor sir I’ll have you know.
Just one rank below the ol' spank bank.
That's a great video and lesson! I find that using a metronome to check your looper is very helpful. Set the metronome, and listen to it for a few bars. Then turn it off, and record your loop. Then play the loop over the metronome. You'll see how much you have drifted. Also, you'll get better using LOWER bpms, not higher. Rythm practice is a life-long pursuit.
Slower is harder - when we were auditioning people for the band we'd always have something like the Elton John song Benny and the Jets or Heart's All I Wanna Do as they are slow and plodding and really highlighted those who rushed ahead and those who could keep time slow but still have some feel!
With all love and respect, thank you for opening a video by going straight to the topic.
2:16 best lesson I learned from playing in big band in college was one phrase “you’ve got to be your own drummer responsible for your own time”
This is my favourite UA-cam channel to watch on the toilet
Combing one's hair is hard. This is why I rarely do it.
I am teasing you. I absolutely love your content John. Much love.
I watch your videos all times of the day. Always great content and playing. I've bought your Headrush presets plus several videos you've made helped me make more informed purchasing decisions as a consumer. This is especially important when you can't physically go try something out!! You don't review things for the sake of monetary gain and your approach is honest and genuine so keep up the amazing work John 🤟🎶
A consistently informative and entertaining guitar based channel. Elite always!
Awesome! My looper isn’t broken after all … I am 😂. Good stuff John. Thanks.
I had a ditto deluxe that had horrible lag and had to return it. Just get the standard $100 ditto.
Looping has helped me become a much better musician
Gold! Once one gets used to your looping device what a great way to practice. Thanks John!
This is really solid. Cool thing is that you're playing on the Looper I have and had given up on messing with, until now. Thanks for showing me the proper way to use it.
This is a MUST practice. I've been using loopers since 2006 and I remember the first time using it live. I thought I knew what I was doing but, nope, the loop didnt record properly and threw the song off. I decided to go into the "looping woodshed" and things got better and way more fun!!
When I´ve got my first looper I bought it out of curiousity. I found out pretty quick that it wasn´t as easy as I thought coming up with interesting things. I learned so much practising with that pedal wether if it´s which chords gok together or how stacking pedals and sounds works. Today most of the things I do here on UA-cam are based on looping and I never thought it would become one of the most essential pedals for me. If you play a lot on your own, a looper is a pedal you should definitely try! Your ideas for practising are really thought out and I think I have to give them a try!!!
Thanks for the lesson. This was helpful.
Proud to say I’m an avid toilet viewer of both JNC and Uncle Larry.
Make sure you get a QUALITY looper as many of the cheap ones have a noticeable delay on the switch and will actually record behind the beat so you'll be actually forcing you to press on the wrong spot to compensate for the lag of the pedal
Presumably the lag will be the same going in and coming out, so it should be a wash?
I bought the digital deluxe ditto thinking it’d be better with more features and had horrible lag that made it unusable - just get the basic ditto. Paying more can backfire - read the reviews is my advice even if it’s a “reputable” company. Luckily it wasn’t my first looper or I’d have given up on looping I guess.
Great stuff.
A couple of pointers though.
I would put the foot closer to the switch.
It's easier to be on time if you're closer to the target.
And when doing longer loops, counting
1 2 3 4, 2 2 3 4, 3 2 3 4, 4 2 3 4...
will make it clearer where you are in the loop
and also train your sense of periodicity.
Just my two cents.
Thanks for sharing
✌✌
When I loop i find it important to change tones for separation of parts, even if it means just changing the pickups. Otherwise it becomes monotonous.
You are WAY to HUMBLE John!!! Don't sell yourself short!!!
Very timely and informative video John. Looping is something I really struggle with and need to improve. I am very familiar with the Ditto Looper, as I own one too, but could you please (please) do a video on the Helix HX Stomp (XL) Looper(s)? Thanks! 😃
Just got a looper. This is by far the best intro to learning it I've seen. So often I need to be reminded to keep it simple and pay attention to the fine details.
