Using Loops in Worship – Part 4: What is a Loop?
Put simply, a loop is a backing track for a band or an artist to play/sing over. While the term “loop” used to literally mean a repeated section of music (a riff, a motif, etc.), the modern use of the word seems to mean that there is a backing track that is played while other stuff is going on. Worship leaders sometimes incorporate loops so fluidly and thoroughly into their music that the loop are viewed as an additional instrument–like a synth/keys player (think David Crowder Band).
Loops are comprised of one or more layered instruments–most commonly a pad synth, some rhythmic motion, or strings. Some loops are extremely basic in their makeup; comprising mostly of a pad that harmonically follows the song, or they can be complex, incorporating everything from pianos and guitars to modern-sounding drums and beats.
It’s up to you to determine what you need for your mission field–head over to our loop library and see if anything stands out. Try to think of what your group sounds like, and see if you can “hear” what the loop would sound like if you were playing over it. Does it work well on its own with an acoustic guitar, or would your drummer be able to play around the loop’s beat?
Most of the loops were created using Reason, a musical programming and looping software from a company called Propellerhead, and many of the creators of the loops include a link to an .rns file. If you have Reason, you can download and edit the loop yourself to fit your needs.
Here at LoopingWorship.com, we create and edit loops all the time for our own and others’ use. If you want us to take a look at a loop–or would like to request a loop for a song, just let us know! You may also want to subscribe to the Looping Worship RSS feed to stay up-to-date with the loops that we post to our loop library.
