Django Reinhardt - Fretmaster Series

-

\r:-..-

la/

$24.95/f16.95 tS B N0-879308- 37- 0

F-:[.4

Ifirfi -llll[lruUl,l[[lill=i l,lfilruru 4**reat

w w w .backbeatbooks.com A N I M P R I N TO F

MUSIC PLAYERNETWORK

.i'!! ?a

-.

r-,--f

t--b r:

F e :

lu

- TlltM||$IC DjangoReinhardt

guitar Diango's It is rare in the guitar world for a player to be linked throughout his career with just one company, let alone just one type of guitar. Yet, by u series of coincidences,a classical guitarist and luthier with little knowledge of the jazz world was to design a guitar that gradually evolved to become the only guitar Django Reinhardt was ever to endorse.The vast majority of his recordings and concerts were performed on this one model. and by association it has become the first choice for guitarists around the world seekins that elusive Gipsy-jazz authenticity.

MARIO MACCAFERRI In 1930 Mario Maccaferri was well known across Europe as a classical guitarist. having given recitals in his native Italy and in France. Switzerland and Germany. As a young man he had been apprenticed to the instrument maker Luigi Mozzani in his hometown of Cento. FIe had learned to make guitars, harpguitars, mandolins. violins and other stringed instruments. while simultaneously studying the guitar. He had been living in London for two years. teaching and giving the occasional concert or touring. In his spare time he had built a few prototypes of experimental guitars. intended to improve the range and projection of t he ins t r u m e n t. n o d o u b t s p u rre d o n by the need to be heard at the back of the larger concert halls. He believ e d th a t c o n ta c t b e tw e e n th e pl ayer' s body and the back of the gui tar robbed the guitar of its tone. and devised a two part structure to fit inside the guitar and resonate unhindered by contact with the player. Firstly there was an inner box t h a t fi tte d c l o s e l y i n s i d e th e back and si des of the l ow er bout of the guitar, with an opening where it faced the soundhole.There was then added a'reflector' that curved from the back of the guitar towards the opposite s ide of t he s o u n d h o l e ,s o th a t s o u n d e m e rgi ng through the box openi ng would be reflected out through the soundhole. This internal soundbox and reflector are the reason for the characteristic large D-shaped soundhole on the original Maccaferri desisn.

T H ES E L M EM RA C C A F E R R I I n 1931, M ac c a fe rri , a n a s tu te b u s i n e s smanas w el l as a musi ci an and inv ent or . s h o w e d h i s p l a n s to B e n Davi s, the manager of the S elm er s hop i n L o n d o n . H e i n tu rn s uggested a meeti ng w i th Henri Selmer in Paris to discuss setting up a workshop at the Selmer factory to manufacture guitars under Maccaferri's dir ec t ion. A s a c l a s s i c a lp l a y e r. th e d e s i gner' smai n i nterest w as i n gut-stringed guitars, but Davis was kcen to compete with his bus ines s r iv a l s w h o w e rc i mp o rti n g steel -stri nged E pi phones.

TtoeM**r*f*rri-c*xs ign*rJS*i m*r {.lr* li*ri:r

Gibsons and Martins from the LJSA. As he ran a shop frequented

giiit*r*f J$3?"xls* k**lvri*s th* "ix;;.

L L-{

L. L: L-

- llJAttl[0'S EUITAR DjangoReinhardt

L--<

r r rr r rL>< >r<

L: L: L: L: L: L: LI

by all the best jazz players in England he was also aware of the shift away from banjo towards guitar in jazz groups. Seeing a business opportunity, he requested th a t th e p ro d u c t l i n e b e expandcd to i ncl ude steel -stri ngedi nstruments. In s e e k i n g i n s p i rati on for thi s addi ti onal gui tar, Mari o turned to the ma n d o l i n , a n i n s tru me n t he knew to be l oud rel ati ve to i ts si ze and capabl e of g o o d a rti c u l a ti o n a n d rc s ponse.H e took some el ements of gui tar desi gn - eg, an a rc h e d to p - a n d c o mb i n ed them w i th the bent dow n shape that w as tradi ti onal i n ma n d o l i n d e s i g n ,w h e re the top angl es tow ard the back of the i nstrument behi nd th e b ri d g e , w h i c h i s h e l d i n pl ace by the dow nw ard pressure of the stri ngs,rather th a n g l u e d . T h e s o u n d b o x and refl ector w ere part of thi s gui tar desi gn too, w hi ch m e a n t i t a l s o h a d th e D -shaped soundhol e. M a n u fa c tu ri n g g u i ta r s i n the 1930sw as a semi -i ndustri al process.Lathes and c u tti n g ma c h i n e s w e re u sed to prepare w ood and metal parts, and di es needed to b e m a d e fo r s ta mp i n g o ut parts such as the bent metal tai l pi ece and tuner covers . W o rk e rs a t S e l mer. w orl d l eaders i n brass and w oodw i nd i nstruments . were expcricnccd in both metalwork and woodwork and Maccaferri had

>-<

supervised production in Mozzani's workshop as a young man. Production quickly gathered pace during 1931 and the first guitars were

>r<

shipped in IL)32.almost all going to London. T h e l e v e l of commi tment from the S el mer C ompany to i ts new rol e o f g u i tz rr m zrker i s show n by the i ncl usi on of no few er than fi ve

E-<

r-l

mo d e l s i n t he catal osue i n that fi rst vear.

rL:

THEGUITARS

L<

The guitars fall neatly into two types. There were the classical

E-<

m o d e l s , i n tended for gut stri ngs. w hi ch w ere cal l ed C oncert, Es p a g n o l a nd C l assi que.Then there w ere tw o steel stri ng model s:

L:

i: L-<

S * l l x * r ' * f f i * l i e ! * J * ; ; * f t r* 3 # , r r * ; i t * i l ; f l * r t i : * r t r * g : * r t t . *! fl #H , t * * * f * r f l

th e Orc h e stre (l ater know n as the Jazz) and the H aw ai i an. A l l w ere m a rk e d i n si de ' H enri S el mer. P ari s' . i ni ti al l y by means of a bakel i te p l a tc ; l a te r arl abcl w as gl ued to the i nsi de ol the gui tar show i ng the

L:

m o d e l n a m e a n d serial number. The Selmer logc-rwas also engraved on the face ol the

L-<

TheConcert

r

LLL-<

r r L--<

LL_ LL_<

L_<

r l1

he a d s to c k a l o n g w i th o n e o f Maccaferri ' s vari ous patent numbers.

