Gonzalo's rhythm

vince

Hi All,

I really like Gonzalo's rhythm playing, and after watching the DC music school video on it (preview here, definitely worthy buying the whole thing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D--cQRSaIu4) I have a question: on beats two and four, is he fully muting the strings, i.e. not whipping them fretted and quickly releasing?

Is he the only player to play this way? He says he is a fan of Bireli's rhythm section (Hono, no?) but I haven't heard Hono muting to this level in his DC music school videos.

Vince

seeirwin

The frustrating answer is "it depends." much of his sound, though, comes from the aggressive chord
Sound he gets on the 1 and 3. Usually he mutes the 2 and 4.

seeirwin

P.S. Gonzalo loves Hono for always swinging and being on top of the beat. There is so muc to love/be inspired by in addition to his voicings or when he lets the
Chord ring

vince

Thanks seeirwin. It seem he mutes fully, but really whips the strings to get volume. Doing this without a single note coming through is a challenge.

Regarding Hono, I couldn't agree more — the voicings I've seen him use on the DCMS videos have been enlightening. They are much higher than I would have used, but are really effective. I wonder if his voicings change when he plays without a bassist.

Jim Kaznosky

I kind of get that same feel in the faster stuff from LDDLH and the new French school, so I don't think it it is uniquley his. I do think it is very pronounced on his recordings.

klaatu

jkaz wrote:

I kind of get that same feel in the faster stuff from LDDLH and the new French school, so I don't think it it is uniquley his. I do think it is very pronounced on his recordings.

Yes, I think that was what Olivier Kikteff was trying to get me to do at Django in June last year (unsuccessfully, much to his despair).

Passacaglia

I'm playing catchup after a couple years away - and amazed how quickly things move (no pun intended). I workshopped with Alfonso P., Adrien Moignard and Benoit Convert a few years back - were they not together in Zaiti? Do I have it right - Adrien has his own band, Benoit is with LDDLH, and both have been part of the Selmer #607 project (this is a project, and not a band, yes)?

Also, I love GB's music, and at our local Midwest fest (those years ago), really enjoyed his workshop. I love the bone-dry snap of the 2-4 beat I hear, here and there, among players - and have been trying to achieve it, without completely muting the strings. Before I went away from playing a couple of years ago, what I was doing was what I felt was flawed technique, more of a bass-rounded 1,3 (but full strum, all the strings), and a fully muted 2, 4. I thought it was flawed, believing 2, 4 were always played, if only for a nano-second before choking off. Do I have this right - this is a kind of new-generation "wave" in French manouche, a completely muted 2, 4, esp. in faster tempos?

vince

Does anyone have a video of this rhythm style being played at higher tempos?

Bones

I've only taken a couple lessons from him before he (GB) left to go back to Argentina but he had me playing a very dry, bassy 1 and 3 (like a muted sweep) focusing on the lower 3 or at most 4 strings. The 2 and 4 were totally muted and a more percussive thwack across all 6 strings but no ringing at all on the 2 and 4. Totally muted and percussive.

Of course, for a ballad you might want to do something different.

Archtop Eddy

Ditto on what Bones says. Here's an audio clip from a Skype lesson I had with Gonzalo. He explains how he plays this rhythm style and what inspired him to play this way. I call the clip "Like a Tank", referencing how he explains his sound... AE

Archtop Eddy

By the way, I meant to say in the previous post: Thanks Gonzalo for the great lessons! AE