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Solo GJ-Loop Pedal

Gene RaweGene Rawe ✭✭ Olivier Marin
in Gypsy Jazz 101 Posts: 66
Anyone performing solo GJ? I'd considering using a loop pedal and vocals to build a performance, wondering if anyone else has experience with this?

Comments

  • TubaphoneTubaphone Kansas Mateos Django
    Posts: 29
    I don't perform out with it, but I use a ditto looper for practice and it is a fantastic tool. Such a patient jam partner... want to jam over a ii-V-I for the next hour straight? No problem. Want to try a solo and then listen back to it after? Then delete the solo but not the backing and try again ad nauseum? Go for it.

    I haven't seen any gypsy jazz people performing that way, but have seen quite a few people generally using this method to great effect. From what I've seen graceful exits are the key to making it seem professional. Work on endings that aren't just an abrupt 'stop the loop'.

    I may have a different opinion on this generally, but I also think the patience of a loop pedal can be a trap for performers. I've seen several performers who end up deep in a space jam when a nice catchy song of moderate length would be far more appropriate. Just my .02.
    Buco
  • KreesusKreesus Cleveland JWC Primajazz Orchestra
    Posts: 6
    Ditto looper ++
  • Craig BumgarnerCraig Bumgarner Drayden, MarylandVirtuoso Bumgarner S/N 001
    Posts: 795
    I've not used it with vocals, but have used a Ditto looper in duet with a violinist for about a year. He is extraordinary, so mostly I play rhythm (guitar) for him, but to break things up a little, I take the occasional solo or trade fours with him while the looper keeps the rhythm going. It seems a bit cheesy to me, but the audience (10-20 people, cafe setting) does not seem to mind, or at least they are polite enough not to say so to my face :-) Our repertoire is straight gypsy jazz.

    The hardest things for me are 1) maintaining the tempo from the start of the chorus to the end. I'm inclined to speed up and when the looper is kicked in, even small changes are noticeable. 2) Hitting the one perfectly to start the recording and the playback is hard for me. I'm always close, but seldom seamless. I think if I practiced more, I could do this better.

    To solve both of these, the violinist has learned to play through the switch between record and playback. Sometimes, he or I just makes some noise of some sort (Yee-ha!) or play rhythm chops to cover the transition and give me a moment to kick off a solo. Sometimes applause for the violin solo does the job. I usually transition from my solo to back rhythm and let the looper play along for a bit, turning it off at a convenient point like at the end of 8 bars in.

    The Ditto is good because it is so simple. Click to record, click to play, click and hold to erase. It does not do much else, but to me, this is preferable to the more complicated units like JamMan and Boss.

    One thing of course is the pick up has to be isolated or it will record the other instruments and background noise as well. An open air mic does not work for instance. An Ischell works, that is what I use. Mag pickups work, but to me they sound bad on rhythm and that's what you need to sound best. I have not tried piezos. Test before you gig.

    The other thing about a looper is it is easy to lay down a backing track of any song and then play over it. I've gotten so I do this more than the other options I used to use.
    Buco
  • Posts: 4,730
    The band in a box is an option. Once you buy a paid PC version, there's app that you can use to play songs you've created on the computer. With the recent version there's a gypsy jazz rhythm guitar engine and with the upright bass the likeness to the real thing is incredible. I'm going to get it sooner or later. Although this looper is sounding more and more interesting too.
    Every note wants to go somewhere-Kurt Rosenwinkel
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