T h c C o n c c rt mo d e l c l o s e l y re sembl ed the more f amous Orchestre or Jazz model , and wa s p ro b a b l y th e d e s i g n c l o s e stto Maccaferri ' spersonal i dea of gui tar heaven.The body wa s l a rg c r th a n u s u a l 1 ' o ra c l assi calgui tar and of a shzrpeenti rel y thc desi gner' sow n , pa rtl y to g i v e a g re a te r v o l u me but al so to make room for the i nner soundbox. It had a de e p c u ta w a y to th e l 5 th fret. a feerturethat i s not uni versal l y accepted on cl assi cal gu i ta rs e v e n to d a y .T h e h e e l was fl at w here the neck j oi ns thc body. rather than poi nted as n o rm a l . T h e re w e re 1 2 fre ts to the body on the w i de fl at ebony fi ngerboard. w i th 24 fre ts u n d e r th e h i e h E stri ns accommodated bv an extensi on over the l arg c D soundhole.

- Il|t MI|$IC DjangoReinhardt

T he hea d . n e c k a n d h e e l w e re ma d e from three pi eces of w al nut and gl ued together wit h t he h e a d a n d n e c k s tre n g th e n e d by a curved tongue-l i ke tc-nonj oi nt under the f inger boar d .T h e w i d e r th a n u s u a l g l u e d-dow n cl assi calstyl e bri dge w as made of cbony and had a tw o -p a rt s a d d l e to i m p ro v e i ntonati on. The i nternal ' fan' strutti ng of thi s guit ar was s i mi l a r to th e n o rm a l p ra c ti ce for cl assi calgui tars.and the E uropean spruce t op was f la t. w i th o u t th e a rc h o f th e j azz model . Thcre w as el di sti ncti ve trapezoi d heads t oc k w i th a n e b o n y v e n e e r a n d a zero fret, the l atter bei ng common to al l the guit ar s in th e ra n g e .

TheEspagnol T his guit ar h a d a mo re c o n v e n ti o n a l appearance,w i thout the l arge D soundhol e or c ut away , an d h a d a c o n v e n ti o n a l c l a s s i calheadstock. In other respects i t retai ned the ot her es s e n ti a l fe a tu re s o f th e C o n c e rt. The soundbox w as modi fi ed to al l ow for the s m aller r ou n d s o u n d h o l e .

TheClassique M ac c af er r i o r S e l me r s e e m s to h a v e d e ci ded that a conventi onal sui tar w as essenti alto c om plet e th e ra n g e . a n d th i s g u i ta r h a d none of the i nnovati on of the others. It w as a s t andar d c l a s s i c a li n s tru me n t i n e v e ry respect.

The0rchestre T his was t h e i n s tru me n t th a t c a me to b e know n as the Jazz model . It w as the same shape and size as the Concert though it could be ordered without a cutaway. There were 24 f r et s on t he s a me fi n g e rb o a rd e x te n s i on and the same fl at heel . It al so had the i nternal s oundbox , D s o u n d h o l e a n d th re e -p i ece neck. Four l ateral struts repl aced the fan br ac ing of th e ' c l a s s i c a l 'C o n c e rt mo d e l and a central strut w as added to strengthen the glue joint w h e re th e tw o h a l v e s o f th e top met. T he ar c h i n th e s p ru c e to p w a s o b ta ined by curvi ng the struts and then gl ui ng the top t o f i t : t h e g u i t a r w a s n o t a n ' a r c h - t o p ' i n t h e s e n s eo f b e i n g c a r v e d l i k e a t y p i c a l 1 9 3 0 s ar c h- t op gu i ta r. T h e to p w a s b e n t d o w n behi nd the bri dge. mzrndol i nstyl e.and the back and s ides w e re u s u a l l y ma d e fro m a three-pl y combi nati on of mahosany on the i nsi de and r os ewo o d o n th e o u ts i d e .T h e c e n t rc l ami nate w as usual l y popl ar. l ai d w i th i ts grai n at a r ight a n g l e to th e o u te r w o o d s . M accaferri had di scovered that correctl y made ply wood c a n b e b o th s tro n s a n d l i g h t. a l though today i t i s often w rongl y associ atcdonl y with cheap guitars. T he s t r i n g s w e re a tta c h e d to th e mandol i n-styl e tai l pi ece screw ed to the bottom of t he guit ar , w h i c h c o u l d ta k e e i th e r l o o p or bal l end stri ngs.The bri dge w as not gl ued but held in plac e b y th e d o w n w a rd p re s s u reof the stri ngs and had w ooden extensi onsei ther s ide.whic h w e re g l u e d i n p l a c e a n d h e l ped w i th l ocati on as w el l as bei ng decorati vc.The s lot t ed hea d s to c ko f th e C o n c e rt m o d e l. w i th i ts trapezoi d shape.w as sti l l present but the t uner s pind l e sw e re ma d e o f s te e l to ta ke the steel stri ngs.Maccaferri ' s i nnovati ve tuners wer e enc a s e di n a s c re w e d d o w n b o x . protecti ng them and ensuri ng a ti ght fi t. and thc t c et h of t he c o g s w e re c u t a t a n a n g l e so that more w ere i n contact w i th the sear. The

L >-<

1: l:

- [JAI|G0'$ DjangoReinhardt 0UltAR

>< r-if

l_ l:>.< l_ >-< l: >--l

rl: >-< >-<

l: 1><

>-<

t: >-<

LL>-.<

me c h a n i s n tw a s l u b ri c a te d p e r mancntl v at the poi nt cl f matnufacturc:these featurcs have s i n c e b e c o m e s ta n d a rd o n m c tdern manufacturers' tuners.

