Billets Doux Transcription

Bones

Here's an attempt at this one.

4 sheets (head-in and Django's solo).

Edit- oops pages are in backwards order.

Enjoy and let me know if there are any changes/corrections.

I was partiularly unsure of one 2-measure phrase over the A7 so I offered up an alternate.

Maybe Shawn will tab this one out too...

PS- not sure about the translation or pronunciation of the title so if anyone speaks French please let me know. thx

Lango-Django

Bones, thanks for sharing this transcription. I look forward to getting into it.

OK, and now a word from our sponsor, La Langue Francaise.

The literal translation of "billet doux" (pronounced "bee-yay doo") is "soft ticket"...actually "ticket soft" since in French the adjective usually, but not always, follows the noun.

The adjective doux(m)/douce(f) can be translated as "sweet", "soft", or "mild", depending on the context...

Anyway, "soft ticket" or "sweet ticket" was, at one time, slang for "love letter".

Apparently this phrase has now passed into the slang junkyard, so if you actually used it in conversation, as I once did, you'd probably get the same funny look that I did... sort of like if a French speaker attempted to use the phrase "Twenty-three skiddoo!" in English conversation.

Will

PS Confession: I am a retired French teacher, but by no means an expert, so I await the opinions of actual French speakers on this question...

Joli Gadjo

Actually "Love Letter" is pretty good. "Love note" might be closer, but doesn't sound as good.

Bones

I was thinking more about the A7 section that I'm not sure about (it is pretty fast and hard to hear even at half speed on my mp3). The previous section I'm pretty sure is played on the first string rather than on the second string (as I originally had it) so I've attached a revised page. It sounds like the first string due to the timbre (I think that's what you call it).

Anyway, thinking about the following A7 section, I tried to figure out the notes as best as I can hear them and then thought about how to finger them with just two fingers as Django would have. I've attached a new page showing my guess but any input is welcome since, as I mentioned, that section is really hard to hear. (note that chromatic pull-offs on the second, third and fourth strings also work well over this section)

thanks

Lango-Django

Bones, once again, thank you for sharing all your hard work with the rest of us here.

I'm in Malaga, Spain right now on holidays, and don't have my own laptop, but when I get back home again, I'm going to break the Billets Doux solo apart into short phrases (as I've done with several other Django solos) and post them here on this thread in "QuickTime" format, so that they can be looped and slowed down for user-friendly learning.

I'm hoping that we can really help each other master this challenging style via this on-line community, in much the same way that real-life communities of GJ players help one another other learn.

I didn't bring Michael Horowitz's book "Gyspy Picking" along with me over here, but IIRC, at the back of the book he includes a list of Django/GJ standards which every young gypsy guitarist learns to play note-for-note as part of their basic education in this style...

I don't know if you might consider taking a look at that list and transcribing some of those numbers in the future?

But even if there's nothing on that list that you're really interested in transcribing, I'd still be happy to offer my "clip" service for anything Django ever recorded, so please, keep up the good work and transcribe anything that strikes your fancy... and as soon as you share the results here, I'll be proud to support you 100% by providing some clips...

Shawn

Apologies for my late response to this inquiry Bones, but you can actually find a transcription I did of this tune over on the Hotclub UK site: http://www.hotclub.co.uk/

It's listed under the header "playing", and then under "Powertab Page". I have been advised though that I transcribed it one octave down from what it should be :oops: . Having a quick look over your transcription, I have to agree that your's is in the correct octave, and also a better overall transcription.

If I ever get the time, I'll update your transcription into Powertab, GuitarPro, or TuxGuitar depending on what software everyone uses. I prefer powertab the most, as I find it the easiest to work with, but I know quite a few people prefer something different.

Lango-Django

Well, it's taken me some time, but I've finally done what I promised in January: broken down the piece into learning chunks... you guys know the drill for QuickTime:

Command-K to see the controls for slowing the speed / adjusting the pitch

Command-L for looping it so it plays the same lick over and over

I can only add a limited number of attachments, and this piece took 25 chunks in all, so it's going to take me several posts to send it all....

Will
Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON

Lango-Django

OK, here are chunks 9- 18...

Lango-Django

...and finally chunks 19-25.

Bones

Wow, nice work. I wish I would have known how to do that when I transcribed it.

I'll check over some of the parts I am unsure of.

thanks

Lango-Django

To make it easier to put parts together for those who may be working on this, here is the same thing cut up into four parts--- melody chorus 1st and 2nd half, and hot chorus 1st and 2nd half... good luck!

Will
Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON