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If you’re a solo performer or singer/songwriter, you have to face the crowd alone.
This can be a great thing because you have total control over your performance. But it can also be difficult because it’s hard to compete with the sound of a dynamic band. It’s hard to have a great stage presence, put on an amazing show, and create a range of sounds in the same way that a full band can.
It’s important to add a little bit of interest to your solo shows to make sure you’re getting the most out of your performances and the audience is captivated.
If you’re looking to add to your sound it can be a great idea to get some extra help in the form of some new gear.
The below pedals are great and interesting pedals that will help you add some interest and variety to your set if you’re a performing singer/songwriter or solo performer.
1. Guitar Looper Pedal
You’ve probably heard of guitar looper pedals by now, but if you haven’t then you should know that it is a great option for expanding your solo sound.
A looper pedal will allow you to create short snippets and play them back indefinitely. You can layer them on top of each other and create lush and interesting arrangements to back up your voice.
The best looper pedals will help to create a solo performance that is truly riveting and that can allow audience members to be more attentive to see what you do next.
Guitar looper pedals can also come with interesting features such as playing your loop backward or in slow motion.
The Boss RC-300 Loop Station is a great fully-featured option and the TC Electronic Guitar Ditto Stereo Looper is great if you want a simple, budget-friendly option.
Check out our post on the best guitar looper pedals for more of our favorite picks.
Boss RC-300 Loop Station
TC Electronic Guitar Ditto Stereo Looper
2. Vocal Harmony Pedal for the Solo Performer
While not purely a guitar pedal, a harmony pedal will follow along with the chords that you’re playing as well as your vocals to create harmony vocals. This can, of course, add a lot to your singer/songwriter sound and help you to have a richer, fuller sound while doing a solo performance.
Many harmony pedals will give you a lot of options of what kind of harmony you need such as picking voices above or below your own, close harmony, or more.
Some pedals will also function as vocal processors which can help your voice sound better and fuller with reverb and even pitch correction.
While harmony pedals don’t sound as great as having real voices sing harmony with you, they can still get the job done and help you sound better as a solo performer or singer/songwriter, perfect for belting out songs by Queen.
The TC-Helicon Harmony Singer or the TC Helicon Harmony Singer 2 are great options. You can also choose the Electro-Harmonix Voice Box Harmony Machine.
TC-Helicon Harmony Singer
TC Helicon Harmony Singer 2
Electro-Harmonix Voice Box Harmony Machine
3. DigiTech TRIO+ Band Creator Pedal
Taking the idea of a looper pedal and expanding on it, the Digitech TRIO Band Creator Pedal and the DigiTech TRIO+ Band Creator Pedal are great options for expanding on your sound. If you wish you had a full band to back you up, now you do.
With the pedal, you can set bass sounds and drums that even have fills. You can also pick the genre. The Band Creator pedals will match themselves to your guitar whether you’re playing acoustic guitar or electric guitar.
The Trio+ pedal has additional genres and features. It also comes with a built-in looper function in addition to the band-building effects. So if you want a looper and a band all in one pedal then you may want to choose the additional Trio+ option.
Both the DigiTech TRIO Band Creator Pedal and the DigiTech TRIO+ Band Creator Pedal are great options. However, the latter option will probably be best for most live performers.
By the way, if you want to learn more about the TRIO+ Band Creator Pedal, you may want to check out our full review.
DigiTech TRIO Band Creator Pedal
DigiTech TRIO+ Band Creator Pedal
Final Thoughts
If you want to add to your solo sound then one or all of these pedals can be a real help. It can be hard to compete with the full sound and the stage presence of a full band.
You should work to develop your uniqueness as a solo performer. However, having a few neat tricks up your sleeve and a few technological advancements can help you stand out in an ever-more flashy world.
Use these pedals to build on your own unique solo performance or singer/songwriter set and you will go a long way in winning over the crowd and having a great time doing it.
Hi, I’m Harrison! I created this website to help musicians navigate the ins and outs of their craft and to help them choose new instruments and gear to add to their collection. I have 15 years of experience as a guitarist and singer and have also played many other instruments throughout the years including the bass guitar, piano, banjo, mandolin, and harmonica.