Although the chord changes may appear unremarkable and the entire structure somewhat repetitive, in live performance it is a well known vehicle which permits the soloist or soloists to demonstrate their virtuosity and musical skill for creating interesting melodic and rhythmic excursions over the familiar chord patterns, as well as the opportunity to quote from Django's own recorded melodic inventions over his own tune. In some modern treatments, the E7 in the middle of the second stanza may be replaced with Bb7 (a tritone substitution) and/or the second stanza sometimes replaced with a cycle of fifths based treatment for effect, i.e. The introduction comprises a set of partial arpeggios over the chords Am/Dm/Am/Dm/Am/Dm/E7, followed by the main changes which are Am/-/Dm/-/E7/-/Am/-/ which are followed by Dm/-/Am/-/E7/-/Am/E7/, then the cycle begins again, until the playout which comprises some set arpeggios following the pattern of the first half of the tune with one repeat. Apart from the brief introduction and final coda or playout, there is no discernable melody, just a repeated sequence of chord changes over which the key players improvise continuously until by some mutual agreement the end is decided and the playout performed. This recording (as it is in the The Complete Django Reinhardt - Integrale collection, appears to be in the key of G. Minor Swing is written in the key of A minor. Django Reinhardt Gypsy Guitar GeniusRecorded in 1935, Blues en Mineur is simple blues progression (I-IV-V)Paris - Souvenirs de Django Reinhardt - Django Rein. The composition was first released as a 78 single by Swing in 1937 with Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli in the Quintette du Hot Club de France. It was recorded five other times throughout Reinhardt's career and is considered to be one of his signature compositions. It was recorded by The Quintet of the Hot Club of France in 1937. King to Carlos Santana, and it’s my sincere hope that this exercise will open the door to new melodic ideas, fingerings and possibilities for your lead playing." Minor Swing" is a gypsy jazz tune composed by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. It may take a second to get your fingerings together so that you can play them fluidly, but it’s important to get these under your fingers first.ĭjango has influenced iconic guitarists from Les Paul to B.B. Before beginning the exercise, I would recommend skipping to the end of the tablature and practicing the 3 arpeggios provided. We’re using the D7b9 (as opposed to a normal D7) because it’s characteristic of the style, and creates the appropriate tension to resolve back to the minor I chord. The lead lines in this exercise play off of minor 6th arpeggios with an added 9th for the I and iv chords, and a D7b9 arpeggio for the V chord. Minor Blues is a great doorway into this style because it’s based off of a simple i-iv-V (Gm6, Cm6, D7) structure. This 3 chorus exercise was inspired by the song Minor Blues by Django Reinhardt. So when you slow the music down, and take a look under the hood at what’s happening, you can walk away with some valuable new ideas to inspire your lead approach. From a lead perspective, many of the phrases and melodic elements are built off of simple arpeggios and popular chord shapes. However, unlike more complicated harmonic jazz forms, many popular Gypsy Jazz numbers involve pretty straight-forward, traditional chord changes. Django would later fuse these influences into a unique and exciting new style and sound known as “Gypsy Jazz.”ĭjango’s dazzling virtuosity makes approaching the Gypsy Jazz style a daunting proposition for beginning or intermediate students of lead guitar. By the age of 13, he was already working full time as a musician playing a blend of French folk songs, tangos, polkas, waltzes and early American Jazz. Born in Belgium in 1910 to a French family of Manouche Romani descent, Reinhardt spent his youth in Romani encampments playing violin, banjo and guitar. Django Reinhardt was definitely one such figure. Throughout the evolution of popular music, there have been select artists whose contribution has represented a musical quantum leap.
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