Book Advice...Which One?

GregHB

Hey Everyone. This may be a bit off topic here but I need some guidance. I would like to obtain a transcription book of either Django's solos (not unaccompanied stuff). And I'd like some of them to be on the more technically challenging side.

I would be open to getting something with Django-style transcriptions as oppose to note for note transcriptions of what he played...(perhaps the Pearl Django books?) I'm currently working with the Bireli Lagrene transcription book but would like something with a larger repertoire in it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Joli Gadjo

Do you really need a book for that ?
There's plenty of stuff on this forum and some others overseas where you'll be able to find transcriptions from Stochelo Rosenberg, Josho Stephan, Angelo Debarre and Bireli Lagrene... and believe me, if it's what you're looking for, it ain't easy... Jack did a post-it under the Repertoire section where you should be able to find these websites...

Otherwise, I suppose it would be even better for you just to sit down in front of a video of these guys, and dissect their licks.

I've seen the Pearl Django book, and it's more a fake book, mostly with the heads and charts. I don't think it'll be challenging enough for you.

GregHB

Joli - Thanks for the reply. Actually, I definitely need a book because I certainly don't have the time or patience to sit down and start transcribing stuff myself. I have plenty of books already...I was just looking for something to help change up my practice routine.

waldenjazz

My wife picked me up a book for Christmas a few years agao... I don't know how she found it but it's availablr through HAL-LEONARD. It's called "A Treasury of Django Reinhardt Guitar Solos". It's chock full of stuff I've never seen anywhere else, like "Christmas Swing", "Crepuscule", "Nympheas", "Fleur D'Ennui", and many many more that I haven't seen anywhere else. Great book and worth picking up if you want to break away from the stuff most everyone else plays.

MichaelHorowitz

waldenjazz wrote:

Great book and worth picking up if you want to break away from the stuff most everyone else plays.

Except for the fact that it's woefully inaccurate and rife with errors.

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waldenjazz

Probably right but all the more interesting to me as Django never played anything the same way twice... it has helped with my thinking in terms of improv as opposed to the note by note "I wanna play this just like Django" mind set. Which after everything I have read about him, he probably wouldn't have agreed with anyway. That said it is probably also true that since this style is all about playing outside the traditional envelope, I would suggest that you could consider most books inaccurate. I also suggest picking up the Dave Gelly and Rod Fogg "Know The Man, Play The Music", nice little history in that one. Another would be the book by Romane and Derek Sebastian. I think you should arm yourself with all the interpretation you can!

waldenjazz

Again on the subject of books, (you just can't have too many) I would like to point out that the very best book I have found and the one I spend the most time with is Michael's "Unaccompanied Django"... just love that one and it has opened a lot of doors for me. I have been working at putting together a class in Gallup, New Mexico this spring and will be using Michael's "Gypsy Picking", and recommending students purchase it.

DjangoDjango

I could recommend this book, it has 81 tunes.
I bought it and really liked it.

http://www.musicroom.fr/fr-FR/se/ID_No/ ... ?kbid=1060

GregHB

Thanks for the replys. I do have quite a few of Michael's books and could probably just spend more time with them. But I do have ADGPD...(attention defecit guitar practice disorder) where I get bored with my practice very quickly and always look for different approaches and I figured one would be to try learning Django's solos. But, for all who replied, thanks for the help.