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GREAT Review of "How To Play Django -style Gypsy Guitar" instructional DVDS by Pazzo
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Published April 5, 2011
Learn To Play Django-Style Gypsy Jazz Guitar #1
By admin on Tuesday, April 5th, 2011 | No Comments
Learn To Play Django-Style Gypsy Jazz Guitar #1
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Learn To Play Django-Style Gypsy Jazz Guitar #1 Average Rating: ![]() 4 total customer reviews... |


B. Moore (Berkeley, CA)
Truly enjoyed this introduction to Django type guitar. Great teaching design on Paul Mehling’s part and well edited. Gets you upwards and playin in no time.

Dennis Poggenburg “dpoggenburg” (Novato, Los angeles USA)
This dvd/booklet is really a no-brainer for anyone interested in Django’s design. Though Mehling splits DVD 1 and DVD 2 to focus on “rhythm” vs . “lead,” DVD A single is absolutely essential. Aside from the great tips about “gypsy jazz” tempo styles, there’s enough focus on three various tunes (Minor Swing action, I’ll See You During my Dreams, and Oriental Shuffle -chord charts provided!), that the) you can spend a lot of time acquiring inside some of Django’s ideas and phrases, w) while Mehling is illustrating rhythm styles for those three songs, you are able to play lead in opposition to his backing, and c) while Mehling is actually illustrating soloing styles using a rhythm guitarist you may get great ideas and also play either solo or rhythm. Digital video disc 2 is well worth getting for the method it drills down into very specific facets of Django’s style…and the blended price of around $40 is FAR less than you’d pay for a single lesson using a teacher of Mehling’s abilities. However, if you have to pick only 1 of the 2 discs, EVEN if the focus is about lead playing and improvising (as is mine), I do believe DVD 1 is the disc to get. Strongly suggested!

Max Lamboy “old_dude” (nyc)
Well carried out and conceived, though a bit toward first intermediate player… not necessarily heavy on principle or scales…
a real good place to start.

Tom Leoni (Alexandria, Virginia United States)
There is a myriad of Jazz teachers, methods and approaches out there
all catering to various skill-levels. This makes it difficult to guess what instruction material will be perfect for what you need to learn. This lesson from leading Gypsy Punk guitarist Paul Mehling had been the happy exception to the rule. The particular DVD delivers precisely what it promises: a no-nonsense, comprehensive primer towards the art of Gypsy-style golf swing comping.
Actually, I was amazed at the amount of information that Mehling can present in a mere hr, including strumming designs (giving both right-hand and left-hand techniques), chord voicings, cable connections between accompaniment and also lead, bass-like patterns, a short overview of Gypsy guitar kinds and some really appealing 2-guitar demos. All this is completed in style, with Mehling usually referring back to “the” supply, the legendary Django Reinhardt. I heard no out-of style voicings, anachronistic “cool-jazz” type dissonances or any other apparent departures from Django’s style.
Also, Mehling supplies a vast number of practical exercises, practice ideas and (what I identified especially valuable), factors the musician inside the right direction so far as self-development in this style. Mehling does not just give a set of pre-canned methods, but he is definitely the musical reasoning powering his choices and encourages the student to use musical sense and also theory to find a lot more voicings and chord-patterns (within the confines of the actual style, of course). All this, he does while supplying sensible recommendations and also suggesting an appropriate rate of study and progress (“don’t overshoot and try to seem like Django in a week…”).
The accompanying booklet is extremely informative as it presents all the chords which Mehling uses on the video. I would not look at this video to be for beginners, because it assumes a proper amount of musical understanding, structural understanding as well as technical “chops.” However for anyone else, it’s rare metal.
I am extremely happy with this DVD, which I will continue studying vigilantly. Bravo, Paul Mehling.
Editorial Reviews
They will don’t call it “hot guitar” for nothing! The driving style pioneered by Django Reinhardt along with other Gypsy players became among the dominant sounds inside jazz during the thirties and forties, and its influence is still highly felt today. Paul Mehling knows the design as well as anyone, and that he takes it aside in detail for the studying player.
A band won’big t swing without a powerful rhythm section, and also the powerful guitar accompaniment that typifies the Gypsy type is the foundation of this kind of terrific lesson. Beginning with basic four-to-the-bar comping and damping, John takes you through a selection of accompanyment ideas: arpeggios, “splayed” chords, “the gallop,Inches chord tremolo, right palm speed and other superior techniques.
You’ll gain an understanding of the specific harmonic structures of this music through chord voicings, progressions, and also accompaniments to classics such as “Minor Blues,” “Orie ntal Shuffle” as well as “I’ll See You Within my Dreams.” Robert also provides invaluable advice on learning from tracks, use of the metronome, and a take a look at his rare Maurice DuPont electric guitars. Includes some scorching jamming with Robert and Tony Mandraccia, rhythm guitar.


