Welcome to Gypsy Picking

MichaelHorowitz

Greetings all! I'm here to answer your questions about my Gypsy Picking book. Feel free to share your experiences in learning this unorthodox style of picking that just sounds so good. Sometimes it can be frustrating, sometimes it can be gloriously rewarding. Either way, learning to pick Gypsy style doesn't happen over night.

Fire away!

-Michael

ViejoVato

Well ...
michael... thanks for starting up this forum ... i hated to go overseas for a decent style format ..

I got your book last year and put in quite a few hours.. it was a lot of work in the beginning because I had to break myself of 20 years worth of learning. But .. well worth the effort.. i can sometimes get those sweep patterns to almost sound good.

One question.. i have seen material from Romane (Manouche book0 and he sometimes picks a reverse sweep i.e back up the strings with the pick in one motion rather than a down stroke on every string change. Have you come across this in anybody else's style ??

29 more years and I should be ready for Samois ..
Actually we're putting on Samois sur San Pedro this year ... stay tuned.

Kudos for putting in the time to produce that book...

ViejoVato in beautiful downtown Pomerene Arizona ...

MichaelHorowitz

ViejoVato wrote:

Well ...

One question.. i have seen material from Romane (Manouche book0 and he sometimes picks a reverse sweep i.e back up the strings with the pick in one motion rather than a down stroke on every string change. Have you come across this in anybody else's style ??

I get this question a lot. The only place I can think of that Django used a reverse sweep was on the head for Nuits St.Germain de pres. Modern Gypsy players, especially Bireli, use it more often. But it's usually in the context of a modern idea. You can pretty much play all the trad. stuff without ever using that reverse sweep.

-Michael

~Ja Mahavishnu~

ViejoVato wrote:

Well ...

I got your book last year and put in quite a few hours.. it was a lot of work in the beginning because I had to break myself of 20 years worth of learning. But .. well worth the effort.. i can sometimes get those sweep patterns to almost sound good.

I may have an advantage over some of you guys, as I've only been playing about four and a half years. I've also changed my picking technique 3 or 4 times over the course of that time as well. I even stopped using one about 6 months ago. Discovered Djangos music though, and the pick came out again

I learnt a few tunes using just alternate picking(I have clips but I douby you wanna hear 'em ), but I recieved Gypsy Picking and UD a few weeks back, and after messing with GP for a bit I'm determined to learn this way of picking. I was honesty quite shocked at the extra note volume/clarity when using rest strokes :shock:

Anyway, cheers for the kick ass books.

ghodaddyyo

Aw man, I'm having serious trouble breaking the upsweep habit too. I spent many years developing it to produce just as much accent as I would use for down picking and to break that habit is really hard. I don't have the Gypsy Picking book yet, so I'm working on exercises and arppeggios from the Stephane Wrembel book and it's frustrating me to death trying to refrain from using the upstroke. I can't wait to get my Gypsy Picking book cause I imagine that it has exercises that will build up in a slower, progressive manner to break this habit. After dropping a load of cash on my new Gitane, I have to wait till my funds recover a bit before I order the book.

MichaelHorowitz

Just keep at it...you'll get used to playing with more downstrokes. It won't happen in 1 day, week, or month. It takes at least 6 months to get the basics. And you also have to be using rest strokes...regular downstrokes won't cut it.

Good luck!

'm

bonza

Hi Michael. i got my copy of Gypsy picking a couple of days ago and i am really enjoying it''
i had all ready got a tutorial book for Gypsy jazz and all though it had some good peace's to learn' it hardly had any thing about the rest or sweep strokes. and the speed the licks and tunes that are played on the CD are enough to put a beginner of playing for life. all i have been doing was picking little bits of tunes that i could play and have learned of nothing really?
but your book has all ready got me working on my proper picking and i think the speed of the tutorial CD is perfect! and not terrifying

it must have been fantastic going around all the sinty players and none sinty' that you have met for your book.
i am a Romany Gypsy and i come from the UK. i have only heard of one Gypsy here UK that plays Gypsy jazz? (Martin Taylor).
i would love to see a lot more.

bonza

i pressed send on my spell check to soon lol''
just wanted to say thank you' and all the best!!

MichaelHorowitz

Hi...glad you like the book!

-Michael

dnasurfer

hi- from NEW ZEALAND
I have played ibanez 7 string guitars for 13 years now, and i consider myself a good picker, i have a firm grip on alternate, sweep,economy, and hybrid picking when it comes to rock, blues and other styles- i would like to purchase your book on gypsy picking, because even though i think im proficient on my acoustic guitar, for this style of guitar playing i think i could improve, and by reading other peoples comments, your book seems like a firm grounding for this sort of playing.
im getting on in my years, and i have really taken to djangos playing and also rosenbergs,...
how do i go about getting this book?... thanks

MichaelHorowitz

Hi....you can order here:

Gypsy
Picking

Thanks!

-Michael