I want to practice coming up with nifty, musical layers.
I NEED to practice that first loop over and over and over.
Once I get both down I'll reward myself with an upgrade that has midi sync and drums.
Thx John. Excellent intro to looping.
One of the best tips is to tap your feet and find the groove or beat first. Is it slow and simple? Is it upbeat and funky? Imagine your guitar is a drum and your fingers/pick is the stick. Develop a solid rhythm first. That's the bedrock of any good loop imo.
This is the best looping lesson I have ever watched, outstanding as always JNC
Thanks for this lesson!
Helpful. I made the mistake of getting a more complicated looping box (EH 720). Wish I’d gone for the single button ditto, as I was going to. No biggie, obviously. But still. Less is more, imo.
I often use the rc-10 with drums or I start with my own drums with the guitar and muted strings 😉
Thanks!
....and if you're going to be using a looper live practise with the shoes you'll be wearing live! (Been there, footwear makes a surprising difference!)
If you have little to no experience, you will screw up a looper, especially live. He is absolutely right.
I actually prefer your videos to Tom’s.
I’ve learned much, much more from you over the years and appreciate your humble attitude.
Watch Both - we don’t have to choose sides or any of that silliness here.
Boss loopers quanize to the "loop" so your loop tends to sync to the drum beat a lot better... RC-10 is a great looper and drum machine, both.
It can be horrible if you’re not fully in time though..
Excellent 👍, now I am a new sub.
Bro, I watch your videos in my prime time, after kids go to bed.
On the one(1).
Looping is hard - I am starting to use a metronome to help.
Next important thing is to have the looper in a comfortable accessible place to be able to start and stop easily (foot tapping).
Love the lesson Loose the Bobbly tracksuit bottoms please 😂
Gonna need to tip more for that 😂
I found this incredibly helpful, mate! I've had a bit of loopophobia for some time, but this systematic approach to building even simple loop layers makes a lot of sense. I have a questions, though - and forgive me if this is just me having a brain fart - but I don't exactly get why starting a loop on beats other than the first in a bar might be useful. Is it just simply to practice your timing? Or, is it because you might want another pattern to take over somewhere down the road, also starting on a beat other than beat 1? I'm just trying to wrap my head around the concept. Cheers!
I’m literally on the toilet!! Uncanny!!!
Solid advice.. except for the toilet bit .. you’re on when I’m in the shower 😂.. and a 1…2..3…4!
The Boss RC-5/500/600 auto-quantizes the end of your loop which I really like. 5:40 I thought you said you think about the 2nd loop being like a “sprinkey little shit-fart” and had to go back and check.
Might be better to practice and acquire the skill.
@@clayteasouth The auto quantize is handy, but not flawless, if you have bad timing it will still limit you. If you have the fundamentals of good timing and can instinctively "hit the 1" without auto quantize, you'll find it easier to use these pedals too. What the auto quantize really does help with, is having 2 parallel loops running if you want to ensure that the 2nd loop is an equal multiple of the first (1-1 match, or twice, 4 times the initial loop etc)
HOW DID YOU KNOW WHERE I’M WATCHING FROM??!
Don't waste your money on a Looper without "auto-sensing". If you "arm" auto-sensing, a Looper with this feature will start recording the moment you start playing. This allows you to focus on what you're playing, instead of the mechanics of turning on Looper and start playing at the exact right moment.
A Looper that can extend an initial short to match the length of a later longer length loop is also very valuable. It will make it possible for you to capture "magical" jams when they occur. This is typically done on a Looper that can record "multiple" separate loop tracks.
Lastly, get a Looper that records at a high enough "bit depth and sample rate" to use as the actual recording in final product of a professional release.
Could you please recommend some? Thanks
This 👆🏻
@@consistentche3979 Do you want to use a Looper for live playing or just as a practice and/or recording tool? If the former, a physical Looper will probably be more practical, but more expensive. If the latter, there probably is "free" software available you can use. If you have a software DAW, it may already include a Looper, or you may be able to add Looper Plugin or get a stand-alone VST Looper.
