How to Play Gypsy Jazz Solos in the Style of Django Reinhardt

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In transcribing and playing Django Reinhardt's solos, I noticed that he does repeat the same shapes on the fingerboard and that he does use the same musical ideas again and again. I wondered how he can use the same idea yet always sounds so fresh, vivid and new? I never noticed that he repeats himself in any way, until I actually played his solos.

The answer is that Django used his musical ideas in a slightly different way each time. The inner rhythm of his phrasing is always changing. The place in the bar in which he starts each phrase is different every time. He creates melodies that you can always sing because he follows his musical taste and not his fingers.

In this lesson I'll teach you a few of Django's improvisational ideas. Play the example phrases, try to understand them and practice until you can use each concept in a different way. That way you'll get Django's ideas and spirit into your own improvisation. You’ll learn something far better than a few licks - ideas with which you can create complete interesting, fresh and new solos yourself.

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