There’s one thing I wished I had done a lot sooner when learning music theory and that is buying a loop pedal. It’s been one of the best investments I’ve ever made when it comes to becoming a better guitar player.

I always avoided getting one because I didn’t really see the need. After all I have my laptop and I can use it to record myself to play over. But in practice this never happens.

But I started to see people using loop pedals at gigs more often and I noticed how powerful they are these days. Many of these pedals can record music for several minutes and allow you to record several different channels. Some also have basic effects like delay and echo or drum tracks to keep you in time

Not that you need the most advanced versions of these pedals. In fact when it comes to practising at home a simple pedal that allows you to record one track is all you need.

After I bought one I found myself practising scales and soloing much more often. I’d record a basic chord progression and then play over it. Even running up and down scales is so much more fun when you have something accompanying you.

Below I’ve gathered a selection of loop pedals. Like I said, if you’re just using it for home practice then all you need is a simple one-track model.