T h eH a w a i i a n A m o d i fi e d v e rs i o n o f th e O rchestre modcl w as made to sati sfy the demand for gui tar s t h a t c o u l d b e p l a y e d fl a t o n th e l ap w i th a steel bar. H erw ai i anmusi c w zrsvery popul ar in t h e L ISA . a n d h a d a l s o c a u g h t on i n France and B ri tai n. The soundbox w as retai ned. bu t t h c c u ta rw a yw a s re mc l v e d a s unnecessarv. Tl ' rc stri ngs are hcl cl o1' lthe ' I' i ngcrboardby a hi g h n u t. th e fre ts s e rv i n s o n l y as mzrrkers.A seven-stri ngversi on w as offcred. but i t is e s s c n t i a l l yt h c s a m e a s t h c s i x - s t r i n gw i t h a l a r g e r n u t t c t t a k e t h c c x t r a s t r i n g a n d f o u r t u n c rs o n th e to p s i d e o f th e h eadstock.

N e wM o d e l s I n th e l o l l c l w i n g v e e l rs o me n e w model s w erc added to tl -rcrange.i ncl udi ng a hzrrpgui tar wi th th re c e x tra s tri n g s (M a c cafcrri w as zrdcvotee). a four-stri ng tcnor gui tar. the fours t r i n g t e n o r ' G r a n d - M o d d l e ' a n d t h e E d d i e F r c e m a ns u i t z r rw . hich attemptedto modifl, t h e tu n i n g o f a tc n o r b a n j o to obtai n the sonori ty of a gui tar. The l attcr sui tar is

><

no te w o rth y o n l y i n th a t i t s p e ci fi cal l vexcl uded the soundbox zrsi neffi ci ent.

r--_-<

SUCCES AS N DF A I L U R E

1_

I t i s l -e rito r s a y th a t th e ra n g e as a w hol e w zrsnot a success.P l ayers di d not take to the in n c r s o u n d b o x . w h i c h s e e m cd tcl choke the dvnami cs of the cl assi carln-rodel san d c o n tri b u te d l i ttl e to th c s te e l stri ng model s. It di ct si ve the cl assi calgui tars a very even

E<

r e s p o n s e th ro u s h o u t th e i r ra nge. but consi deri ng the addi ti onal ti me and expensc it c z tu s e dd u ri n g ma n u l ' e rc tu re i ts i ncl usi on i n thc cl esi gncoul d hardl y be j usti fi ecl .N o morc

t_

t-.><

t_ t_

rt_ L-<

L-

t h a n a I' e w c l o z e no f m o s t o f t he model s w cre mardc.the cxcepti on bei ng the Orchestr e mo d e l . w i th u p to 2 0 0 b e i n g shi pped to E ngl and i n the fi rst vcars. w here they w cre c e ru ti o u s l ya rd o p te db y s o m e p romi nent pl ayers.The E ddi e Freemarnw as macl e i n som c nu mb e rs .th o u g h a n v s u rv i v i n q exampl es tcr-rdto hervebecn converteclto 6-stri ng use. If s a l e s w e re s l o w i n E,n g l and.how ever. they began to pi ck up i n France, not l cast be c a u s ea c e rta i n s u i ta r p l a y i ng sensati on.D j ango R ci nharcl t.had di scovcred the gui ta r

E L-

an d b e e n w i d c l y p h o to g ra p h ed pl ayi ng i t. A s the Qui ntette du H ot C l l ub de Franc e be c a m e mo rc a n d m o re fa mo us. so di d thc S el mer gui tars w i th w hi ch i t w as associ ate d.

L-

that he had designed.

E-<

r ><

19 3 4 w tl s th e v e a r th e Qu i n tette made i ts recordi ns brezrkthrough. but by then Ma c c a fe rri h a d s e v e rc d a l l c o nnecti on w i th the S el n' rerC ompany and w i th the gui ta r

SELMER WITHOUT MACCAFERRI

L'

Du ri n g th c c o u rs e o f 1 9 3 3 .a di spute devel oped bctw een Maccal erri and H cnri S el n-rer . I t s fu l l d c ta i l s c z rno n l y b c s u e s sedat. but the desi gnerw as unhappv w i th certai n cl auses

I

i n h i s c o n t r a r c ta. n d S e l m e r m a v h a v e b e e n u n h a p p v w i t h t h e s u i t a r i s t ' si n t e r e s ti n o t h e r ars p e c tso f h i s b u s i n e s s .(M a c caferri l atcr l ounded a hi ghl v successfulw oodw i ncl reecl-

r<

LLL---<

r !

_.<

n-ra k i n gb u s i n e s s i n A m e ri c a . competi ns di rectl l ,w i th S el mer.) producti on w arsw cll

- TlltMU$IC Django Reinhardt

es t ablis h e di n th e g u i ta r w o rk s h o p a nd coul d conti nue w i thout the desi gner' spresence, but there were some immediate problems, not least that Maccaferri had taken out patents on his soundbox design and it could no longer be used without his permission. The result was that during the years 1934 to 1936 the exact appearance of the Selmer guitar varied widely. D-holes, round holes and small oval holes, classical and trapezoid headstocks,cutaway and non-cutaway bodies, and 12- and 74-fret necks all appeared on these guitars in random order. Output fell steeply and gut-stringed models were dis c ont i n u e d .

