Good online basics?

gbalfe

Hi, just looking for any good online resources for learning the basics for lead & rhythm? Video lessons etc. Not for me but my son, he's a great fingerstyle guitarist but really wanting to get into gypsy jazz and we want him to kind of start new from scratch, like a new instrument I guess. I know there are good books out there but also know that he won't sit down & read one, but will online.. Have also seen good sites from the likes of Joscho which I expect he'll join later but seem to be more for particular songs than basic technique.
Any pointers appreciated, thanks

Jazzaferri

I concur with @stuart 's comments. Robin's love for GJ is infectious and inspiring for beginners.

jonpowl

I like Reinier Voet's 50 Gypsy Jazz Licks at TrueFire.com, which is quite inexpensive by the time you add on a few discounts. I also like Samy Daussat's Cours de Guitare Jazz Manouche on Facebook, which is free, but not as accessible as it used to be with .pdf and video files for each lesson. There is a lot of free stuff on YouTube, but knowing what is good can be difficult for somebody just starting.

mandocat

Look up "Q&A with Christiaan" on Youtube. He has 4 excellent lessons on rhythm and lead. His playing credentials are excellent and he explains the basics very well.

gbalfe

This is great! Thanks everyone, loads of stuff here we hadn't come across so will have a look at everything. He's just picked up a cheap 2nd hand Cordoba Gitane to get going on but will no doubt be looking for something better soon.

dennis

in my opinion, the best way to start is to learn songs, the rhythm part and the melody. Don't worry about the intricate details first. If he can get a nice repertoire of about 30 songs (the more the better), then he can really start having fun and then all the details will start to make more sense...

i would suggest trying to learn the songs by ear if possible, especially so, if he's very serious about music. It's one of the best musical training one can get,

Try to find out if there are other players in the area to jam with. That helps a lot too. The social aspect of the music is very important as well!

NylonDave

This was great. Every rhythm player should watch this.

Every time someone struggles to be heard over the accompaniment I think, 'how is it possible to be so insensitive'. Then I might avoid taking a solo for a year or so.

Still it is good for reed players if the guitarists are constantly shooting themselves in the foot, they can get all the attention as only they can make an impact over the big wet din.

adrian

Hey, I just launched this hour-long "Gypsy jazz chord voicings" video course on Soundslice last week: https://www.soundslice.com/jump/19/ The expected audience is people who've played guitar a bit but are new to gypsy jazz. Not sure whether it's too basic for what you're looking for, but I figured I'd point it out.

Adrian

gbalfe

dennis wrote: »

in my opinion, the best way to start is to learn songs, the rhythm part and the melody. Don't worry about the intricate details first. If he can get a nice repertoire of about 30 songs (the more the better), then he can really start having fun and then all the details will start to make more sense...

Hi Dennis, thanks for that & we're checking out your stuff

Yeah he's learnt a lot of his fingerstyle stuff by ear. He's getting up there with the best in terms of fingerstyle (played with Tommy Emmanuel on his last NZ tour) but I really think he needs to start from scratch with the basics of this stuff? I think he could probably play anything right now, and he kind of does, but i think he could just end up ingraining the wrong technique & not get to the kind of level he could otherwise? I don't play anything personally so I might be over thinking.. We're also in small town NZ with little chance of joining others, though I guess he'll be moving away after high school.
This isn't just to say 'hey look at my son!' - but if you look at his youtube you'll get an idea of where he is as a guitarist -https://www.youtube.com/user/grey2nz

NylonDave

Hi, looks like your son is having a great time learning music and you are right to be proud.

Like everyone he needs a good teacher to spend real life one on one time with. A good teacher will help him with his musical ear and listening skills. And I don't mean picking up notes I mean listening to himself as he plays.

There is a British dude over in Nashville with a load of technique and what a lot of people think is a good technique playing astonishingly unmusically. It is a real shame.

Find a teacher who can make simple stuff sound beautiful but with real dignity and restraint and then pay the man and if your son can listen he will get his money's worth a hundred times over.

dennis

if he's really really just getting into the style, i think it's a better idea to get an idea of how the style works as far as repertoire goes, rather than work on all the crazy details. I watched a few of the videos, he plays great, certainly good enough to make a one man band and play tunes.

The reason i think repertoire is important is because once he's built up a nice collection of songs and starts to recognize the patterns of the songs, all the other details will become easier to learn and he'll be able to directly apply them in a musical context.

He's not really gonna form any bad habits that quickly if he's new to the genre. Usually bad habits form over a few years.. It'll give him time to figure out what he wants to do with this music.