Django Mandolin/Mandola

[James]

At the recent CMSA convention in Philadelphia I bought a very nice new mandola built Will Kimble. #It's loud, punchy and focused in tone. #It has me dreaming about playing gypsy swing on it, but I really don't know where to begin.

Are there any instructional materials out there for Djangoesque mandolin (I'm assuming that anything for mandola would be too much to ask). #I'm just beginning to take lessons and I'd like to take an instruction book to the lessons to structure the course of my learning. #

I'm aware of the Jethro Burns' book/CD put out by Mel Bay, and then there is the Dawg stuff but this isn't really what I'm looking for. #I'm after the melodies and chord progressions characteristic of Django-style gypsy swing. #Any suggestions will be appreciated. #Thanks,

James

[duuuude]

Well, you could start with these:

http://www.gadjodrom.com/grilles_sommaire.php3
http://www.hotclub.co.uk/
http://www.djangology.net/
http://nuagesdeswing.free.fr/jouer/index.html

They'll lead ya in the right direction for awhile. I've found 3-finger chords most useful, you can find chord shapes on various sites or just make up your own. Find yourself a gypsy jazz player or jam if you can, they can provide lots of shortcuts/replacement chords.

[Dolamon]

Good on ya - more dola flyer's ... It seems you don't really end up playing these things as much as - soaring with them. One of the best introductions to the vagaries of the C tuning is found at Tremolo. # (http://tremolo.no/english/misc/chords/tenorchordd.htm) Which is a nifty web site from Norway. The other site to explore is MandoHack's Jazz Mando Site. (http://members.aol.com/teesch/ii_V7_I.html)

Ted doesn't like me to mention this but ... if you find the root note of any of the three note chord sequences on his web site, you can move the changes all over the neck of a mandola. Aha! Or - in the three note chord changes - move down one string and first play them on the GDa courses ... then move up one string and down two frets - your working in the "meatier" part of the mandola sound. As for Django tunes - a bit of trivia ... Django's first instrument was a tenor banjo - so you are in good company and the playing of his tunes actually is easier (in some instances) than on guitar.

I hope this helps a bit ...

[Ted Eschliman]

Thanks for the plug, Dion.
Perhaps a good "rainy day" project for me would be to translate these pages into 'dola and tenor guitar/banjo keys. As you mention, the relationships are the same. Mastering the 'ii V7 I' and a few turnarounds in all 12 keys allows you entrance into just about any jazz cirlces....
The only thing to watch out for is "timbre," but even in this register (tenor range) the open 5ths tuning usually yields enough space to work.

[Linda Binder]

Greetings,
I received an email today regarding a forum on Djangobooks.com -- http://www.djangobooks.com/forum/
There is a section for mandolinists. Yes! The world progresses! Alas, no posts yet. I'm not about to be the first. The posting in the history section scared me so I'll lay low and learn.
--Linda

[Dolamon]

If you want an almost disconcerting CD, you may want to listen to Sim Delaney-Pottoff's Gypsy Swing (http://www.midcontinentmusic.com/detail.cfm?Catalogid=1869) - the fourth outing for Harmonious Wail. This is some amazing interpretations of Gypsy tunes and his skill set is not to be believed.

In the interim, until the Cd arrives, keep plugging away at JazzMando.com and explore some of the Gypsy sites listed above. JazzMando has a section on Gypsy chord changes and some great hints on right hand technique.

Enjoy -

[Ken]

Another plug for Harmonious Wail's Gypsy Swing. Absolutely wonderful CD, great mandolin, great group dynamics.
Ken