I found that whilst attempting to cover some types of music like house, drum and bass and dubstep. Often the same couple of lines were repeated throughout the whole song. The theme and message is communicated just fine and sometimes it's those couple of catchy lines alone that make the song memorable.
More often that not though, I want to create a vibe and a feeling. I may play around with bass lines, harmonies and drum beats until I've created a catchy and full sounding loop. That's when I capture it and take it away to consider lyrics to go with it. I use a BOSS micro BR for capturing and recording ideas.
The BOSS micro BR is a simple but useful piece of kit. This is actually a good few years old now and there are newer versions of it for sale. It's basically a four track recording device. You could record four layers into it and build a song using your guitar and vocals ect. I just have the headphone output of my RC-505 going into the 3,5 stereo input on the micro BR and adjust the volume output to avoid clipping, hit record and play around with the faders of the loopstation and record a couple of minutes of my latest loop creation.
Later, I listen back to ideas I've captured with a pair of headphones and begin creating lyrics. I'll see if I have any lyric ideas in my notebook that fit or begin writing new ones. I often use the website Rhymezone to help me structure the lines. When faced with a collection of words that all rhyme with or sound similar to the last word of the previous line, it's not too difficult to find a word that helps convey they meaning of your song.
The live looper community is growing fast and there is a wealth of inspiration to be found online. I love watching other loopers and trying to work out what they're doing. I have a few favourite live loopers who inspire my work.
Dub FX:
Dub FX is an obvious inspiration. I've found his use of layering hi-hats and harmonies has found it's way into some of my work. His lyrics have meaning and flow well too. It was his tasty bass lines that inspired me to buy the BOSS GT-10B.
Sam Perry:
Sam is someone I discovered more recently. He takes looping vocal harmonies to the next level. He also uses raunchy bass lines and creates spectacular guitar solo sounds whilst remaining melodic. His songs are well rehearsed and designed to be re-produced and performed on stage. He has a great TEDX talk which makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck no matter how often I watch it. Furthermore, his voice is amazing.
Penkyx:
I discovered Penkyx through watching the Swissbeatbox Grand Beatbox Battle. He's a very tech orientated performer. He knows the RC-505 inside out and makes full use of the on board effects. He inspired a lot of my house and electro compositions and helped me learn how to drop like a beast. His videos will show you ways of using the RC-505 that you never dreamed possible.
Just Alliance:
Just Alliance makes great use of the GT-10B. He covers many songs from all genres of music and often cleverly merges well known songs together. He's got his own unique take on covering songs and engages his audience well because their ears prick up as they realise 'I know that track!' He's a good performer to watch and learn from if you're thinking about taking your loops on stage.
Recycling
I've shared with you my influences to try and convey that it's ok to be inspired by others and adopt their ideas. I want to share my knowledge with you to make live looping more accessible. I could hold all my cards close to my chest in the concern that someone might pinch my ideas but at the end of the day, live looping is a niche genre. There simply isn't overwhelming levels of competition in this scene as found in most other areas of the music industry. In the UK at least I've still yet to meet another live looper in person. All my discussion and interaction with live loopers is done online and often with performers in the US.
If you're still convinced that adopting ideas and looking to others for inspiration is cheating, I've got a little example for you that may change your mind. Listen to the guitar riff in the following three well known tracks and tell me it's not the same riff...
Bring on the night - Police:
Destiny's Child - Bootilicious:
Edge of seventeen - Stevie Nicks
There you go, three very famous tracks by three very different artists using the same guitar riff. In fact, Destiny's Child even sampled the riff directly from Stevie Nicks 'Edge of Seventeen'. Stevie even appears in the music video playing a guitar.
I often have difficulty reproducing my own songs exactly the way I performed them before, so the chances of you sounding like your influences is slim. There are so many variables. Mainly your voice. Your voice is unique to you. I'd love to sound like Dub FX or Sam Perry, but I never will. I'm stuck with my voice, so I have to make the most of it.
I also think that the very essence of live looping is based on the sounds and loops you create right then and there. By strictly setting yourself the ambition of performing your song exactly the same on every occasion, sets the goals very high and you're likely to disappoint yourself. Become comfortable with the basic layers of your live loop and enjoy the song. Try doing it a bit different sometimes.
At the end of the day, you're only racing with yourself. No one else is going to know if you sing the last verse first, or forget to layer that tasty rim shot sound at the right moment. The less stress you create for yourself when performing, the more you can emerge yourself in the song and enjoy it. Furthermore, your audience will enjoy it more too.
Everyone knows that practice makes perfect and the best practice you can get is by performing live. Take the risk and take your music to the people, who knows where your music will take you!
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