How can we successfully bring loops into our worship set? Many small churches want to start using loops – laptops running some sort of rhythmic or musical software in the background of different songs. How do we use loops in worship tastefully in a way that works for our congregation and feels authentic to our worship dynamic? Here are 5 non-negotiables when it comes to using loops in worship.
Using Loops in Worship
1. Use loops sparingly.
Be careful with your loops, and use them very sparingly. Just because it’s novel – maybe someone thinks it’s a great idea or saw it at a conference – doesn’t mean that it necessarily fits.
Just because it can be done, doesn’t mean that it should be done.
Think carefully about how to use loops in a way that won’t take away from your worship experience, but will rather enrich the set and feel true to who you are as a church.
2. Select a song and match it.
If your band is a small band in a small church, you don’t want an overpowering loop that sounds like a whole orchestra to be accompanying you.
Instead, you’ll want to choose something that “fits” with the band – something that would be a natural-sounding instrument if it were actually live and with you. Match up the loop with the band itself.
A shaker for a small band could be enough of a loop to add something that’s in accord with the nature of the band.
Select a song in your worship set that seems like it would work well with a loop, without being overpowering or presenting a “shock and awe” moment to the congregation.
You can tastefully apply a loop to one or two of those particular songs. This requires some listening, and some help from someone who knows what they’re doing.