Unaccompanied Django

Michael Horowitz recommended this book to me years ago now because I was looking for transcriptions of phrases and scales typical of gypsy jazz. A must-have! A magnificent book that I keep preciously because it is the result of a colossal work on this music. But also because he gives the keys to it. Thanks for everything, Michael.

Submitted by: Bluecap Jim on 10/11/2021 01:26:13 PM

The most expensive book I've ever bought after shipping to the UK but worth every penny. The quality of the transcription work that has gone into this book is exceptional. Ringbound and with good thick pages after a couple of months use it is still in excellent condition. I'm at a low/intermediate level and there is so much I'm learning on style and technique. I can already see that there are layers upon layers of information here and I'm sure I'll be learning new things from this book for decades to come! Thank-you for putting this book together. It has improved my playing and understanding of Gypsy Jazz so much and gives me lots of pleasure and fun.

Submitted by: Psychochilli on 11/26/2018 08:47:54 AM

Pros: The transciption notes to the music and the CD enhance the standard notation and tabs. An added plus is that this is a spiral bound book

What an herculean effort by Michael Horowitz. There is information and transcriptions for all levels of expertise. An extraordinary musical and historical journey into Django Reinhardt’s unaccompanied guitar style.

Submitted by: quitos52 on 10/25/2018 09:20:01 AM

Pros: Excellent

Cons: none

Michael's book "Unaccompanied Django" along with the supplementary CD are excellent resources for anyone wishing to study the Manouche style of playing. The transcriptions are exceptional and the student has the additional benefit of being able to listen to each passage, while reading the standard notation or tablature. I also find the transcription notes to be very helpful as well, while the use of the spinal binding makes for easy use. A great deal of effort has gone into this work, and it shows.

Submitted by: Jan on 02/15/2016 02:11:37 PM

Pros: you cant go wrong

Cons: none

wow an incredible amount of work has gone into this book, and to do it justice you yourself has to put the same amount of effort back worth every penny many thanks micheal for doing all the hard work

Submitted by: ian on 12/21/2015 01:13:18 PM

This is an astonishing, absolutely wonderful book. It is a monumental contribution to the study of Django's music. It is in these pieces that we find the Django that so many miss, the Django who knows the great composers of his time and who seems to play as the great painters paint. And what Mr. Horowitz has done in creating this book is a very fine thing - the transcriptions are excellent, very accurate, the manuscript is beautifully printed (an older eye can actually see the notes on the page!), the transcription notes are clear and helpful - even the quotations that are interspersed throughout the book are carefully chosen and placed, and poignant. I cannot imagine the hurdles that Mr. Horowitz had to overcome to get this great book into print - but I am grateful he did it. It is proving a great help to me.

Submitted by: Appel on 03/19/2015 11:27:34 PM

I'm very impressed with Unaccompanied Django. It inspires me to dig deeper into the amazing solo work of Django, and adapt to this style of playing guitar. The transcriptions give me an entirely new perspective on Django's genius and causes me to ask myself why the hell have I been living under a rock for so many years no knowing his work. This book will inspire those guitarists not familiar with Gypsy Jazz (Swing) to take special interest in it. The author gives us precision transcriptions and thorough explanation of the pieces. This book also DOES NOT occupy a spot on my bookshelf--it is glued to my music stand!

Submitted by: Bearclaw on 12/06/2014 05:56:13 PM

A must for any Django enthusiast. The transcriptions are clear and concise. It is obvious much thought and work went into the creation of this endeavor. It will provide anyone with hours if not years of excellent study!

Submitted by: Spider on 06/07/2012 05:30:58 PM

This is a great book. The attention to detail, from the fingerings to the use of a spiral binding for ease of use, shows that the author really put a lot of effort and thought into every aspect. Also, these are tunes that you may never find transcribed - but for this book.