T h en e wM o d d l e lazz During the course of 1936 a standard guitar was gradually developed which was to r em ain in p ro d u c ti o n , a p a rt fro m a few years duri ng the w ar, unti l l 952.The D -hol e w as gone for good, as was the soundbox and the 12-fret neck join. Players had come to expect a 14-fret neck. which together with the cutaway gave excellent high fret access.The original shape tailpiece, bridge and headstock were kept. but a small oval soundhole replaced the now unnecessaryD-hole. The fingerboard extension was discontinued and 21 frets were fixed to the board, which ended curved round the oval soundhole. The same woods were used as before, although there are occasional minor variations particularly during wartime. Django had publicised the Orchestre model and continued to be photographecl with the new Jazz mc-tdel. Over the years he was to own and play many Selmers,as in exchange for his support he was encouraged to visit the Selmer shop and equip himself and his musicians as he wished. Guitars were often subsequently given away to friends, family and c olle a g u e s .H o w e v e r h e e v e n tu al l y settl ed on one parti cul ar i nstrument. number 503, m ad e i n 1 9 4 0 ,a n d k e p t i t u n ti l hi s death i n 1953.In 1964 D j ango' s w i fe N agui ne donat ed th i s g u i ta r to th e C i t6 d e l a M usi que, P ari s,w here i t can sti l l be seen. In 1939. hoping to exploit Django's growins successand association with the Jazz m odel, Se l m e r b e g a n to i n s c ri b e 'Moddl e D j ango R ei nhardt' on the face of the headstock between the string slots.This was mostly in flowing script, but some, including Django's own No 503,just have 'Django Reinhardt' in capitals.These guitars are in every other respect standard Jazz models,however, and the practice was discontinued within a year. The only other variation on the now establishedJazz model was when a maple neck with a flat. rather than slotted, headstock was fitted to a run of about 20 guitars during t he y ears 1 9 4 1 to l g 4 2 .T h e s e g u i ta rs al so had mapl e bodi es and may w el l be the resul t of shortagesof the usual materials due to the war. Some suitars made near to the end of production can be found with rosewood necks.

THEDEMAND FOR COPIES B y 1952 ,g u i ta r p ro d u c ti o n w a s a m i n ute and i rrel evant part of the acti vi ty of the S el mer c om pany a n d th e d e c i s i o nw a s ta k e n to shut dow n producti on.The enti re contents of the guit ar wo rk s h o p w e re s o l d to th e Pa ri s-basedl uthi er Jean B euscher.Many unfi ni shed or dam aged g u i ta rs w e re c o mp l e te d o r r epai red i n hi s w orkshop. and many parts w ere sol d t o ot her m a k e rs to b e u s e d o n c o p i e s.In fact, the S el mer copy i ndustry w as al ready w el l

li::I'j

--

- 0JAItlE||'$ E|IIIAR DjangoReinhardt

-1

--under way in France. with many independent builders, often of Italian extraction, offering Selmer-inspired instruments often at more affordable prices. Busato and Di

-1

---

Mauro were among the most prolific imitators, though their instruments are rarely exact copies and tend instead to have Selmer-like features such as the abrupt cutaway and the

---

oval soundhole. In th e e a rl y 1 9 7 0 s . th e E ngl i sh publ i sher and i nstrument i mporter Mauri ce Summerfield arranged for around 1,300 Selmer copies to be made in Japan for the IJK market and sold under the CSL brand. These were good quality instruments and have

-_<

4

since become valued by guitarists.All had I 2-fret necks but both D and oval soundholes were featured. In 1979 he instigated a further run of about 400 D-hole guitars under the

>.<

>1

-

><

-

--<

Ibanez brand, this time with Maccaferri's approval and signature on each one, until Maccaferri became unhappy with the quality of the product and refused to sign any more labels.Japan's Saga company was next in line, with a series more closely based on the Selmer tradition, including both l2-fret D-hole and 14-fret oval hole guitars.Thanks to the spread of Django's music around the world and to his many followers there are now countless makers producing copies of varying levels of accuracy.

.1

>_<

LEGACY THESELMER

-1

The Selmer company made guitars for just 20 years and probably produced fewer than 1000 instruments in that time, mostlv steel-string guitars of a type not really intended by the original designer.That they were innovative is beyond dispute, and though many of the features that go together to make a Selmer can be found individually on other

>-a

guitars it is the combination of headstock. tuners, body shape, woods and construction methods that makes them unique both in appearance and sound quality.

>-<

>_<

r---<

-

M o s t g u i ta r b u i l d e rs w o u l d not set out to create an i nstrument w i th the qual i ti es of the Selmer Maccaferri. The bass is powerful without being boomy. the trcble can be incisive or sweet, depending how the guitar is played. The deep cutzrwavar-rdfast sharllow

>,<

neck cry out for a virtuoso to exploit the entire fingerboard. but in thc \\'rons hands its im m e d i a c y o f a tta c k a n d re s p onsi venesscan sound dry and bri ttl e. A strctngvi brato i s

>_-<

r eq u i re d to p re s e rv e i ts s u s ta i n ,though i ts savi ng grace i s i ts abi l i tv to proj cct: si nce the onl y w a y fo r D j a n g o to a m p l i fy hi s gui tar i n the earl v 1c)30s\\' i i s to pl ay i nto a

---1

>-<

>__1

><

m ic ro p h o n e h e s e e m sto h a v e a ppreci ated thi s qual i tv rnore than anv othcr. T h e Se l m e r c a p tu re s th e s p i ri t of the age i n w hi ch i t rvzrsi nvented. and has become a des i g n i c o n i n m u c h th e s a m e way as the Fender S tratocasteror Gi bson Les P aul . One pho to o n a C D c o v e r c o n j u re s up the era of sw i r-rg.of Gi psv j azz. of 1930s P ari s and Lon d o n . w h e n g u i ta ri s tsw e re emergi ng I' rom the rhvthm secti on to pl ay si ngl e note and c ho rd s o l o s a t th e fro n t o f th e band. The S el mer Mzrccaferrigrew out of the same need f or l o u d n e s s th a t. a c ro s s th e Atl anti c. had created the Marti n D readnought and the

>___<

Do b ro R e s o n a to rl g u i ta rs w h i ch have al so found thei r' ni che' (i n bl uegrassand bl ues ) because of qualities that in other fields would be viewed as faults. Mario Maccaferri

>_<

never met Django, and Django was a phenomenon on any guitar, but it is fortunate for us a l l th a t th e S e l me r c a m e a long at exactl y the ri ght ti me for D j ango to expl ore hi s

>--{

c r e a ti v i ty to i ts l i m i ts . a n d i n d oi ng so to create and popul ari se an enti re genre ol ' musi c . >1

>-1

3:!j

- TlltMU$IG DjangoReinhardt

PlayIike Django ANYONE

LISTENING

TO DJANGO

REINHARDT

play on the classic

Hot Clu b rc c o rd i n s s c a n p ro b a b l y tel l he w as one of the most remarkabl e gui tari sts t her c ha s c v e r b e e n . E v e n a c a s u a l l ook through the transcri pti ons i n thi s book w i l l c onf ir m th c e x te n t o f h i s m a s te ry of both the gui tar and the i mprovi sati on that i s es s c nt ia l to th e Gy p s y i a z z s ty l e . Is i t possi bl e to pl ay l i ke hi m? The fact that i t i s not going t o b e e a s y d o e s n o t d i s c o u r age thousancl sof peopl e around the w orl d from c njoy ing th e a tte m p t. W i th s o me s u i dance. bzrsedon careful anal ysi s of w hat D j ango ac t ually d o e s .i t i s p o s s i b l c to p l a y s o me great. and styl i sti cal l yappropri ate musi c.

