Doin' the two note jive...

Lango-Django

I've been working on mastering Django's "I"ll See You in My Dreams" note for note, and I came across this passage where Django uses a succession of two-note phrases on the D and B string to follow the chords around the cycle of fifths (from D7+ to G9 to C7 to F9)

Here's the passage at 75% speed:
I loved the idea--- so brilliant, so simple, so Django!

And lo and behold, it turns out that the same little two-note idea can be inserted into just about anyplace you want, even if it doesn't necessarily follow the chords perfectly like Django's version did, it still makes a great little filler and change-of-pace.

Here's a few bars of "Nuages" to give you an idea:
This approach gives the soloist a chance to get away from the arps a little bit... and sort of like using artificial harmonics or octaves or chord shots, it's something you probably wouldn't want to over-use.

Once you start messing around with this, it reminds me a lot of improvising using octaves, because you have to take that initial bold leap into deep waters, but once you are into it, you can use your ear as a paddle to try and keep from drowning!

Now I know this approach isn't traditional, but I hope you'll find it to be within the boundaries of acceptable GJ style... to my ears it doesn't sound too modern... hope you agree!

And if you have fun with this idea, please come back and share your findings.

Will Wilson
Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON

Lango-Django

I just figured out what makes this little pattern work--- the two notes I'm using are fragments of an agumented chord, so using this idea kind of automatically puts you into whole-tone scale territory, where what is weird and wacky somehow becomes acceptable to the ear...

Perhaps the last posting I submitted using "Nuages" didn't quite communicate the idea I was trying to get across, so I'm attaching a little clip of me playing a chorus of "Ain't Misbehavin'" where I try and cram it in every possible place I can... NB, I definitely would NOT do this in real life, this is just to demonstrate how versatile this little pattern is over a variety of chords.


As you will hear, I'm strictly an intermediate-level player, but, as a wise man once said, "Even a blind pig can find an acorn every now and then."

Will

Jim Kaznosky

I like the idea of this. I'll have to explore it a bit more.

Keep these coming.