How the @#$%! did Django play this with 2 fingers?

Lango-Django

Here's a cool Django lick featuring some really fast sweep-picking triplets up at frets 12-17 on a G9 - C9 pattern.


I know Django is supposed to have had limited use of his third and fourth fingers, but I'd like somebody to explain to me how he played this passage with just two fingers? I just don't see how that's possible.

Will

PS Most folks here probably know this already, but just in case you don't--- in QuickTime, you can slow passages down by going to Window>Show A/V controls.

So far I can just barely manage this at 75%... makes a great workout, anyway!

BluesBop Harry

I didn't get a chance to hear the phrase in question but if it is the one I think, Django must have fingered it in 2 strings instead of 3 like modern players.
Off the top of my head:
[code]
---[17--13----------------13]--[17--13----------------13]--17-12---------------12--17----12--15--13----------------
------------15--12---15----------------15--12--15-----------------13--11-13---------------------------13------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14----
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[/code]
As for the pick strokes: [d---u---d----u----d--d]-----[d---u---d--u--d--d]--- etc


Hope that helps

Lango-Django

Wow! Hadn't thought of doing it that way... thanks, Harry!

Bones

Hi Harry,

I don't understand that notation. Can you explain or post it in regular tab?

Thanks!

BluesBop Harry

Sorry Bones.
It's just regular tab but because only the first four strings are used in this lick and I'm too lazy I didn't write the 5th and 6th strings.
Just fixed it, hope it's clear now.
I wrote the brackets [...] to help match up the picking with the notes.
BTW d=Downstroke, u=upstroke

It's such a great lick and one that can be easily modified to fit other changes.

thickpick

Bones wrote:

Hi Harry,

I don't understand that notation. Can you explain or post it in regular tab?

Thanks!

I was having trouble reading the TAB using Safari (on a Mac) not because strings were missing, but because for some reason the columns weren't lining up. I opened the page in Firefox and it looks fine. So if you're on a Mac and it's still incomprehensible, you might try using a different browser.

BluesBop Harry

---[17--13----------------13]--[17--13----------------13]-------------------------------- -----------15--12---15----------------15--12--15-------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



----[17---12----------------12]--17----12--15--13----------------
-------------13--11--13---------------------------13------------
--------------------------------------------------------14----
------------------------------------------------------------15-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope that's better

BluesBop Harry

It's been brought to my attention that Django plays A, E,C, Bb (not A) over the C7 chord.
I didn't hear the sound clip and since it's been a while since I transcribed the solo I guess I must have changed it or got it wrong from the start and just remembered it that way.
Thanks to Tom for correcting me.
I'll fix the TAB right away

Bones

Thanks Harry I'll work on that one!

Lango-Django

Hey, Harry, perhaps you can also enlighten me on how the @#$%! Django did this with two fingers?


Thanks,

Will
Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON

BluesBop Harry

I believe this lick is in Andreas Oberg "Gypsy Fire" book.

---------------2--3---------------3-4-------------4-5-----------5-6-------------------------------------
-----------3------------------5----------------6--------------7----------------------------------------------
--------2-----------------3----------------4---------------5----------------------------------------------------- ---0-3---------------0-5--------------0-6------------0-7----------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




-----------------------------------6-7----------7-8-------------8-9-10-------------------------------------------
---------------------------------8------------9--------------10----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------6------------7---------------8---------------
------------------------0-8----------0-9-----------0-10----------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Picking: d-u-d-d-d-u
Fingering:0-M-I-M-I-M or could be 0-M-I-M-I-I sliding your index up a fret at the end

d= downstroke, u= upstroke, 0= open string, M= middle finger, I= index finger

Note that the first arpeggio is a different shape than the others. I'm not sure but I think he might have meant to play an F# as the second note but I hear an F so the pattern is all diminished arpeggios with a pedaling D open string and lots of sweeps on the right hand.
As for the left hand fingering:
As Sherlock Holmes used to say: "After you eliminate the impossible, what's left must be the truth"... or something like that.
When in doubt try playing stuff with just your index and middle fingers re-arranging the notes until it's possible to play it . Often you'll arrive at something very simple and relatively comfortable, getting a glimpse of how Django visualized the fretboard in the process.