THES OUND A s t eel s tri n s e d a c o u s ti cg u i ta r i s i d e al . and though i t cl oesnot have to be a S el mer-styl e guit ar it d o e s n e e d to b e s u i ta b l c fo r pl cctrum pl ayi ng.A fai rl y hi gh acti on i s preferabl e, f or a c fea n b u z z ,-l } e es o u n d a n d l o ts of cl ynami crange, though the stri ngs don' t need to be par t ic u l a rl y h c a v y .D j a n g o u s e d ' A rgenti nes' w hi ch are rel ati vel y ti ght and have a soft s ilv er - pl a te dc o p p e r w ra p o n a s te e l c ore, l endi ng them a responsi vebut mel l ow qual i ty. LJ s ea s t i l f p i c k a n d g e t u s e d to p l a yi ns nearer the bri dge than normal for an i nci si ve t onc . m o v i n g n e a re r th c n e c k fo r the w armer tones needed for bal l ads and those ex pr es s i v em o m c n ts . Id c a l l y v o u s h oul d keep vour w hol e pi cki ng hand off the gui tar, m ov ing frc e l y fro m th e w h o l e w ri s t a nd arm rather than resti ng the fi ngers on the gui tar t op. Y ou s h o u l c l a l s c l a i m to p i c k v i rtual l y evcry note. as D j ango uses rel ati vel y few ham m er - o n sa n d p u l l -o fl s (o r s l u rs .a r sthey w i l l be cal l ed from now on). For the l eft hand. apar t f r om s tre n s th .s p c e d ,a g i l i ty a n d co-orcl i nati on.an i ntense vi brato w oul d be useful . Conc entra te c l n ' w i g g l i n g ' th e s tri n g f rom si de to si de very rhythmi catl y to devel op thi s.

DJANGO'S TRICKS M as t er in g a fe w o f th e fo l l o w i n g w i l l makc your pl ayi ng morc authenti c:they al so come in handy i f y o u ru n o u t o f me l o d i c i n spi rati on.

Rakesandsweeps Her e' s a s i m p l c s w e e p frc tm ' M i n o r S w i ng' . bar 36:

F t-

E L: L: L: L--

r

L: L: ><

- PIAY DjangoReinhardt lllfi I|JANB0

Hold the first 4 notes down and play them with one dow nstroke acrossfour stri nss. t he n a d d th e l a s t n o te w i th a n u pstroke. T h i s o n e fro m' Bo u n c i n ' Aro und'

i s l esseasy.though agai n you need to start w i th thc fingers down on the E and A strings beforc making a qui ck j ump to thc D , G. and B s t r i n g s a n d s l i d i n g d o w n o n c f ret to arri ve on E . U se one dow nstroke across al l fi ve s t r i n g s .Go o d l u c k !

rL: ><

l>-<

L: L: LLLLL: L<

I-.<

r-<

>_< L<

Bends M o s t o f D j a n g o ' s b e n d s a re o f one s e m i t o n e . I n ' M i n r t r S ' , ' n ' i n q('b a r 7 3 ) t h e - 5 t ho f A m in o r i s b e n t u p to th e fl a tte n ed 6th a n d r e l e a s c c l :

L<

L-<

t_ Ll

L: L_L-r<

L--<

LL: L-L_ L: t--LL: L_' LLL--<

L<

L---<

D] ,-

l--<

}_-<

(Straight8s)

L-< >-r<

l_ }-.< l_ L

(Straight8s)

-----l

L--<

L--<

t_--t_ L.<

L-<

picking Tremolando ortremolo Essentially this technique is the creation of a sustained sound by means of very fast alte rn a te p i c k i n g . D j a n g o u ses thi s on chords, parti cul arl y w hen accompanyi ng '. Grappelli's solos,such as in 'Sweet Chorus bars 48-49:

L__ ]---<

t]-<

l_ Ll_ LL_ L: L. LL_L}-__< l_ ]--<

lj>-.<

LLLL_ L>--< LLLLL=- -( LLLL_ L_ LLL_ r_{

>_-<

>---< r-_<

>-

If the chord is major. use the major 6th arpeggio, emphasise the 6th and add the 9th o c c a s i o n a l l yt o o ( ' D j a n g o l o g y ' .b a r 1 1 1 ) :

--.

t_

- Plff l.llftDJltIG0 Django Reinhardt

E t_ >.<

1_ 1_ L1_ 1_ L 1_ >_< H

>.<

>< ><

D--<

Django does not use ' b o x ' shapesl i ke b l u e s s c a l e st.h o u g h h c does l i kc the sound of ' D j a n g ol ogy' , bar 1 6 : the flattened third as in

><

l_ >--< l_ l_ l_ l_ 1_ L>--< l__ L lLl_ LLL: L L_ L LL_ }--<

>_.< >_.< >_.< F--{

'call Finally, make a conscious effort to use the whole guitar. for exantplc br ;rlaving a n d re s p o n s e ' p h ra s e s i n a l t ernatel y hi gh and l ow regi sters.as i n sevcral pl aces in 'Bouncin'Around'.

>--*<

>- -< L=.---a

r-{

r

SWEETCHORUS CHORDS

ffi

EG

f-T--TTl

L--a

L. L_ LL_ LL L_ LLLL_ L-L: LL_ LLL__ LL_>---<

rL-

r-r-r-r-r-r

nTr]-l

Am6 Cm6 |' (D Bass)

>-<

rr-l-n

A-u.

