Gypsy Jazz

[Michelle]

Stevebol

Thank you! Of course that is what I should do! Duh…Ha! Michael Horowitz (Djangobooks) shipped us our guitars-
He suggested Denis on the phone, as husband Bob was looking for some transcriptions of Django solos, and Michael said Denis used to have several on his website. I guess it was too time consuming for him, so he took them off…
Bob and I will order his DVD, and also Robin Nolan told me that he and his brother have a new rhythm DVD, just out.
That should help a lot…Thank you also jbyork!
Bob and I are just about to rehearse "Bossa Dorado"

Thanks again!

Michelle

[Stevebol]

^^^
Not to knock Denis on soloing but his instruction with 'The Art of Accompaniment' is particularly good. He really has the right-hand motion down and knows how to teach it. As far as soloing you can get that from any number of places but the rhythm technique is hard to come by. There might be one other person who teaches it.

I don't have loads of books like some others but I found Chang's rhythm and Nolan's chord voicings to be good combo.
Once you get the rhythm down everything falls into place I think.

Nolan creates a kind of chromatic movement on the low E string with the way he voices his chords. I think it's a nice effect. I haven't seen Nolan's DVD on rhythm. Maybe he expands on varlations of the basic rhythm.

I don't like recommending DVD's and books unless they address something simply and directly. Chang and Nolan just happen to do that with some of what they offer.

[jaco]

Michelle, thank you for your post. I didn't expect the kind of response for this thread we have here. A Dupont is on my wish list. I recently bought a used Altamira as I wanted to make sure this was a direction I wanted to go. I'm sure now. Headed to Samois next year. You are lucky to have Paul for a teacher his DVDs are excellent. Pick Power is a great right hand workout. I recently played in a clinic with Frank Vignola and take some lessons with Larry Coryell who recorded an album with Stephan Grappelli (Young Django, I believe). These one on one lessons with great musicians are invaluable. Wish you and everyone who tackles this great music the best.

[Michelle]

Stevebol,

Thank you so much for this info! Husband Bob and I will order these this weekend- I love adding anything "jazzy" to this Gypsy Jazz guitar style, such as a walking or moving bass line, chromatic movements within the chord, holding a chord while moving just one note up or down, chord extensions, etc…the Gypsy players seem to do all this within the Gypsy Jazz style. Have you seen "Michael Horowitz- A Tutorial for Gypsy Jazz Rhythm Guitar"? This is a big 280 page spiral-bound book that is wonderful- CD examples, in 10 parts, pictures, notation, transcriptions, the works! We just worked up "Bossa Dorado". I'm able to do the "Gypsy Bossa" rhythm just fine. We love that song! It sticks in your head…
Since I am new to this forum (just joined a few days ago, Bob joined last night), do you have any samples of your playing? I would love to hear it! I get the feeling that a lot of people are reluctant to post their playing …I will always encourage players to do this…there is a lot of positive support here-I think a little encouragement goes a long way with
musicians. Bob and I will post "Corcovado" somewhere in the "Jazz" section…I would love to hear the music of the members here! Why not share our love of Guitar? All of this feedback inspires me to play! There is a growing Gypsy Jazz community in the US and, it seems world-wide. This thread could attract a lot of Gypsy Jazz players! Bob and I will be active on several threads, there is so much here to learn…We love our "American" Jazz, our vintage jazz guitars, songs, gigs etc… but playing Gypsy Jazz on a Gypsy style guitar is so much darn fun!

Thanks again for all the helpful info.

Michelle

[Michelle]

jaco

Wow! I'm scared of you! Ha! Frank Vignola and Larry Coryell? What did you cover in that clinic? Where was it ,and who attended? Sounds really cool…I am jealous you are going to Samois! Husband Bob and I are going to Paris this coming fall, for our wedding anniversary. I intend to take Paris by storm! First stop will be Francois Charles' shop, then Cafe Voltaire, Montmartre, and lots of Gypsy Jazz clubs! I can't wait! When it comes time to fly out ,I hope to have some "music introductions" by players- Bob and I should be able to jam with people over there…A lot of players go over every year for touring, festivals or gigs. Lots of "American" jazz in Paris too! Please post a tune on this thread, if you want…
if you haven't yet. I would love to hear you!

Michelle

[jaco]

Michelle, Frank's clinic was here in Florida at a Festival called Riverhawk. It's a four day festival with camping and a variety of musical styles mostly acoustic. He emphasized playing horizontally, practicing scales on one string etc. Larry lives about 15 minutes from my house. I've been working with him close to two years. He really is into improvising on tunes. Segovia scales, blues, and hard work. He's always telling me "this isn't easy, you have to put in the time". He has some amazing stories and has played with everyone from Hendrix (they were good friends, both from Seattle) to Miles. I'm not very computer literate but will try to get something up if I can figure out how. Old school, may get a cell phone this year.

[Michelle]

jaco,

Thanks again for responding...

My dad and his wife, lived in Homosassa, Florida for 2-3 years. Husband Bob and I went to visit them, and stayed at their house for about 3 weeks. We visited the Homosassa Springs Wild Animal Park and saw the manitees, then drove to Tarpon Springs (the Greek community), and had Greek food. This was about 10 years ago…
We loved Florida! The Riverhawk Festival looks like a lot of fun- quite an eclectic group of artists played on the bill, according to the website. Must have been fun camping out…
I love to read and learn, so I look everything up, and do my own "research". I wanted to do my homework before I responded to your post- Larry Coryell is an interesting man. According to wikipedia, he played with Chico Hamilton and Gary Burton in New York-did a lot of acoustic guitar duets, and formed The Guitar Trio in 1979 with John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucia. He recorded and hung out with Emily Remler before she died. Have you checked her out? She is happening! He wrote a book, out in 2007, which I'm interested in reading. Wasn't he sort of a bridge between "straight-ahead" jazz and the beginning of "fusion"? Bob has some of his CD's…I also love Jimmy (Hendrix). It says Frank Vignola worked a lot as a sideman in the 1980's, then signed with Concord Jazz. I guess he has 18 instructional guitar books and CD's out. He has a CD called "Blues for a Gypsy". His current guitar is interesting…a Ryan Thorell arch- top FV studio model (sunburst). I am really into guitars! It has a really slanted pick-up. jaco- definitely get a cell phone! It will come in handy in an emergency…You certainly hang out with some heavy weights! How nice to learn from Larry Coryell, and have him as a friend! I'll tell you later who I recorded with in LA… Michelle

[Dexma]

I love hot club jazz.

