Where to start in Gypsy Jazz guitar style?

Jazzaferri

Well...I am going to disagree....LOL....get both books

Start learning both rhythm and picking. Spend most of your time each day learning the correct way to do the rhythm and a little each day on picking practice.

Practice REALLY SLOWLY make sure you get it right. Once you have the pompe down right on one chord expand to moving between 2 chords and then on to learning the pompe on tunes. Really Slowly at first

Once you are chording song easily, even if not at tempo, if you know your scales learn the head for that song using gypsy picking but Focus the majority of your time on the rhythm. Report back on your progress

Buco

@RobMacKillop developing a good sound in GJ can be done without exclusively relying on the rest stroke technique. Oli Soikeli is a good example. He says he learned the genre completely on his own, was pretty isolated in the genre where he lived. Says he wasn't even aware much of the rest stroke until he reached a high level in his playing and started playing with other good players from the genre. But he has a keen ear and it's obvious he tried hard to develop a good sound. listening to him you'd never know the difference. The guy has an amazing tone.

Buco

@Nathan Sist here's another player that started not long ago. He's from Philippines too:
http://www.djangobooks.com/forum/profile/4963/Franz Morales

Rob MacKillop

Thanks, Stuart. This is all very interesting. I actually have very quickly grown to love the sound and feel of the rest stroke, though I'm not playing very fast at the moment - taking my time with that one. I'll certainly keep doing it until it feels natural to stick with it or move into a hybrid technique. Thanks again.

Jim Kaznosky

Work on rhythm and single note picking, as mentioned here several times.
Use learning the basic repertoire as a means of learning these songs. You can learn the chord forms utilized in these songs and use the rest stroke technique to play the heads. There are plenty of threads here regarding what are essential tunes.

There are idiosyncratic picking patterns that get used time and time again. Gypsy Picking goes into this in detail. But if you follow a *general* principle of using a downstroke when you change strings, then you are in very good shape. Also, it is extremely important that you pay attention to your fretting hand. Learning the chords in Gypsy Rhythm or through any of the other reputable sources (like DC Music, etc), will show you what fingers to use and some very valuable things, such as playing two strings with one finger. Also, press hard. Weak fretting hand results in a weak sound. If you watch videos of all of these players (and talk to them), they all stress pressing hard.

There are plenty of resources out there now to learn and the choices are overwhelming. I would strongly suggest Denis Chang's rhythm and technique series. Once you can do this stuff, figure out how you learn best. For me, I learn best by learning solos note for note by ear and figuring out why phrases work.
Others learn licks and apply them as appropriate over similar chords and progressions. You'll also hear that waltzes are very good for establishing technique and language. I found this to be true. These are typically set pieces. I would recommend learning some, although you are unlikely to see many in jams.

It is overwhelming, but if you set your goals to a reasonable level and raise them when appropriate, you'll be fine. It's good to say generally that "I want to play Gypsy Jazz." Drill that down to something reasonable..."I'd like to learn the first chorus of the famous Minor Swing solo by X date..." and then break that down even further: "I want to have that first phrase down and in tempo by..." Some folks quit because their goals are unreasonable and they don't concentrate on reaching or setting the smaller more achievable goals.

Finally, practice every day. You may read that whole 10,000 hour theory. But there are assumptions built into this. I'd just suggest setting aside real focused practice time AND noodle time. The latter is just as important as the first.

I'm sure folks will disagree with me and that is totally fine. Everyone learns in a different way. I stumbled many times and re-started until I found a path that works for me. Much of what I talked about is what is working for me and I can hear and feel results.

Goodluck.

Russell Letson

GJ is part of the swing family, with strong affinities to dance-band music and jazz going back to the 1920s. And the backbone of all these sub-traditions is rhythm. I don't think any lead player worth listening to can't also play rhythm--and as has been suggested above, it's traditional in gypsy practice to start as a rhythm player. La pompe is important--but so is being able to play American-style swing. So in addition to listening to Django and Hot Club (and post-Hot Club Grappelli), listen to Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Basie and Ellington and the rest of the big bands--especially their rhythm sections. (I keep hearing drummers in my head when I play--but then I'm a rhythm drone.) And don't snub the singers. Ella swung like crazy. All those pulses and voices drive what we hear today.

Rhythm guitar idols: Freddie Green, Steve Jordan, Oscar Moore, Al Casey, Bucky Pizzarelli, Wayne Wright.

jonpowl

If I was just going to have one book, it would be Stephane Wrembel's Getting Into Gypsy Jazz Guitar. It comes with a CD and pretty much has everything you'll need for the first year or two. Of course Michael's Gypsy Picking and Gypsy Rhythm are extremely useful, but there is a ton of free stuff on the internet like Cours de Guitare Jazz Manouche featuring Samy Daussat, Django in June 2014 lead sheets with videos featuring Samy Arefin, Clement Reboul, Romane, etc.

Gene Rawe

I've gone through a good amount of different material so here's my 2 cents. Stephane Wremble's book has been a continual reference for me (teaches both rhythm and lead) Koran Agan has a recently published method witch starts by learning solos and them breaking them down and providing explanations at a later time; a very practice approach I've found. (Only a lead focus). Gonzalo Bergara & Adrian Holovaty among others do an excellent job through Skype lessons.
You'll find variations in teaching and process; chose one instructor and stick with them for a while- it will be less confusing and more productive in the long run.
Good luck!

Rob MacKillop

@Gene Rawe - thanks for mentioning Koran Agan. I googled his website and ordered two of his books. He seems to be a very interesting player.

Nathan Sist

Thanks for pointing that thing about rest-stroke picking, Stuart, I will always keep that in mind. I think I'm going to look forward into studying Gypsy Rhythm first, then Gypsy picking. Maybe the good thing I have for now is that I start early and surely, I will have more time to spend studying Gypsy Jazz. Thanks for all the answers, they are all helpful. Now, I just want to know something about the Gypsy Jazz guitar, does it have the same fretboard width like the classical guitar? Or is it much more wider, or less wider than the fretboard of classical guitar?