(D Bass)

L<

L_ LL-

fffffr

.* 1,I

Gm6

trtrn

trtrn

r

XX

Gm6

ffi fiff+j-'' trtrn

fl-trn

G-u Apu.'I Gm6,$$1 :ll 'I (D Bass) (D Bass) -

>-<

Gm6

)---<

rr rr rr rr r L rr rt' r -< ['

m'-

m"t FU+ F9IC

tr

l-it-t-fl

Bb6

/

m*" FU+ Am6

H+H-l fitrm H+t-?t ffi -

tttttl

FrFrn

t-r]-l-n

E

mt" F]+fl

Gm6 Am6 (D Bass) X

XX

X

XX

Em*'' Effi=,, t-t-t-ffl ffH-fl Frrrn

Am6 (D Bass)

F|-Fr-n

Cm6

lt

tttttl

rrrFn

m-'H+# Trrr-l

Fr1-FN

.rrr

FT-TT-

Gm6pbpo lnbtpbD7 lA ll

/

(D Bass)

ffi

/.

ffi

ffi ffi m*'' F++

Gm6

Gm6 Am6

FN-Tr1

Fr-]-r-n

t-r-t-Fn

Gm

(D Bass)

m*" ffi m''' ffiffi H++l X

XX

X

XX

trtrtr

Am6

(D Bass)

X

XX

l1-trH

Gm6 Am6

(D Bass)

X

XX

l-t-l-Fn

X

Xx

FrFFn

Gm6 ll ,##,:,

- TlltM||$IC DjangoReinhardt

MinorSwing Tiuly a Hot

Club classic, this is arguably the most famous Reinhardt/Grappelli composition of them all. At first sight it appears to be a tune of remarkable simplicity. T her e is a c h o rd s e q u e n c ei n v o l v i n g c h o rds I,IV and V 7 i n A mi nor. (that' s A m, D m and E7) and a melody based on a rising arpeggio of each chord. Look a little deeper and the form is not so straightforward: the theme is just eight bars long and played twice. Unusually, it is not re-stated at the end, there being a new 'riff' based eight-bar'outro' with violin and guitar in unison. rather than in harmony as at the beginning. Neither of these two chord sequencesis used for the solos,as guitar and violin take repeated choruses (four each) of a different sequence,16 bars long this time. Nevertheless,the structural integrity of the whole piece is so strong that many musicians have played it without even realising they are using three different chord sequences!

INTRODUCTION Django characteristically puts the minor 6th, B natural, in his D minor arpeggio that underpins Grappelli's. Other jazz musicians of the time would have favoured C, the 7th, but Django's Gypsy heritage seems to come through in the use of this 'clarker' interval. Note also Django's typical use of a one-fret bend on the D minor chord. and that for once the bass player gets a moment to shine with two simple but classicfills.

RHYTHM GUITAR The strumming pattern during the solos is slightly unusual here, the regulation Hot Club piledriver effect being abandoned for a more complex mix of a short downstroke on the first and third beats, with an accented downstroke on beats two and four, and a lighter upstroke on the following quavers.The resulting 'chack changa-chack' may need careful practice from even the most seasoned Hot Club aficionados.

n\/nr1\/

T H ES O L O Django's dramatic chordal entry involves the use of his third and fourth fingers; obviously not a problem when playing chords.The first note of the following pull-off is also likely to be played with finger four;it seems Django could use his injured fingers for single notes if he wished, though mainly on the E and B strings.Harmonically speaking, many trademarks can be found. The guitarist avoids the more common '1azzy' Dorian mode and instead goes for the dramatic-sounding harmonic minor scale.He also usesthe diminished 7th chord built on G# to play over the E7 chord, creating a harmony consisting of E, G#, B, D and F, which make an E7b9 chord. Typically, we find the 6th, B, used on the D minor chord and its counterpart F# used on the A minor chord.

n&fl?

L LLl-_<

-*l -

-< =:

tr---{

t_ t_ t__ !--<

t---<

t---.

-{ >'

-{ >

-{ iii >

-J-l

- Tl|tMU$IC DjangoReinhardt

r-3--r

Harnt.- -l

- ItlUA0t$ DjangoReinhardt

JB

L ts---

1-

rr 1_

E 60

F'. ) f-.)

)E{

l-{

1r--J

t_ r---

l_ )-{

t-_ t_

E

l-{

>_{

LLLL: )-{ E={

>_{

{

t_ { \-! l'1

L -.{

t_ {

t-:-{ L

F L r.{

tt_-t1 {

63

-----r r3--r eAJ

r-3 |

- TlltM||$IC DjangoReinhardt

70

clt 1

ch2

-ol 1

,G-t Abm6 DI

F7 ,------

- Illt MUSIG Django Reinhardt

a'

II I I I

- TlltM||$lC DjangoReinhardt

ffi

ffi

El+l Db9

FH

Go

m',' H]+F Dbe

FTFT_|]

ffi t-t-l-l-t-1

c7

F

ffi#

rr--rn

ffi ffi Go c7 trffi

.TTT-

il-trn

NUAGES CHORDS

ffi

l-f+?-H

TT-I-TTTFFN

F brrn

H#

ll st'

Fr-r-n

Dm l-mr

Ffl++-J ffi G7 cb

ffi

ff-T-]

ffi G7

TT-NT]

ffirr'

f+++?l +IIF t^

E] DD9 Eiffi

ffi ffi trtrn l-f-Tl--

Go

Gb7 -

fffrfl

c7

ll

ETE

FJ++I

F]+F

c7

F

ffi

i+ri

F7

BD

it.-t

H-++l-l rFFl-N

ffi qlTn

/

ffi rrrrn

I

.ri

tl

riru

?+++fl

H+?lt

F+F

H+IH

I

Pl BDm6 I' Tfrfi

HU+

Dbe

F

ffi

rr-rrFl

Go

Hffi

TI-TE

ffil

c7 r4#

ffi FrrTt]

