The following chart contains
six of the most common licks used by the great Gypsy Jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Below the chart you will a list of
recorded songs in which Django used these lines along with some of the chords
he plays them over. This is a very
abbreviated list, so Django aficionados should feel free to send me more
references.
One Myth Regarding
Improvisation
There is a myth regarding
improvisation, especially jazz improv, in the thought that the musicians are
constantly making up everything they are playing. This is not true. More often
than not the players are varying, transforming and rhythmically manipulating
ideas that they have practiced hundreds if not thousands of times. This makes
the habit of learning and practicing licks, yours own as well as those of
others, a legitimate use of your time.
Where to Hear Them
1. Diminished Arpeggio
- Minor Swing over E7
- All of Me over E7
- Belleville solo measures 9 & 10. D diminished
over D / Em A / I ii V
- Appel Direct: In melody: C diminished over C
major chord.
- Swing 42: Solo measure 20: E diminished
- Bouncin’ Around: C diminished arpeggio over Gm6
(he does it four times, though it is possible it is intrinsic to the
originally melody, which is not Django’s.).
- Honeysuckle Rose: Three times.
i. F# dim. (also C) over a C7 chord and second time C#
over the same C7!
ii. A dim. over F9
- Les Yeux Noirs: C# diminished over A7, twice.
- If you like this diminished sound I recommend
the tune “Djangology” because he utilizes this sound throughout the
intro, melody and solo.
2. Major Arpeggio
- Dinah (twice)
- Old Folks (six times in the same place! In the
key of F#.)
- Ain’t Misbehavin’
- Rose Room
- Daphne
- Nuages
- Bouncin’ Around
- Honeysuckle Rose
- Swinging with Django
- Minor Arpeggio: You hear this lick played by
everyone from Charlie Parker to Yngwie Malmsteen!
- Tiger Rag
- Rose Room
- Minor Swing
- Nuages
- Swinging with Django
- Major 6th or simply minor with the
third in the lowest note.
- Old Folks at Home in two different positions
(five times).
- Djangology (D6 arpeggio over a D7 chord)
- Swing Guitar (A6 arpeggio over an Ab7 chord:
complex melodic movement b9)
- Ain’t Misbehavin’ (twice: A6 arpeggio over a Bm
chord)
- Rose Room
- Minor Swing
- Daphne (Bb6 over G6, gives a bluesy sound
employing the b3)
- Nuages
- Bouncin’ Around (twice, descending and
ascending)
- Swinging with Django
- Combination Major to parallel minor.
- Daphne
- Also functional in
All of Me F to Fm.
- Chromatic Movement: This lick and dozens of
variations. Influence on Les Paul to Jeff Beck.
- Dinah
- Djangology
- Limehouse Blues
- Minor Swing
- Rose Room
- Swing 42 (with open G string)
- Belleville: The melody (Django’s) is chromatic.
- Bouncin’ Around: Chromatic octaves
- Honeysuckle Rose: Twice: Once, more or less, as
written and, earlier, a nice, two string, variation.
More Django Resources
I would like to note that I am by no means a Django expert. I like...okay I love Django's music but there are many, many, many more qualified Gypsy jazz players who have devoted their entire lives to the study of Django. Below are some links I highly recommend you visit.
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The End.
See you next week.
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