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Which chord is Django playing in that famous photo?

adrianadrian AmsterdamVirtuoso
edited May 2013 in Welcome Posts: 542
Hey guys,

So, you know that famous photo of Django? The one used on many CD covers and books? This one?

django.jpg

Which chord is he playing there? Is it a 6/9 shape? A 9th?

Adrian
«1

Comments

  • PassacagliaPassacaglia Madison, WI✭✭✭✭
    Posts: 1,471
    You're the teacher, Adrian. You tell us. :D

    Actually, if someone can tell me how to just look that cool, whatever chord, I'd be very grateful. 8)
    -Paul

    pas encore, j'erre toujours.
  • Bob HoloBob Holo Moderator
    edited May 2013 Posts: 1,252
    Huh....

    Good question. I assumed it was a C/E/A with the C on the D string, but that's because I was into trad jazz before gypsy jazz, and trad jazz guitarists scoot up and down the neck on chunky little 2 & 3 note 'chordlets' quite a bit. Take the form I'm describing (rooted on the D) and root on the A string and you have your 7th... and between those two, you can play acoustic archtop rhythm on about half of the American jazz tunes written in the 1930's (lol). So maybe Django was experimenting with some of the American voicings? Or maybe I'm all wet. Double-stopping and 4, 5, even 6 note chords are so much more common in GJ... I never really stopped to think that there could be more going on because I haven't really looked at this picture closely since I was chunking away on acoustic archtops ;-)

    But anyway I thought it was like the chord used in this intro... now I'm not so sure.

    You get one chance to enjoy this day, but if you're doing it right, that's enough.
  • Hard to tell but my guess is a 3 note Cm6 with c on s6 mute5 a on S4 and Eb on S3
    The Magic really starts to happen when you can play it with your eyes closed
  • lacrossehotclublacrossehotclub La Crosse WI✭✭✭ Dupont Nomade
    Posts: 116
    My take is it's a G 6/9 with the root on the 5th string. Holding a straight edge to photo on the monitor (not precision, but an observation nonetheless) it appears the 6th string is not depressed. There's so much to appreciate about this photograph, a time and a place and a spirit that continues to inspire.
  • G6/9 with an F in the root??? S5F8=F
    The Magic really starts to happen when you can play it with your eyes closed
  • BonesBones Moderator
    Posts: 3,319
    Assuming that is a 14 fret guitar, my guess is a G6/9.

    Either that or a Bb demolished (JK)
  • fraterfrater Prodigy
    Posts: 763
    Don't ask Django :-)
  • :lol: Rofl
    The Magic really starts to happen when you can play it with your eyes closed
  • Looking at the pic some more and thinking about It could it be an L 5 Gibson. I first assumed 12 fret but on closer inspection the fret marks make more sense on a 14 si I go with he flow.
    The Magic really starts to happen when you can play it with your eyes closed
  • Svanis1337Svanis1337 ✭✭✭
    edited May 2013 Posts: 457
    It's Duke Ellington's guitarist Fred Guy's Swedish Levin De Luxe circa (1937-1939). He got it during Ellington's 1939 tour. Django just posed with it for the William Gottlieb photo session. Gottlieb said he tried to focus mostly on Django's hand when taking the photos.

    Listen to the interview on this photo here:

    http://lcweb2.loc.gov/natlib/ihas/servi ... 1/0001.mp3

    The guitar is still being sold here:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Levin-Guitar-prev-owned-Fred-Guy-1940s-pic-Django-Reinhardt-/230976364304?_trksid=p2047675.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D11%26meid%3D7490863882929017565%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1005%26rk%3D4%26sd%3D230611542979%26
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