F

/

- 0NTllIGl| DjangoReinhardt

0n the CD T h e C D c o n ta i n s re c o rd i n g s o f the si x D j ango R ei nhardt transcri pti ons i n thi s book, in c l u d i n g l e a d g u i ta r. tw o rh ythm gui tars and bass.Th" y are model l ed on avai l ab le Dj a n g o re c o rd i n g s .v o uc a n tra ck cl ow n usi ng the sessi ondates and catal ogue numbers. T h e C D w a s re c o rd e d u s i ng a techni que know n as ' mi cl cl l eand si de' . i n w hi ch pair a ' of fi g u re o f e i g h t' mi c ro p h o n es are fi xed at ri ght-angl es.A C ol es 4040ri bbon mi c faci ng in to th e ro o m c a p tu re d th e ' mi ddl e' i mage,w hi l e a C ol es 4038 provi ded the .si de' or l ef t an d ri g h t i ma q e s .a l l o w i n g c o ntrol over stereo w i dth. R o d F o g g p l a v e d a l l th e p a rts, begi nni ng w i th rhvthm sui tar onc. to the ri ght of the mi c s . H e th e n mo v e d to th e l e ft si de to pl ay rhythm gui tar tw o. thel added bzrss. i n the c e n tre a n d b a c k fro m th e mi c s. Fi nal l y the l ead (D j ango) parts w ere pl aved i n mono im m e d i a te l v i n fro n t o f th e Col es 4040.The recordi ngs capture the acousti c cffect o f mu s i c i a n sg ro u p e d to g e th e r a round a mi crophone i n a l i ve room. as i n the ori ei natl H ot Cl u b re c o rd i n g s .b u t a l l o w th e promi nence of the l ead gui tar and the dcsrce o1 sl erccr s p re a d to b e d e te rm i n e d a t m i xdow n. Thi s method w as devi sed bv H uw pri ce. w ho recorded. mixed and co-produced the cD with Rod Fogg. TRACK 1: TUNING

TONES

T R AC K 2 :' D J A N GOL OGy ' (R ei nhardr, Grappel l i ) Based on P77540,recorded September 1935 by Django Reinhardt, guitar; St6phane Grappelli. violin: Joseph Reinhardt and Pierre Ferret, rhythm guitars; Louis Vola. bass. T R A C K 3 : ' S WE ET C H O R U S ' (R ei nhardt, Grappel l i ) B a s e d o n OL A 1 2 9 5 -1 re , c o rd ed October 15th 1936w i th the same l i ne-up. T R A C K 4 :' BOU N C IN ' A R OU N D ' (Gus D el oof) B a s e d o n OL A 1 9 5 3 -1 ,re c o rd eclS eptember 9th l g37 by D j ango R ei nhardt. gui tar: Lo u i s G a s t6 , rh y th m g u i ta r; Eugdne d' H el l emmes, bass. T R AC K 5 :' M IN OR S WIN G ' (R ei nhardr, Grappel l i ) Based on OLA 1990-1,recorded November 25th 1937by Django Reinhardt, guitar; Stephane Grappelli, violin; Joseph Reinhardt and Pierre Ferret. rhythm guitars; Louis Vola. bass. TRACK 6:'HONEYSUCKLE ROSE' (Waller/Razaf) Based on DTB3s23-I,recorded January3tst 1938by Django Reinhardt, guitar;St6phane Grappelli, violin' Roger Chaput and Eugene v6es, rhythm guitars; Louis vola, bass.

={

I

H

T R A C K 7 :' N U AGE S' (R e i n h a rdt) Based on OSW146-I, recorded December 13th 1940by Django Reinhardt, guitar; J os e p h R e i n h a rd t, rh y th m g u i tar; H ubert R ostai ng,cl ari net;A l i x C ombel l e. cl ari net: Tory Rovira, bass;Pierre Fouad. drums.

ij4i

- BlBLl0GRAPllY DjangoReinhardt

Bibliography

c l u o t a t i o n sp . r e s sc u t t i n g s a n c l p h c t t o e r a p h s p r e s e n t sa v i v i c l p i c t u r c o f D j a n g c ' r ' w s orlcl.

M a n v b o o k s a n c la r t i c l c s o n t h c s u b j c c t o f

then and nclw.

D j z i n g o .t h c H o t C ' l u b Q u i n t c t t c i i n d C l i p s v i a z . ri,n s e n e r a l h a v c b c e n p u b l i s h e d o v c r t h e v c a r s i n s e v c r a l l a n u u a g c sJ. - h e l ' o l l o w i n q a r c

Stiphane Grappelli b1,'Gcol'l'r'ev Sr-nith

p i r r ti c u l l r ' l vi n t e r e s t i n c .

Exemplarv biographv of Django's long-tinre partner.with a great deal about Djarnecr

Django Reinhardr by C'harlcs [)e launzrv

hirnself.

( P a v i l i o n/ M i c h a e l J o s c p h 1 9 8 7 )

( A s h l c v M a i r k .1 9 E l ) English translatior-rof a mernoir [-r1, thc French c r i t i c a n c l c o - f o u n c l e ro f t h c H o t C l u b d c

La Tristessede Saint Louis bv Michael Zwcrir-r (Quartet.l9[J-5)

F r a n c e .w h o k n e w D . l a n g ot h r o u s h o u t l t i s

T h e s u b t i t l c . ' S w i n g[ J n c l c rt h e N a z i s ' .

career.Tiro anecdotal to bc a true biogriiphv.

d e s c r i b c st h e c o n t c n t s n e r l ' e c t l v .

but full ol'intercst. D.jango's Gltpsies bv Iiin Cruickshank (Ashlcy

Jazz Awal: From Home by Chris Gedclarcl ( P a d d i n g t o n P r e s s .1 9 7 1 ) )

Mark. 1994)

The early impact ol-iazzon Europc.

