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
Archive | By Knowledge
Learning by first understanding.
Melodie Au Crepuscule
By fiddlejamman 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
I’ll See You In My Dreams
By fiddlejamman on April 5, 2013 in Artist Level, Blues Scale, By Knowledge, Cornerstone Styles, Dorian Mode, F major, Gigger Level, Gypsy Jazz Violin, Jamming 102, jamming 103, Jazz, Lesson List, List, Major Scale, Master Class, Mixolydian Mode, Music Mechanics, Staff Notation, Style Studies
This simple melody is often done in the gypsy jazz style. Mechanics: Note that the chord progression starts on the IV chord (Bb) and not the actual overall tonic (F). I personally follow the chord changes pretty closely on this one. There are not a lot of short-cuts you can
Babik
By fiddlejamman 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
Bossa Dorado
By fiddlejamman 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
Django’s Castle
By fiddlejamman 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
Daphne
By fiddlejamman on April 4, 2013 in Artist Level, By Ear, By Feeling, By Knowledge, Cornerstone Styles, D major, Eb major, Gigger Level, Jamming 102, jamming 103, Jazz, Lesson List, Major Pentatonic Scale, Major Scale, Music Mechanics, Rock, Staff Notation, Style Studies
Another Django Reinhardt tune. Babik has arranged this one as part of our symphonic show. The story I’ve heard about this song is that Django was goofing around by imitating the way Stephane Grappelli tuned his violin with harmonics and they came up with this melody. The first 4 bars