Django Chord Question

[Mike t.]

Heard a kid and his instructor play a duet on guitars picking out the song Tears by Django, very cool! I found some music for it that was way over my head, Switched to Swing 42 by Django, I have been trying, and making progress on this one. This is my first time ever giving minor 7ths a go. I would have just played the chords as either a minor or a 7th, but a minor 7th does sound nice. As for example for a Cm7th I would play the C bass with an E flat Maj. Chord. My question is this the only way to play them both together, just held down for the count or multiple counts, how do you give the bass some movement or rhythm?

 

[losthobos]

These old swings were played with a rhythm called 'la pompe' which is basically one beat Root note next beat chord repeat.... you're looking for a sort of Um..Chuk.. sound
It's not unlike stride piano so you could check that....listen to some old Django hot club records and you'll hear it.....I know rhythm guitarists who tell me it takes years to get that sound correct as huge physical demand to play fast for a long time
As to the 7ths I would worry as moving fast and sound should be snappy and clipped (Chuk) so doesn't really have time to ring....more percussive hit for dancers really ...
But if you do wanna add the 7th sounds then a walking bass to imply may work....IE
C, B (7th of C),A, G (7th of Amin) F (3rd Dmin) E (9rh of Dmin) D (5th of G) B (3rd of G) leading to E min.......
So C,B,A,G,F,E,D,B......
Experiment......but often less is more in this style so as not to clash with free rolling soloist

 

[JeffJetton]

For that sort of music, I'd either do the regular bass-chord pattern (which can still work even with the combos like Eb/C for Cm7), or I'd play the bass and chord together on each quarter note, maybe with a bit of emphasis on beats 2 and 4. Nice and punchy. Boomp-BAP-Boomp-BAP.

 

[losthobos]

P.S. that Gmin6 should be an Emin7b5...aka E half diminished.... so E bass with Gmin chord

 

[JeffJetton]

P.S. that Gmin6 should be an Emin7b5...aka E half diminished.... so E bass with Gmin chord

Definitely the more common chord in that particular situation. Although they are, of course, inversions of each other. It's all about what you decide to make the lowest note in the voicing.

Interestingly, I just checked the Django recording, and it sounds to me like the bass player is actually playing a Bb there! Which would make it still another inversion: Either a Gm6/Bb or Em7(b)/Bb.

 

[Mike t.]

P.S. that Gmin6 should be an Emin7b5...aka E half diminished.... so E bass with Gmin chord

Thanks!

 

[macdok]

I play a 48 bass note Frontalini PA (just base notes and major minor chords) which is a little restricted. What I’ve been doing is playing a C major with an E minor for a Cmaj7, and a C minor with an Eb major for a Cmin7. Then I use my right hand for a jazzy improv melody line. Hoping to move up to a 96 button bass shortly, which will give me a lot more options for full chord constructions!

 

[Mr Mark]

Heard a kid and his instructor play a duet on guitars picking out the song Tears by Django, very cool! I found some music for it that was way over my head, Switched to Swing 42 by Django, I have been trying, and making progress on this one. This is my first time ever giving minor 7ths a go. I would have just played the chords as either a minor or a 7th, but a minor 7th does sound nice. As for example for a Cm7th I would play the C bass with an E flat Maj. Chord. My question is this the only way to play them both together, just held down for the count or multiple counts, how do you give the bass some movement or rhythm?

I never thought I'd be playing this stuff a couple of years ago yet here I am a couple years later and quite enjoying the challenge of it all. Here's my 2 cents, YMMV!

I usually play with a group of people, and 'la pompe' is what this style of music is all about. Highly staccato. Not very often am I holding notes, almost never in fact. Django was a guitarist in the age before electronics playing large halls, also sans drums; so they had to be loud and percussive, yet let the lead reign over top of everything (Grapelli's violin). From what I know they did play with accordionists but not a lot of recordings reflect that - which is kind of nice in some ways because what I have found is to 'make it fit' is best, with no right or wrong way, than to say what sounds best.

Speaking rhythmically;

I almost never play notes on the 1&3

I always play the bass note of what is written in large letters here.

Minor, Major or 7th to taste. What this means is, it really depends who you are playing with and what compliments that. I find because this music is written mostly for guitar and violin that guitar is usually lead rhythm and accordion is complimentary rhythm.

