Re: Gypsy Jazz, suggested listening, and playing advice
I've been working exclusively on Gypsy Jazz over the past 10 months and I'm loving it! Here's what I've found...
- In my guitar days (mostly rock with a brief jazz period), I focused on scales. Over the last 14 years of mandolin playing I found myself playing less "scale" and more "chord tone" improvisation. With the move to Gypsy Jazz, I'm always thinking "chord tone" and "minor third" intervals with "scale" connections. Of course, I'm thinking too much about using arpeggio forms in this early phase but it gets better as I develop.
- The GJ "pompe" hasn't been too much of a struggle to copy. I think mandolin players may be more inclined to "play like the drummer" anyway. I love that swing feel!
- The 2008 Django Fakebook has been invaluable. Since the melodies are in standard notation I had to bring my reading skills up to speed, but it has been worth it.
- Youtube is my daily companion. It has practice tracks with charts for just about every song I've studied. GJ players are "scarce on the ground" in my neck of the woods and I depend on Youtube for my accompaniment. I enjoy seeing how different players and groups interpret the standard GJ repertoire. I'm relieved to see that the standard keys lay pretty well on mandolin.
- Knowing the fingerboard and chord construction theory is essential to effective chord fingerings. Ditto knowing what notes to leave out. Don't fear the D6/9 -- revel in it!
- I had to stop listening to any other kind of music and get that GJ sound in my head. I got the JazzRadio app for my tablet and listen to the GJ channel every day. I just got Pandora for the same reason. My CD collection is growing again. I especially recommend "Clasico" with Gonzalo Bergara and Adrien Moignard. You can hear the two guitars equally well as they switch rhythm and lead. They have the "drive" that I appreciate about GJ.
- I visit the Djangobooks.com forum daily, just like the Cafe. Sure, it's mostly about guitars, but it's all about the music.
- GJ has a "social context", just like bluegrass. Acoustic instruments played at festival campgrounds -- just way fewer festivals! I won't truly be "home" until I make that hook-up on a regular basis.
"Got time to breathe, got time for music" -- Briscoe Darling
Bookmarks