I did see a document about Django, when I was 16 year old or something. I did see there guys who were playing hot club style in park. I thought that time, that it would be my dream. To play good gypsy style in a park. Without entrance fee or nothing, only a small cup front of me and few other players. Just to be a small nice band in a corner of a sunny day. That band would give a little joy to the city and nice feeling to a ordinary day in summer.

Django is the man to me. He's playing is more cheerful and natural than any players after that. For me also starting learning jazz guitar did happen on studying Djangos solos. I hope that i will collect much from Django.

Right now I am just playing Djangos solos and try to copy licks and stuff. Hardest thing seems to me is to get away from scale kind of playing to more melodic chordal playing while improvising. Most important thing is to keep it flowing and keep it swing. Then after getting that every solo should have little bit of mountain tops where is good melodic idea and strong points.

Just keep on practicing... I could take a nap and then start doing it.

[drbhrb]

Check out Romane's book Le'Espirit Manouche. It's a pretty extensive study of gypsy playing(mostly lead playing). It's only like $25 on amazon and has a ton of content.

[Dexma]

Check out Romane's book Le'Espirit Manouche. It's a pretty extensive study of gypsy playing(mostly lead playing). It's only like $25 on amazon and has a ton of content.

I have actually read this book. Almost I could say many times.

The melodic and solo ideas are pretty good in here. For all jazz guitarists and because of Romanes playing style in the book it sounds more "gypsy" than "jazz" many times. Its not so "hot-club style" to me. Also there is lot to read for rhythm guitar.

If I listen my small songs and solos I can hear lots of licks from that book, but I have not done enough working with the chords and harmony what that book can offer... (also technique is faaaaaar away where i am right now....)

There is little bit of what i am doing right now. I have put some latin style songs, some finnish folk songs (In finnish music there is a big influence coming out from gypsy minority) also some wannabee django style jazz.

[edh]

Pretty good stuff there Dexma...love gypsy jazz.

[Jvilpaz]

Hi friends

I love music of Django & company

I,m starting to study this style.....

I work with Michael Horowitz gypsy picking and then with somes transcriptions.But they are very diffcult for me.

I need help because I woul like to play easy melodies and I don,t Know where to start.
I play exercises and arpeggios for technique.I would like play easy melodies

Can anyone give me some advice please?

[OldGuitarPlayer]

I love me some Gypsy Jazz! My uncle was a WW2 vet and he was in France during the war and came to love Django and when I was a kid he gave me all his Django LP's back in the 1970's.

Here is Frank Vignola & Jimmy Rosenberg ripping up in some hotel room in NYC.

[TheGrandWazoo]

I just recieved Unaccompanied Django by Horowitz from djangobooks.com. Very well printed and edited book. The pieces are marked by complexity and there is a recording of each track.



Unaccompanied Django - DjangoBooks.com

l plan on adding some of these arrangements to my repetoire. This style has some steep learning curves, especially the picking technique. It's a great lesson when you have to go back and actively think of your picking hand just as much as your left hand.

[Dookychase]

I have a few dvds. I bought Denis Chang's stuff, Paul Mehling and Stochelo Rosenberg. I recommend them all.

Also, on youtube, there's a Django documentary titled La Vie Django. Its in French with English subtitles. Well worth watching.

[JSanta]

I have a few of the Djangobooks publications and Michael has done an absolutely stellar job on them. His Gypsy Rhythm book is one of the most exhaustive resources on the technique ever produced and is enough to give guitarists something to work on for years and years.

[samsonroads]

Hi Guys, these fellas are great really worth checking out.
Gonzalo Bergara
Beniot Convert
Adrien Moignard

Also the youtube channel patrus53 is one of the best channels for gypsy guitar

Pat

[kris]

some different from Poland...:-)

[rsclosson]

I just got bit by the bug again and am working on arpeggios and tunes from the Django fakebook.

[mr. beaumont]

I've done it...I've taken some time off of it, not sure I'll get back in. It started to affect the way I attack the guitar, found myself playing "harder" all the time...didn't like that.

The music is fun. Some of the people can be a bit grating....gadjo "purists."

[rsclosson]

One of the reasons I am getting back into it is I feel like I can benefit by thinking more arpeggio along with my scales. Hoping the "old dog" syndrome doesn't attack.

[mr. beaumont]

What I really dig about it is the energy, and those old tunes are fun...great melodies, simple harmonies...they give you a lot of room.

[christianm77]

Some GJ style stuff... (None in a traditional line up it must be said :-) don't often get to play with another geetah)

[christianm77]

Oh I have a teaching blog if anyone's interested with videos and teh tabz and so on. I teach this style a lot.

Gypsy Jazz and Swing Guitar Learner's Blog

[Frank67]

Yes, I study it, love it ... And I' neither good at it nor have completely internalized the technique. I love it though. The beautiful melodies, the rhythm, the energy, the technicalities. It really has made me very aware of right hand technique and much of that can be adapted to archtops and even solidbodies.