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Learning by ear

Hungaria

By on April 5, 2013 in Artist Level, Blues Scale, By Ear, By Knowledge, Cornerstone Styles, Diminished Scale, G major, Gigger Level, Gypsy Jazz Violin, Jamming 102, jamming 103, Jazz, Lesson List, Major Scale, Mixolydian Mode, Music Mechanics, Staff Notation, Style Studies

Another gypsy jazz jam staple. The intro is often repeated many times before entering the tune at the A section.  In our demo I did it twice, and played it by jumping octaves on each note.  I played the head down one octave in the A section.  It sounds a

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Limehouse Blues

By on April 5, 2013 in Artist Level, By Ear, By Knowledge, Cornerstone Styles, G major, Gigger Level, Gypsy Jazz Violin, Jamming 102, jamming 103, Jazz, Lesson List, Major Scale, Mixolydian Mode, Music Mechanics, Staff Notation, Style Studies

A Gypsy jam session staple.  Not a Django penned tune, but often covered in the Gypsy Style.  Notice the rhythmic motif in the melody… maybe you can consider inventing some of your own while soloing over this tune? The chord progression, much like “I’ll See You In My Dreams

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Stompin’ at Decca

By on April 5, 2013 in Artist Level, By Ear, By Knowledge, By Sight, Cornerstone Styles, G major, Gigger Level, Gypsy Jazz Violin, Jamming 102, jamming 103, Jazz, Lesson List, Major Scale, Mixolydian Mode, Music Mechanics, Rhythm Changes, Staff Notation, Style Studies

I do not know the exact story about the writing of this tune, but I’d bet that is was just an impromptu jam when the band had some extra time left in the studio.  This melody can get rather “interpretive” from player to player. Non-members: Want to learn more about

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Melodie Au Crepuscule

By on April 5, 2013 in Artist Level, By Ear, By Feeling, By Knowledge, Cornerstone Styles, Diminished Scale, Dorian Mode, E minor, Gigger Level, Gypsy Jazz Violin, Jamming 102, jamming 103, Jazz, Lesson List, Major Scale, Music Mechanics, Staff Notation, Style Studies

A beautiful Django ballad. Many bands stumble on this one.  The song form is more complicated than most gypsy tunes with 4 separate sections.  It is not quite as difficult as it seems though if you can take a “step” back and see the more general chord progression “trends.” Learn

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Babik

By on April 4, 2013 in Artist Level, Blues Scale, By Ear, By Feeling, By Key, By Knowledge, By Scale, Cornerstone Styles, F major, Gigger Level, Gypsy Jazz Violin, Ionian Mode, Jamming 102, jamming 103, Jazz, Lesson List, List, Major Pentatonic Scale, Major Scale, Music History, Music Mechanics, Music Philosophy, Rhythm Changes, Staff Notation, Style Studies

Babik was Django Reinhardt’s son.  I’m told the name means “little one” but I have no verification of that.  Our gypsy jazz group Babik considered ourselves “sons of Django,” so adopted the name, and had to put this tune in our song list.  It leans toward the BeBop vein more

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Bossa Dorado

By on April 4, 2013 in Artist Level, By Ear, By Key, By Knowledge, By Scale, Cornerstone Styles, D minor, Gigger Level, Gypsy Jazz Violin, Harmonic Minor Scale, Jamming 102, jamming 103, Jazz, Lesson List, List, Music Mechanics, Staff Notation, Style Studies

This well written tune, by contemporary guitarist and violinist Dorado Schmidt, has become a staple with Gypsy Jazz bands.  It is usually played with a Latin music-based Bossa Nova feel (with eighth notes will be straight and not swung). The chords to the intro/outro sound much like James Bond movie

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Django’s Castle

By on April 4, 2013 in Artist Level, By Ear, By Feeling, By Knowledge, Cornerstone Styles, D major, Gigger Level, Gypsy Jazz Violin, Jamming 102, jamming 103, Jazz, Lesson List, Major Scale, Mixolydian Mode, Music Mechanics, One-Room-School-House ORSH, Staff Notation, Style Studies

This Django tune seems to go by many names and is commonly played either as a bossa nova (Latin, straight eight’s) or ballad (slow).  I personally like it as a ballad and think it is very beautiful.  On the original Hot Club recording, Django played the melody on guitar with

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