Picking patterns for La Gitane?

Joonas

Now first I'm not much of a fast picker but I certainly have the basics of gypsy picking down. I have the Valentin Voyer's transcription of La Gitane and I'm trying to figure out a picking pattern for it (when to play upstrokes etc.). IF I were to play it at half the speed that Tchan-Tchou plays I'd start every triplet with a downstroke and the eighths could be either all downstrokes or following the normal alternating gypsy pattern (every string change down). But how is this song really played? How did Tchan-Tchou play it? Or how does Stochelo or Angelo play it? Or You, if you've managed to learn it?

wim

I've learned this one with the standard technique, i.e. downstrokes when changing strings, primarily from slowing down youtube videos of Stochelo. Every note is picked, no slurring. It sounds like Tchan-Tchou plays it that way too (mostly*, see the note at the end of post). Haven't studied Angelo's versions. Triplets are like DUD-DUD but only because they are always placed conveniently around string changes anyway (correct me if I'm wrong).

* There is one exception that I think shouldn't be played how Stochelo does- that long descending chromatic line which begins the last A section. In this line, eventually you run out of E string and have to switch strings down, and I think in this case you should also start on the new string with an upstroke (contrary to habit). It keeps that chromatic line consistent, otherwise it sounds like the wrong note of each pair begins to become accented. Stochelo changes strings with two downstroke in a row as usual, and you can hear the accent switches from the second note of each pair onto the first note of each pair during that line. The groove is lost a bit. I don't hear this in Tchan-Tchou's version, the accent stays consistent in the whole line and it sounds better.

Buco

Christiaan Van Hemert did a detailed YT video lesson. There's a good discussion in the comments section too. For me the opening phrases were always challenging and I could never get the feel and timing of Tchan Tchou. I'd slow it down and play along and it'd sound exactly the same but when I go up tempo there's some micro details that I'm just not getting. But Angelo doesn't play it the original way either (as far as the timing feel) so I feel ok.

https://youtu.be/TNIpWNhorIk?si=_3GVOeHHsFWTI_IY

There are people who do have a pretty good feel for the beginning phrase. @DoubleWhisky does a good job, maybe he can enlighten us?

billyshakes

I know we've discussed on this forum before the incredibly aggressive sound of Moreno. Tchan-Tchou was by most accounts his teacher or a large influence. Both of them share a very incredible, almost machine gun-like attack, yet still very clean. Like Christiaan says...it just all sounds very challenging. Tchan-Tchou's CD lives in my car and it is one I can always go back to with admiration and appreciation for its beauty and clean execution.

Buco

It used to be I had to use pull-offs in the opening (there's a video on YT I did years ago where I play like that). Now I can pick everything but the timing, the way Tchan Tchou played, still isn't there. I'd love to get that feel, it's as awesome as the notes that are played.

https://youtu.be/01QnJbuIi4A?si=dO0P7Cys0WnU7lXJ

One tip I can give you is when you're playing ascending arpeggiated lines, do it as in the video, it's much easier (much easier to show than write it out). I learned this from Christophe Astolfi

https://youtu.be/nrWM2c-0txE?si=KUyiIjNZaD4q1DyX