Django licks explained : 1 min videos

Lango-Django

According to me, there is a limited amount of licks and ideas that are specific to Djang's playing, maybe 150-200 (rough estimation).

That’s interesting. I’ve never heard that around here over the past many years.

I’d love to hear more about this idea if you ever have time...

Will

richter4208

I think we could get hung up on this language all day long. I think what Martin is trying to illustrate is Django used this pitch collection in a particular way that was systematic to the point he could recreate it under similar contexts/situtations/progressions. I get it.

MartinG

Maybe my english is not accurate enough to explain clearly what I have in mind, I'm sorry if my words were to inaccurate.
I guess the videos will probably speak more clearly than my words

wim

It's not a blues lick, which should contains some Gb to be labelled "blues"

This is a really strange thing to say.

So please tell me what you think about it. Is it clear ? Does the video editing helps undertanding the musical idea ?

This video title about a mode would make me think I'm getting something different. This is like a little bluesy turnaround lick that Django plays to death, it happens to have some notes in common with Dorian but that's coincidental. Otherwise, yes the editing is perfect: short and sweet and to the point, no fluff and no talking. No jingle. Good presentation with the tab inline. Thanks for sharing.

MartinG

I understand this lick sounds bluesy, and I agree, but then Cm6 over C, Cdim over C or C blues over C would be "blues licks", all in the same basket.
Naming it "dorian" is the most accurate way I know to label it.
Can you please take the time to listen the references I am giving ? All of them are based on... the dorian mode

Dance nuptiale 1947 (00:56)
Blues clair 1943 (00:54)
Viper's dream 1937 (1:00)
Eveline (00:36-00:45)
Swingin' in springtime 1947 (00:56)
Viper's dream 1947 (00:53, 1:12)
Swing 42 1941 (00:46, 1:06)
Swing guitars 1947 (00:38)
Ol' man river 14 nov. 1947 (00:51)

Carlo Gentenaar

In my opinion the notes played in this lick come from combining the Major blues scale with the minor pentatonic blues scale. You should know there are other blue notes than the flat fifth, in a major key it's the flat third.

Major blues scale: 1 - 2 - b3 - 3 - 5 - 6

Minor pentatonic blues scale: 1 - b3 - 4 - b5 - 5 - b7

Notes in the lick: 1 - 2 - b3 - 3 - 5 - 6 - b7

I wouldn't attribute this lick to the dorian scale because it resolves to a major third which does not fit that mode.

Dorian: 1 - 2 - b3 - 5 - 6 - b7

Also it does not have a dorian sound because it's played over major or dominant chords.

But if visualising the dorian scale helps you find the fingerings for this lick quicker than anything else I say whatever floats your boat! ;-)

MartinG

Hello Carlo ! Did you take the time to listen to the other references ?
I agree, a minor 3rd sounds blues when played over a major chord, but I already explain why I label it as dorian mode.

Carlo Gentenaar wrote: »

Notes in the lick: 1 - 2 - b3 - 3 - 5 - 6 - b7

Carlo Gentenaar wrote: »

Dorian: 1 - 2 - b3 - 5 - 6 - b7

I like that

The last 2 notes resolves on C major, so it's not in C dorian (but sometimes Django does not resolves as you'll hear in the other references).

Btw, I just published the first definitive video of this serie :

Carlo Gentenaar

I took a whole lot of time to listen to Django and this lick is all over the place and, no matter what mode it is played on or whatever note it resolves to, it's always a blues thing to me.

croth

MartinG, since I was the first person to offer what I consider to be a constructive critical comment, allow me to make sure that you (and others) understand where I was coming from. My issue was about the labeling but not in the way other posters addressed it. I don’t care if you call it “dorian” or call it “meatballs”. I was only suggesting that you should be more precise in the label you choose if you want the less theoretically inclined readers to understand. So, for me, telling me that “the lick uses a C Dorian mode over a C Major chord” would have helped me understand better where it was coming from. It would also have helped some people to explain that “the C Dorian mode is comprised of the Bb Major pitch collection”.

Another way to have named it might have been, “Use a pitch collection one whole step below the major chord name”, or something like that.

Anyway, I’m getting too academic myself. What I really want to say is that you have a great idea, something which I certainly can benefit from, It helped me to know that Django used this idea so often, and I hope that you continue with your idea. It’s not uncommon to get some pushback when introducing something new to people. Don’t be discouraged and I can’t wait for idea #2 !

Jim Kaznosky

Thanks for posting. It was enjoyable, useful, and to the point regardless of what label it is given by the original poster or others. Please keep these up.