2. Gypsy Jazz: 9 phrases and patterns for Minor Swing. (video, tabs and notation)
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I believe that nearly every guitarist has at least in some point of his/her life come across with Django Reinhardt’s name. If this name of captivating ancestor of gypsy jazz is still unfamiliar to you I would warmly recommend to seek out of his music from net. The entirety of gypsy jazz genre is so huge that I won’t try to assemble comprehensive pack of information here of it but first go through 9 examples of patterns and phrases I have made for Minor Swing.
Gypsy jazz gives you strength and attitude for playing and also it stretches borders to new directions.
Minor Swing is composed by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli in 1937 and it’s one of the hallmarks in gypsy jazz genre. This song is more than likely played in every gypsy jazz jam sessions and artists are making different recorded version of it constantly. This song contains intro and outro that are played together in unison or in different voices. Verse is left free for current soloist to improvise. In compositional point of view this song is quite simple but it still drives players to create new interpretations over an over again.
Singnificant factor in gypsy jazz guitar sound is of course Selmer/Maccaferri type of guitar but even more important point is playing style especially right hand technique. Picking with rest-stroke reminds lot of mandolin or Arabic oud playing styles. This technique demands inwards bent right hand’s wrist that can give in position seeking beginners hurt or even strain injuries. Been careful in your practices you can achieve painless technique that is much more powerful or even more articulated guitar sound that with standard style.
Nine examples that I have made tries to follow mainly gypsy jazz’s basic idiom except ex. 9 and 2. one of the reasons for me to make this video is to include to every example some kind of small personal realization that comes from other world than gypsy jazz. Here is more detailed explanations of each examples.
Ex.1: This example starts with common pickup idea from 12th fret. Then comes half-step bend from major 3d (c#) in A minor (!). At the end finds some uncommon wide intervallic jumps.
Ex.2 This example contains fretboard symmetrical notes that in my opinion are still musical. You can consider these notes coming from dominant dimished scale (e, f, g, g#, bb, b, c#, d). Jazz music uses often triplet-feel in phrasing but in this example notes are in even eights. That gives this upwards stepping phrase even more underlined feel.
Ex.3: First bar is mostly in world of Am6/9 chord. In next bar is added some out-playing to increase tension in moving towards to D minor (B and Bb chord arpeggios). In 3d and 4th bars we have Dmmaj7(6/9) arpeggios and in 5th and 6th Ammaj7(6/9) arpeggios.
Ex.4: In 2nd bar we have Fdim7 and G#dim7 arpeggios that make ground chord E7 to E7b9 chord. This idea is one of gypsy jazz’s cornerstones that is important to take to your repertoire. In 5th bar voicing makes E7 chord a E7#5#9 chord. This voicing is very useful in different situations.
Ex.5: In cause of his hand injury Django played lot of his fast lines with first and middle fingers in one string. This technique is quite useful in fast and accurate lines. You can find some of that technique in this example.
Ex.6: In this example I combine characteristic elements in gypsy jazz. For example chromaticism (4 first notes), arpeggios (2nd bar), half step bend (5th bar’s end part) and enclosure (4th bar’s two last notes and 5th bar’s first note).
Ex.7: Notes in first bar comes from E7b9 chord.. Last note in first bar and two first notes in second bar comes from idea of D#dim7 chord. In midpoint of second bar appears very useful idea that is called tritons substitute. It’s Bb chord that is played over E7 chord. In that part I use gypsy picking where every note is played downwards although strings are changed upwards.
Ex.8: In first bar we have popular enclosure technique that is played with alternative picking. In second bar I played some out-playing to make tension to move D minor. In 3d and 4th bars has Dm6 chord in basis.
Ex.9: In this last example I wanted to try something completely out of gypsy jazz style. Many of these chords are harmonically very powerful and using them should be considered special consideration.
Although gypsy jazz would not be your favorite music being guitar teacher I warmly recommend exploration of this music style to you.