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The technique of playing Gypsyjazz differs from usual guitarplaying in many aspects.

Of course this is due to the great influence of Django Reinhardt, the most famous Gypsy-Guitarrist worldwide, until today. His playing left the deepest footprints in this first and unique european Jazz-style, forcing even todays Gypsy-guitarplayers to adapt what the great master had done before...

Beeing burnt very heavily on his left bodyside by the accident of his burning caravan (see Django Reinhardt - the Guitar-Maestro), Django was left over with a nearly crippled left-hand (image left). Due to this disability his playing had to change dramatically and thru this it became so very special.

Django Reinhardt had to change the way of playing scales or chords and arpeggios, resulting in a very special and unique playing-technique that has been copied from legions of players ever since (take a look at Django Reinhardt - the Guitar-Maestro).

By his hurting left-hand disablity he wasn´t able to almost move his pinky anymore, his ringfinger could barely move for the use of chords the same without hurting.
By that Django created his own special way of playing chord-shapes of mainly reduced "three-note-chords". The many Gypsy-musicians of his heritage after copied this special way of playing chords the same as the way he used to play scales mainly with just two(!) fingers.

Many of these chordshapes that have been invented by Django Reinhardt reduce the six possible notes on the fretboard to basically three fingers or notes, mainly on the bass-strings of the guitar (Example-image right is a Minor6-Chord in the typical chordshape).

This is how these typical chordshapes were invented, beeing played very rhythmically forming this special sound-characteristics of JazzManouche. But not only for playing chords but the soloing was influenced by his way of playing abilities the same.

The famous guitar-solos that Django Reinhardt used to play, but the same brandnew ways for accompaning creating like "sound-carpets" with long lasting eight-note-chains of single-note-arpeggios was completely new and never heared before.

Django Reinhardt´s unique way of playing melodies, his incredible musicality and feel, precise timing and also incredibly great creativity made this made so outstanding, leaving his deepest imprints of his playing in the style of JazzManouche until today.

(Example image: a diminished scale run in the song "Reverie" recorded in 1938).

So due to his disability many scales had to be played different to be able to play them. So he invented the horizontal playing, beein able to play scales with two healthy fingers.

Some of these playing-techniques are subject of my "Masterclass for Gypsyjazzguitar" and in my methodbook "Gypsyjazz Guitar - A tribute to gypsyjazz" (releaesed 2011 with Alfred Music, Cologne in german and english).

For decades many, many guitarrists (like John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Joe Pass, George Benson a.o.m.) define Django Reinhardt - the Guitar-Maestro as beeing one of their biggest personal influences ever and THE source of Inspiration of their own playing. And even today Django Reinhardt still is a great idol and beeing worshipped until this day.

Every guitarrist who ever tried to get near his style of playing, working with his special and unique ways of playing will adress that surely and have great respect for this outstanding musician!
Here you may read more about the -> JM-Rhythm - La Pompe or the -> JM-Solotechniques, you may download the -> JM-Chord-Lexicon or checkout our -> JM-Scales-Book and the -> "The REAL Gypsyjazz book" to learn new chords, scales and tunes, as well as read informations about our -> LIVE-Workshop "Modular Gypsyjazz Guitar" or how to book it online.

















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