S u b t i t l e d ' T h e n t v s t i q u e o f D . j : r n e oR c i n h a r d t

particularlv Francc.

a n d h i s P e o p l c ' .t h i s c o l l c c t i o n o f r n c n t o r z t b i l i a . NOT E -fhe t e r m C i i p s v ( o r G v p s v ) i s I ' r o w n c d u p c l n i n s o m e q u a r t e r s n o w a d a v s .: r n d t h c w o r d R o m a i s c o m i n g l r o r e i n t o f a v o u r . I h a v e s t u c k t o G i p s y . n o t o u t o f c l i s r e s p e cbt u t b e c a u s c R o m a h a s n o t y e t a t t a i n e d u n i v e r s z t cl u r r e n c v a n d m a v n o t b e u n d c r s t c t o db y s o n l e r e a c l c r s . Tcr learn ntore ztbout todav's flourishing Gipsv-jazz scenc.try wwwjazzpartout.com or.il'you h a v e p l e n t y o f t i r - n ej .u s t t v p c " D j a n e o R e i n l ' r i i r d t "o r " H o t C l u b " i n t o v o u r s c a r c h e n g i n e . - l - h e a m o u n t o f m i i t e r i a l . i n E n g l i s h . F r e n c h .( i c r m i i n . D u t c h . e t c . i s q u i t e a s t o n i s l - r i n g .

Suggested record ings D j a n e o ' s r c c o r d i n g si t r c c o n s t a n t l vb c i n g

S i n g l eC Dc o m p i l a t i o n s

c o r n p i l e d .r e l e a s c d .d e l e t e d a n d r e p a c k a g e db y r c c o r d l z r b c l sa r o u n d t h e w o r l c l . B e c a u s eo 1

Quintessentiol: Le Quintette du Hot Club de France 25 Classics 1934-10

t h i s . i t i s i m p o s s i b l et o d r a w u p a p e r m a n c n t .

ASV Living Ertr 5267

d e fi n i t i v e l i s t o f t h e b c s t a v z i i l a b l es e l e c t i o n .

( A w e l l - c h o s e ns c l c c t i o r rl ' r o m t h c c l a s s i c

T h c m z i t c r i a ll i s t c c lb c l o w w a s a l l c u r r e n t i n

period.)

Junc 2(X)4.nnd aclvertisecl on zrt least one ol' thc big mail-order wehsites.

Djangology

(1934-35)

Naxos8120-51-5 ( T h e f i r s t l 8 r c l c a s c d t r z i c k sb v t h e Q u i n t e t t e . Thc following two Naxos CDs covcr the rcst o 1 t' h c o r i g i n a l Q u i n t e t t e ' sl i f c . )

DjangoReinhardt- A0lfltl0wLtl|0tMtNl$

E t It t

Swing Guiturs (I 936-37)

Rcinhardt

Nuros 812061i(r

intervicwwith Django himsell.)

a n d c v en a s h o r t 1 t ) - 5 r2a c l i o

HCQ Strur (1938-39)

Four-CD boxes

Naros 8l18707

Django 50th Anniversary Memorial EPM 1602()2

AII-Stur Ses.rinrrs Bluc Notc.ll.s77 ( l n c l u d c s n t u s i c I ' r o n rR c x S t c w i i r t a n c l C ' o l c n l r n H a u k i n s s c s s i o r r)s .

(Frencl-a r t n t h o k r s vf e a t u r i n s t w o C D s b y t h e c l r i s i n a lQ u i n t e t t c a n c l o n e e a c h f r o m t h e w a r t i m e a n c lp o s t - w a r p c r i c l c l s . )

D o u b l e - CpDa c k s

Django & his American Friends I93q-45 D e l - i n i t i v c| | 1 6 7

Pdche d Ia .llouche

( S c s s i o n sI ' c a t u r i n sC o l c n t a r r H a l v k i n s . D i c k v

V c r r c S 3 - 5+ l N - l

W c l l s . R e x S t e r , v i i r tL. a r r v A c l l c r . ( i l c n n M i l l c r s i d c m c n- 1 0 I t r z r c k si n a l l . )

( P o s t - r i a r r c c o r d i n g s .i n c l u d i n g t h e c o n t p l e t c \ l l r r c l t 1 9 . i 33 1 u " S t a r a l b u n i . )

Swing de Paris Gipsl' Jazz School: Django,s Legacl, I r i s \ l L r s i c3 ( X ) l 8 - + 5 ( F a s c i n a t i n gc o l l c c t i o r .cro n t a i n i n ga f e w D.januo tracks ulor-tgsicle erwclnclcrful paraclc o1'

Pnrper PROPERBX 53 ( N o l . c w e rt-h n n 1 0 3 t r a c k s .f r o n t t h c r c i c c t e d ( " t o o m o d e r n " ) O d e o n s e s s i o no 1 '1 9 3 4t o t h e C l u b S t ( l e r m a i n q u i n t e t o l ' l 9 - 5 2A . goocl

n r u t c r i a lb v o t h er C i i p s v . j a z e zuitarists

s c l c c t i o nr c p r c s e n t i n gc v e r v p h a s e . )

F c r r c t . V c c s . R o s en b e r g .J o s e p h a n d B a h i k

Acknowledgements {

tL tf {

I I I ! !

t \t

V I a n V k i n d a r l d s c n e r o u s o l ' f c r so f h c l p w e r e r c c e i v c c lc l u r i n g t h c r n a k i n g o l ' t h i s b o o k : p l c . s c a c c c p t I l r v t h a n k s a n d a p o l o g i e si l ' I h a v e m i s s e c vl o u l ' l r m t h i s l i s t . F o r t h c l o i l l i o f q u i t a r s .a n d v a l u a b l e b a c k g r c u n c li n f o r m z r t i o no n S c l m e r s :N i l s S o l b e r s a'cl R c b c c c a B r t l w r t : R o g e r P e a r c e ;W u r r j o G u i t z i r s .L o n c l o n ( w w w . w u n . j o e u i t a r s . c o m B ) :i l l p u p l e t t . F o r r e c o r d i r - r gt h e C D : H u w P r i c e . For his esscntial boctk.

-l-he

Strtrt,o.t''selnter-Muc't'ufetri Gtriturs: Franqois Charlc

(www.lutherie.nct). D a v c A l e x a n d c r ( w w w . h o t c l u b . c o . u k) . S t r i n g sb y N e w t o n c S t r i n g s ( w w w . n e w t o n e s t r i n s s . c r - r rG n )u. i t a r s b v . k r h n L e V o i ( w w w . l e v o i . f r e c s e r v e . c o . u) .k v i s i t w w w . r o d f o g g . c o mf o r m o r c o n p l a v i n e D j i i n g o R c i n h a r . c l t .