Soloing over Douce Ambiance

Petrov

As others have said, simplify the progression. In the A section, try playing Gm/D7/Gm/G7 .

Quadropenta

No need to use iReal or Amazing slow downer to slow down backing tracks.
In Windows Media Player right click, go to Enhancements, and then to Play Speed. This will allow you to slow the speed and maintain pitch. [Note, it has to be an mp3 or video on your computer to work--not a CD or internet site] Audacity, a free audio editor and recorder software, will do the same. Audacity is excellent but more steps are involved in converting, and it can be saved as a file. Also, I'd learn this Django solo and develop some "amendments" to it:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=DVxZMqWkjnQ
There is software online to convert & download Youtube video or audio. For example vidtomp3.com/-- but there are many others. Maybe better...Play the file using Win MP and slow it down.

Bones

Yes use a slow downer at first. Like Quad said if u have a PC just use WMP.
Don't play any faster than you can keep up. You can snag that youtube vid using https://keepvid.com/. Lately I've been messing around with NOT shifting my position on the neck thru all the chord changes. Forces you to stay in one spot and find the arp for each chord rather than just shifting all around from one comfy spot to another. But like others have said simplify the progression especially the 2 beats per chord part. The whole first part is pretty much Gm. If you want to cover both the Gm and D7 (and F7) just use G harmonic minor it has all the notes to cover those chords plus the b9. Or just use your Gm ideas over the whole thing. Then if you can try to get the short G7 bit in right before the Cm (but that is just C harm minor so if you switch to that right at the G7 you can just keep using it over the Cm). The Ab7 is just a 'tritone' sub for D7. Get the Ab if you can...or not. The bridge is pretty easy just Abm6 then Am6. If you wan to be really easy about it when the chromatic chords happen in the bridge just go straight to your D7b9 (or G harm minor, whatever) at that point. If you are playing your Am6 arp before that it is an easy switch to D7b9 or D# diminished since it has many of the same notes as the Am6.

Sure if you are an alien or god try to nail all the changes but if you are a mere mortal you can strip it down to basics just to get started. Good luck...

MikeK

Thanks gang, this is great information. I really appreciate the suggestions to ignore the fast passing chords and to simplify the progression. Dave and Buco, you've been very helpful to deepen my understanding of how to solo over this song. And I'm modifying the way i approach my soloing ideas to other songs in our repertoire as well, thanks to your insights. Bones, great tip to practice staying in one spot. Thanks, all of you.

jonpowl

Here is a link to Reinier Voet's TrueFire.com Gypsy Jazz Guitar Guidebook, his second series for TrueFire. I believe this is the free "teaser", and it offers some great ideas for Douce Ambiance. Be sure to listen to the "breakdowns" for an explanation for beginners/intermediates. https://truefire.com/jazz-guitar-lessons/gypsy-guidebook/watch/v34277