The looper pedal can be used for so many practical applications. It's an ideal learning tool for creating practice backing tracks at any tempo and in any key. You can also use a looper to set up grooves for jamming with friends and work on your soloing and improvisational skills.

Many musicians also use the looper to try out pre-production ideas before a studio session or for orchestrating band parts. Artists use the loop pedal live in performance on stage because they can record, overdub, and improvise on the fly or produce backing tracks for a solo gig.

Robbie Calvo's Creative Looping Handbook is a hands-on, practical guide to help you get up to speed quickly so that you can make the most out of your practice time, jam sessions, pre-production arrangements and live performances using a loop recorder pedal.

"I'll get you up and playing fast with a complete understanding of the loop pedal switch functions and volume settings, and I'll also show you how to set-up your signal chain to get the best sonic results. I'll give you tips on how to plan your arrangements, and most importantly, show you how to precisely time your recording execution for seamless playback."

Robbie organized the Creative Looping Handbook into two sections. In the first section, Robbie presents a Looping Primer. "I'll take you through the various aspects of looping and we'll discuss the types of pedals available, the signal chain, pedal functions, with an overview and definition of what "phrase looping" is. I'll also show you how to create a timing guide if you're using a looper pedal without any pre-recorded grooves. This will help you get up and running fast with a solid base for future loop recording."

In the second section, Robbie guides you through a series of tutorials, demonstrations and breakdowns designed to get you up and running easily, quick key and very creatively! You'll start with simple loops and work your way up to more complex performance applications: Creating A Simple Practice Loop, Count-Ins & Rhythm Grooves, Creating A Loop With Auto Start, Creating 2 Bar Loops, Creating 4 Bar Loops, Creating Complex Arrangements, Looping Live: With A Band, and Gear Talk.

"We'll explore a variety of creative applications to get your looping technique up to speed. For each, I'll start off by explaining the approach, the parts we'll be using, and then I'll perform a demonstration for you of all of the elements we've discussed, and then break it all down for you"

All of the key demonstrations and performances are tabbed and notated for your practice, reference and study purposes. You'll also get Guitar Pro files so that you can play, loop and/or slow down the tab and notation as you work through the lessons. Plus, Robbie generously includes all of the rhythm tracks for you to work with on your own.

Grab your guitar and let's get looping with Robbie Calvo!

Recommended Loop Pedal: Boss RC-3

The Boss RC-3 is powerfully equipped yet conveniently housed in a compact pedal. Enjoy up to three hours of stereo recording time, storage for 99 loops, a “real drums” rhythm guide, and USB 2.0 compatibility all in a small BOSS stompbox.

The Boss RC-3 provides three hours of stereo recording capacity direct to internal memory. Now you can record long phrases without worrying about memory. 99 memory locations let you save as many phrases or ideas as you can create. Guitarists who want to incorporate external stereo effects devices will appreciate the true stereo I/O on the Boss RC-3.

The Auto Recording feature starts recording the moment you begin playing your guitar, or as soon as you start a connected audio player. Count-In mode gives you one-bar of rhythm before recording starts. You can Undo/Redo as you go. The sky’s the limit with three hours of recording time!

To keep your loops tight and in time, you can play along with one of the basic rhythm patterns in the Boss RC-3’s onboard library as you record. Ten types of rhythm types are provided, including Rock, Pop, Funk, Shuffle, R&B, and Latin. A dedicated knob lets you adjust the volume of the rhythm, and you can set the tempo via tap tempo. You can also specify the time signature. When you save a phrase, the rhythm type and time signature will also be saved.

You can connect the Boss RC-3 to your computer via a standard USB cable, and back up your Boss RC-3 recordings to your computer for safekeeping. You can also load WAV files from your computer directly into the Boss RC-3. The RC-3 accepts 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV files of up to 1.7GB in size.

In addition to recording your guitar or bass performances and turning them into playable loops, you can also record other external stereo audio sources via the Boss RC-3’s AUX IN. Sound from a digital-audio player connected to the AUX input, for example, can easily be recorded and made into a loop.

Buy the Boss RC-3 now at Amazon