Ken Murray: Loop Sonata (2019) performed by Ken Murray, guitar

In recent years loop pedals have become ubiquitous in popular music. From jazz artists and pop stars to every busker in town, the loop pedal has played a part in reshaping the palette of sounds available to solo guitarists. In this piece I was interested in exploring how solo classical guitar could work with a loop pedal.

The loop pedal is capable of many forms of layering and manipulation which may affect the development of musical ideas. Each movement of the work is centred around a different approach to musical repetition. The first movement is a series of short miniatures, some featuring the pedal, others without looping. The second is focused on the use of long, spacious loop sections and plucked textures inspired by the mandolin. The following movement utilises a rondo form where earlier loops return to be expanded, and the minimalist/pop inspired finale employs a typical combination of percussive, chordal, bass and melody layers.

Loop Sonata
1: Seven Seeds (Loop Miniatures) [6’28]
2: Ethereal (Spacious) [8’17]
3: Rhapsodic (Loop Rondo) [6’12]
4. Vibrant (Trick Loop) [6’04]

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