If you're new to Looping, I suggest trying a free 2-4 Track software Looper. And here's a tip worth remembering: Program the "auto-sensing" ARM and Stop function to a large key on you computer keyboard, like the "Spacebar" so you can press it without having to look carefully. 😉
I use an old, unsupported Windows software called "Mobius" that has 8 Looper Tracks, and 4 Sub-tracks per Track. This is definitely over-kill for all but the most intense looping enthusiast. At the time I got it, it was the only "free" multi-track Looper for Windows I could find that could do everything I wanted or could imagine.
Nope just get a $100 ditto and learn to use it. Not cheating with technology makes you better.
I feel like a straight looper is terrible. i have a modeler with a looper and a drum machine built in. The drum beat takes all the error out of a straight looper.
So is the hair styled to look messy?
when I use the looper, I count...
Click 2 3 4 click
excellent idea & yet so simple & obvious once you think about it.
underrated comment
When I'm learning something, the word hard never enters my mind.
When you tell yourself or someone else that a task is hard, you set the stage for failure before you even begin. It's an artificial barrier.
Instead, envision the goal and focus on success.
Things get a lot easier when you stop telling yourself how hard they are.
Same here. Just do it!
That's a really good comment. I always tell my kid (and myself) "nothing is hard, it's just more time-consuming". Give yourself time, and you can accomplish anything. The subconscious is a powerful ally, but a terrible enemy.
@@EdBender yes! That same attitude has gotten me far. I've never looked at anyone as impossible or even too difficult. Life's easy, we make it hard!
Great advice!
This message has been approved by your HR department head.
i find midi syncinc looper works well if your a one man show. in band context it doesnt really work though.
ollie g.
I have tried, but using a looper, a dismal failure.
Guitarists not using their feet is very odd to me. I always tap my feet to the rhythm. How do other players keep time??
I usually watch when I'm supposed to be at work
Derp derp. This is your boss. You’re fired.
What’s with the hair? 😉❤️
The hard thing is if a looper asks for a double tab. ..
Laughing while on the toilet actually helps.
I am literally in the toitel rn, I laugh hard
As long as nobody is drinking coffee while on the toilet!
Sorry John I just came out of the littlest room and washed my hands and everything.
You know who's a total monster with that loop pedal? KT Tunstall. Check her out.
Loops are important to nail down. Good less
Only if you have two left feet!
life hack, get a visual metronome, like a flashing led.
Yes looping is hard. Try it with a drum machine. You'll REALLY get a feel for how bad your internal clock is.
☕➡️🚽
Almost everybody's preambles are inSufferably long.
They only say it’s hard so you buy lessons. Looping is easy, it’s super easy, barely an inconvenience to learn.
I see what you did there
Looping is tight
"Auto-sense" recording on a Looper removes all the hassle.
Depends on the looper. Some of them are a real pain in the rear; however, most of the problem is me.
I blocked that guy because he couldn't keep his libtard politics out of his comedy vids, but even I have to admit he had a good thing going with those skits.
If I wanted to tap in time with my foot I would have been a drummer 😉
This is code for "I hate my rc5 and my inability to get anything useful out of it"
I’d go as far as to say, If you can’t loop you can’t actually play guitar.
Not all music is in 4/4 time, so it’s not always possible to start the loop on 4 🤷♂️😅
Looping is hard when you are loopy
Ableton is a better option imho
fresh out the shower
Wish everyone would stop kissing Tom Bukovacs butt cheeks yes he knows some stuff but he's not God. Guy seems full of himself to me. Seems like he is one of those guys who pretends so badly to be humble but isn't. Could be wrong Lol
I don't mind if he's humble or not. He's an imperfect man and a great musician. Why are you getting so salty about what others think about him? Lol. Seriously bro, you need to grow out of that nonsense.
Maybe you could comb your hair?
Are all your people like this John?
Seems so uncle Larry
@@5geezersgod…I would quit UA-cam in a second if I had to deal with such cruelty