Sometimes that is the 7th, sometimes it is the minor (or major). But not usually a combination of the two. I think this is because in a group setting with highly staccato la pompe, it complicates the music too much to be used.

Another example of things will be when you run into stuff like C#o7 - I will usually just play a C# bass and C#G# on treble.

I guess I err on the side of letting the guitar be lead rhythm, as was intended.



One thing about all the Django sheet music/transcriptions/fake books out there is that they are written as a version of a song, and many of these songs have many differing versions not only by Django but also by others. So the notes aren't always going to be right.

 

[Mike t.]

I never thought I'd be playing this stuff a couple of years ago yet here I am a couple years later and quite enjoying the challenge of it all. Here's my 2 cents, YMMV!

I usually play with a group of people, and 'la pompe' is what this style of music is all about. Highly staccato. Not very often am I holding notes, almost never in fact. Django was a guitarist in the age before electronics playing large halls, also sans drums; so they had to be loud and percussive, yet let the lead reign over top of everything (Grapelli's violin). From what I know they did play with accordionists but not a lot of recordings reflect that - which is kind of nice in some ways because what I have found is to 'make it fit' is best, with no right or wrong way, than to say what sounds best.

Speaking rhythmically;

I almost never play notes on the 1&3

I always play the bass note of what is written in large letters here.

Minor, Major or 7th to taste. What this means is, it really depends who you are playing with and what compliments that. I find because this music is written mostly for guitar and violin that guitar is usually lead rhythm and accordion is complimentary rhythm.

Sometimes that is the 7th, sometimes it is the minor (or major). But not usually a combination of the two. I think this is because in a group setting with highly staccato la pompe, it complicates the music too much to be used.

Another example of things will be when you run into stuff like C#o7 - I will usually just play a C# bass and C#G# on treble.

I guess I err on the side of letting the guitar be lead rhythm, as was intended.



One thing about all the Django sheet music/transcriptions/fake books out there is that they are written as a version of a song, and many of these songs have many differing versions not only by Django but also by others. So the notes aren't always going to be right.

Love your post! I’m behind the times… I thought YMMV was the type of reeds your accordion has! I need my grandkids to keep me up to date! I’m the only accordion play at our jam sessions and our group is mostly guitars, mandolins and just a few violins and banjos. The driving force of learning this style of music is a couple people who are taking lessons and bringing it to the jams. My starting point was being given the music to Receita de Samba by one of the mandolin players. I about have it down. Learning tunes I’ve never listened to before, means playing them over and over. (helps to hit a few right notes too!) Seems so slow of a progress. But, I’m having fun.

 

[Mr Mark]

Love your post! I’m behind the times… I thought YMMV was the type of reeds your accordion has! I need my grandkids to keep me up to date! I’m the only accordion play at our jam sessions and our group is mostly guitars, mandolins and just a few violins and banjos. The driving force of learning this style of music is a couple people who are taking lessons and bringing it to the jams. My starting point was being given the music to Receita de Samba by one of the mandolin players. I about have it down. Learning tunes I’ve never listened to before, means playing them over and over. (helps to hit a few right notes too!) Seems so slow of a progress. But, I’m having fun.

I'm old enough to be happily behind the times, and have reached the point where it seems to me a lot of folks are so far ahead of the curve that they are actually in the ditch...I digress A lot of my younger friends don't know what YMMV is either so maybe it is peculiar to a certain age of internet and that is all.

Django has taken some growing on me but it is there. I had no idea how influential his playing was to so many people but I see it now.

We are fortunate to have a great upright bass player to keep the simple and necessarily steady beat for this stuff. I highly suggest getting one. This is probably the other reason I keep it simple so that my bass lines don't interfere with his. This music is great for jams because there is so much room for soloing, every song, everyone gets a turn (if they want). If you can find a clarinet player I also highly recommend getting one.

And there are so many, many songs.

Where I get into trouble is that I will play along with renditions and then when we jam it often has a very different feel (and a number of different keys played in depending upon the version), and I have to unlearn things I do on my own.

I too have experienced slow progress. I take comfort in knowing that is because there is so much to know. But also, I'm having fun!