{"id":9551,"date":"2018-10-11T13:51:57","date_gmt":"2018-10-11T11:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jazzguitar.be\/blog\/?p=9551"},"modified":"2026-03-16T15:27:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T14:27:52","slug":"django-reinhardt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jazzguitar.be\/blog\/django-reinhardt\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Play Gypsy Jazz Guitar in The Style of Django Reinhardt"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

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While transcribing and playing Django Reinhardt’s solos<\/span>, I noticed he repeats the same shapes and musical ideas again and again. I wondered how he managed to use the same idea yet always sounds so fresh, vivid and new? I never noticed that he repeats himself in any way\u00a0until I actually played his solos.<\/span><\/p>\n

The answer is that Django Reinhardt used his musical ideas in a slightly different way each time. The inner rhythm of his phrasing is always changing.<\/p>\n

The place in the bar in which he starts each phrase is different every time. He creates melodies that you can always sing because he follows his musical taste and not his fingers.<\/p>\n

In this lesson, you will learn a few of Django’s improvisational ideas. Play the example phrases, try to understand them and practice until you can use each concept in a variety of ways.<\/p>\n

That way you’ll get Django’s ideas and spirit into your own guitar improvisation. You will learn something far better than a few licks – ideas you can use to create interesting, fresh and new solos yourself.<\/p>\n

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Click HERE to improve your gypsy jazz solos with Yaakov’s 5-hour video course!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Django Reinhardt<\/h2>\n

\"Django<\/p>\n

Gypsy jazz guitarist<\/b> Django Reinhardt was the first famous European jazz musician. Born in Belgium and raised in a gypsy camp near Paris, he first learned to play the\u00a0violin, but later switched to banjo-guitar. At the age of 12, Django Reinhardt played good enough to play professionally.<\/p>\n

In 1928 disaster struck and the 3rd and 4th fingers of his left hand got mutilated in a caravan fire, but Django developed a new fingering system and by 1930 he was playing again in Paris’ cafes.\u00a0\u00a0In Montmartre; he heard records of American jazz players like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong and he absorbed their music.<\/p>\n

In 1934 he met Stephane Grappelli, a violin player with whom he founded Quintette du Hot Club de France<\/em>. Nuages and Minor Swing are some famous Django Reinhardt compositions.\u00a0\u00a0Django Reinhardt became the icon of gypsy jazz guitar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Lesson Video<\/h2>\n