Django in June 2011

HotTinRoof

Thank you guys. So many builders I have never heard of. Hitting google.

KarenAnn

Thanks Michael for the encouragement. I am a raw beginner. Not coming from any other genre. I am starting in GJ. Which my guitar playing buddies, think is nuts. But my teacher says if I learn to play this, I will be able to play any damn thing I want. Except classical because I won't know fingerings..I did play French Horn for seven years, so I have some music background. And I am a big listener of blues and some jazz. I am sure by next year I will be far enough along to benefit from the workshops. I am a military antiques dealer, so I am used to hanging with the guys. Most women aren't into that stuff either, lol.

klaatu

Well, KarenAnn, one good thing about starting your guitar playing with GJ is that you don't have to unlearn years of habits that get in the way of good gypsy technique. Best of luck on your gypsy jazz adventure !

HotTinRoof

"you don't have to unlearn years of habits that get in the way of good gypsy technique"

No kidding. I'll second that Ben!

Shawn

Nice to see some women getting into this, but I'd sure hate to start in this style. It's a pretty grueling form of Jazz (technique and strength wise), and I'm really glad I personally started playing other forms of Jazz and Blues beforehand. However, I do concur with the others who have said if you can start with it you won't have to unlearn technique. That being said, the rest stroke technique really doesn't help when/if you decide to play Blues and some other forms of Jazz as right hand muting and more fluid casual technique is quite prevalent. I've seen more than a few long time Gypsy Jazzers trying to play Blues and it just comes across as stale and boring.

dennis

hey karen, don't know how old you are, but if it makes you feel better, this fellow, who is one of the world's best rhythm players, picked up the guitar for the first time at age 26:

(it's the fellow playing rhythm guitar, not the lead guitarist)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SEGk-DT9wk

KarenAnn

Thanks for the link and encouragement Dennis. I like that group but only have Maijee. I just assumed they all started as kids as well. It is hard to believe he could be so good. I guess I should get working very hard with that - The Art of the Accompaniment, that I have :-). But I am already behind as I am over 26, lol. I wont be quiting my day job, so I can just play for fun. I actually do like rhythm a lot. I think I would really enjoy the musette. It seems to me like a perfect combination of a lot of rhythm and a few lead lines. I particularly enjoyed Didier Roussin's playing.

@ Shawn, I can see what you are saying about the rest stroke. But the muting won't be a problem. That part is easy. The hard part is keeping the wrist up. My teacher throws things in to mix it up for me. Last time, it was Freddie King's-Hideaway. He comes from a jazz background first. Then had a blues band for years before he formed his GJ one, Gypsy Roots. So I do get a lot of different influences. But I am mostly trying to practice the GJ stuff. I would really like to get up to speed to at least jam some at DFNW.