Submitted by: SJM on 05/19/2012 07:13:58 PM

This is a great book - I tried studying some of these pieces by ear, which is great practice but sometimes very hard. I've had this book a month and already got 'Improvisation No 2' largely cracked. For me this has been a huge leap forward in a very short time. I was impressed that all learning angles are covered - traditional music notation, chord windows, tabs - plus a CD. The only down side was that the postage from the USA to UK added 30% to the overall price

Submitted by: MLaws on 01/12/2012 12:27:46 PM

Pros: very interesting for fingerstyle guitarists

Cons: rather high shipping cost to europe

As a fingerstyle jazz/blues/ragtime guitarist I'm not a in-depth-connaisseur of Django's music but I came to know his solo work through YouTube and liked it. Via Tim Robinson's website I found out about this book and I ordered it. The book is very well presented and the transcriptions are accurate. The ringbinding is a plus. What I also like is that you have a lot of freedom in interpreting these pieces and making them your own. I would have preferred tablature with rhythmic notation just above the tablines instead of the standard notation but well...you can't have everything (hence the four stars ratings). The dadded cd is a tremendous bonus, saves you from buying a lot of others. The cd has no content listing anywhere though. All in all I'm very pleased with the book and it will keep me busy for years to come.

Submitted by: Carl on 10/13/2011 11:40:49 AM

I tried to obtain this book in the UK without success so ordered direct from the USA, very simple process - even accepted Paypal! Book arrived very quickly indeed. I am very impressed with both the book and the service I received. The book is excellent as it also has tabs for those of us unable to read music, so do yourself a favour and buy this book - I have never seen a better one.

Submitted by: Rick on 10/01/2011 07:34:23 AM

I was pleasantly surprised by this purchase.The ring binding is very practical. I have been acquiring Django books and transcriptions since the 1970,s and have not seen such complete transcriptions so far in the UK.The accompanying CD is a bonus.

Submitted by: Trev on 09/15/2011 05:46:45 AM

What an excellent value Michael's books are. He painstakingly is very detailed about what he does, and his books cover just about everything on the subject matter in one way or another. Intelligently researched, written and laid out, as well as the CD's that come with them. His exacting transcriptions of Django's work in particular is second to none!!!! I just wish I had more time to go through the book...hah.

Submitted by: scaley on 05/03/2011 01:37:22 PM

Watching a person perform a Django Reinhardt solo on YouTube over three years ago inspired me to try to learn to play Gypsy Jazz guitar competently. I spent year one on the basics, i.e., music theory, fretboard layout, learning jazz chords and fundamentals, etc., and I bought courses, numerous instruction books and DVDs to get started moving forward. After two years of hard work, I got to a point where playing was no longer tedious but enjoyable, fun and "natural." I'd come a long way and the practice was paying off. However, many of the songs I really longed to play seemed out of reach. I figured it would take an untold number of years to play some of the solos at a level that I would be pleased with. In December 2010, I discovered and purchased Unaccompanied Django by Michael Horowitz. Right away, I realized I had found my "Rosetta Stone" for learning these beautiful Django solos — and in my lifetime at that! In the past five months, I've learned to play Echoes of Spain, Improvisation #1 and #2. When I say "learned to play," I don't mean I've mastered them on a level of a Stochelo Rosenberg, but I have memorized all of the notes and I can play them smoothly and well enough to give me GREAT pleasure. Isn't that what it's all about? From this point on, I'll only get better as I practice and continue to learn. That's an exciting prospect! These transcriptions are just dead on the money. Michael Horowitz has an uncanny ear and flawless attention to detail. For example, some time back I came across a tab for Improvisation #2 floating around on the Internet. It wasn't bad, but when I compared it side-by-side to Michael's work, it was an inaccurate transcription of what Django recorded in 1938. Close but no cigar. These transcriptions are rich with detailed, useful information as well, which greatly helps accelerate learning. Standard notation, tablature, specific chord fingerings, picking techniques, all make it possible for the student to learn these solos in an efficient, methodical way, measure by measure. You won't find this kind of information elsewhere. If you're reading this, you probably: 1) love Django's solos, and 2) want to learn play them. If so, then you need to purchase Unaccompanied Django now. With diligent, dedicated practice, you'll be surprised at how quickly you can learn to play these most beautiful pieces, beautifully!

Submitted by: Randy on 04/25/2011 02:07:53 PM

A fantastic learning experience,djangos solo performances brought to us on the page.If you are struggling to work out what django really played here it is laid out for you no more hours playing the cd over and over. great work by michael horowitz and a prompt and friendly service.

Submitted by: the moose on 04/24/2011 04:46:26 AM

i am teaching myself gypsy guitar and using rosenberg academy to guide me. i purchased this and several other books and have been very satisfied with every aspect.

Submitted by: capncruz on 04/23/2011 09:42:27 AM