Ascending Lick

dominicleewe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QATIHWbN-sM

This lick seems to be everywhere but here's a good example (2:50-2:54). I can't seem to find the concept behind it. Can anyone help me out? Much appreciated!

wim

Yes, good one! Sometimes he does it descending too! Thought it was in Hungaria somewhere but could not find the take on youtube (Django recorded it 4 times..)

I did find a Bireli one though (0:30-0:35... and again at 3:55-4:00, but only at the first time can you see the positions), maybe this vid can help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcMVBwy8Xdk

dennis

I show that concept here

https://www.soundslice.com/slices/T6tVc/

the explanation is simple: it s arpeggios based on passing chords. The same way a rhythm player plays certain passing chords, django takes the same idea and turns them into arpeggio sh

BillDaCostaWilliams

I’ve also been puzzling over these ascending phrases for ages.

So in Dennis’s example can I make sense of it approximately like this?

• Relative minor arp over tonic to give I maj6
• Dim arp as passing chord
• Dim arp as min6 of II min
• Dim arp as min6 of III min 

Bones

Yeah Bireli can do them ascending and descending at breakneck speed. Amazing.

Love to figure this one out.

https://youtu.be/AGGH9ntixEg?t=31

dennis

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/100960#Comment_100960

It s possible that for the first arpeggio he meant to play Bb6 (looks like Gm) but his finger slipped which happens when you have his handicap and are playing in the moment. The second one is G7 as a diminished going to Cm and he continues with G7 until he reaches the final Cm before doing F7

this concept can be applied to any situation where you have passing chords , you just need to figure out which shapes to use

wim

Dennis' playing in the slice is missing the ornamentation that makes this lick so spicy: the last note in each arpeggio group should be played with a little trill thing. When Django plays this idea you will hear it, and it's crucial to the sound.

That also gives you a little hint to the technique: you'll want to use a shape and position that lands the last note under your left hand index finger , so that you have middle or ring available for playing the effect. Not sure what the technical term is- a hammer on and-off thing.

dennis

lol I copied django note for note he didnt do any ornaments

and you also described the ornament in honeysuckle wrong. If u want it to sound truly spicy it s hammer on followed by upstroke, not a pull off

wim

I was not talking about Del Salle (your transcription and position looks perfect). I was talking about the effect in original post. But you're right that Django doesn't always put the ornamentation, sometimes he plays a more simplified version

vanmalmsteen

Glad someone finally brought this up, I’ve always tried to utilize the idea but never been positive about it. I have a really old book by Ian Cruickshank where he does this lick by just going up , F-Fdim-Gm-Aflat dim-Am-F7

he says to use the rhythm phrase ‘ If you ever see a duck‘ he says it works well over an F7 in the key of B-flat, especially where the F7 is held for two bars. For some reason I’ve never gotten it to exactly work in a functional situation. What would be the reasoning for starting with an F major, and ending it with an F7? Seems like it would work better in the key of F and moving to the VI chord?

vanmalmsteen

oh wait a minute, his description of the Lick is exactly as I have stated, but looking at the arpeggio he starts on F7 and ends on F major which would move beautifully from I to vi. Still not sure about using it as a v7 Lick?