Gypsy Jazz in the style of Django Reinhardt

Marked at a young age by the music and style of Django Reinhardt, Romane’s music revives the special tradition of French jazz known as Gypsy Jazz or Gypsy Swing.

His discography shows a willingness not to remain locked in a single style or fixed theme, but to move forward, whether it be by the choice of musicians, accompanying instruments or the electrification or not of his guitar. He also varies the groups in which he participates, from the duo to the sextet.

Discover all the secrets of gypsy jazz guitar with Romane, one of Django Reinhardt’s most famous successors. In this gypsy jazz guitar course, he’ll teach you playing techniques, improvisation, & over 40 major Gypsy Jazz pieces for guitar.

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The main concepts taught

Arpeggio

Accompaniment

Scales

Turnaround

Improvisation

The lesson plan proposed by Romane

The progressive structure of this gypsy jazz course will enable you to pick up well-rounded technical skills, & lead you towards the ability to improvise. In order to transmit his rich experiences & understand Django’s art, Romane has organised this course into a very thorough program: The playing, rhythmic and technical aspects, and the improvisation. You will study several well-known music pieces such as “La valse à Django” or “Over the Rainbow”.

Chapter	Detailed Notions
The Gypsy Jazz by Romane In this first chapter, discover the vision of gypsy jazz by Romane. You will first begin with several technical exercices around the chromatic and unitonic scale.	Romane will be your teacher for this gypsy jazz lesson. First, he will introduce the gypsy guitar: how to tune it, as well as the American scores. You will also see the magical chord, played in rhythm, with a pick. Work on the ascending and descending chromatic scale, the back and forth with the pick, the unitonic scale with a quarter note and then with a triplet.
Minor Blues In this chapter, you’ll learn chord grids, study the pump technique and the after-beat notion.	You will first study the magical chord seen in the previous chapter on Minor Blues, a piece by Django Reinhardt. You will find all the necessary elements to prepare and play this piece. Romane will make you practice the “pump” and “after-beat”. Then, together, you will progressively discover the musical theme and the Minor Blues, until you can play your first gypsy jazz piece!
Chords and Harmony Here, you will learn the different chords and the harmony of the major scale. Thanks to many exercices, Romane will make you practice various notions linked to gypsy jazz.	Learn the chords used in gypsy jazz and how to work with them. Practice on the pieces: Minor Swing, Swing 98, and many other ones. Along with these chords, you will also learn the turnaround, that will be detailed in the next chapters, as well as the rhythmic positioning, improvisation, & harmonization of a theme.
Scales and Arpeggios In this chapter, many theoretical notions will be explained by your teacher. They will be applied to pieces and exercises so that you understand them better.	Discover or rediscover important notions of music theory such as the armor and alterations and practice with interactive exercices. Study major, minor and diminished arpeggios. Besides these notions, you will also learn how to use arpeggio. In a second part dedicated to scales and arpeggio, you will see the : natural minor scale, harmonic scale, melodic scale, unitonic scale, 4-note arpeggio.
Ear Training This session is essential for improvisation. It will teach you to train your ear and recognize intervals, chords and melodies.	Thanks to a series of exercices, learn to recognize the different intervals. Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth… Once you master these exercises, use your new skills to recognize chords and melodies.
The Turnaround This chapter will be totally dedicated to the turnaround. Romane will show you all you need to know in order to accompany a theme.	The turnaround in C, in G, the harmonization of the turnaround, its transposition, its harmonic evolution, tritone substitution. All these notions, exercises and skills in mastering the turnaround will open the door to accompaniment.
Use of Arpeggio In this chapter, you will learn to use arpeggio, especially for improvisation.	Here, you will be explained the notions of broken arpeggio, doubled arpeggio, their use in blues, and how to use them to improvise. With the help of your teacher and all the available exercises, practice these notions to better master them. Next, you will also see the “delay effect” with arpeggio and its patterns on a grid.
The Accompaniment Here you will be explained all the notions around the accompaniment, the pump, the rolls, the octaves… as well as examples of styles to train and improve your accompaniment.	Presented as subchapters, you will find the “pump” notion, but also the rolls and the use of the syncope. You will work on octaves and train on the voicing. Discover two music genres to perfect your guitar playing: waltz and bolero!
Improvisation Explore all the tools and techniques necessary for improvisation. Use all that you have learned so far to improvise in a gypsy jazz style.	Finally, your teacher Romane explains to you how to improvise from targeted notes. Train on different exercices, then improvise with the help of chords seen in the previous chapters. Romane will make you improvise with intervals and on blues music. Finally, you will see more in details the rhythmic improvisation where Romane will explain you the fundamentals of improvisation: the rhythmic cell.

Lesson plan

Chapter	Detailed Notions
The Gypsy Jazz by Romane In this first chapter, discover the vision of gypsy jazz by Romane. You will first begin with several technical exercices around the chromatic and unitonic scale.	Romane will be your teacher for this gypsy jazz lesson. First, he will introduce the gypsy guitar: how to tune it, as well as the American scores. You will also see the magical chord, played in rhythm, with a pick. Work on the ascending and descending chromatic scale, the back and forth with the pick, the unitonic scale with a quarter note and then with a triplet.
Minor Blues In this chapter, you’ll learn chord grids, study the pump technique and the after-beat notion.	You will first study the magical chord seen in the previous chapter on Minor Blues, a piece by Django Reinhardt. You will find all the necessary elements to prepare and play this piece. Romane will make you practice the “pump” and “after-beat”. Then, together, you will progressively discover the musical theme and the Minor Blues, until you can play your first gypsy jazz piece!
Chords and Harmony Here, you will learn the different chords and the harmony of the major scale. Thanks to many exercices, Romane will make you practice various notions linked to gypsy jazz.	Learn the chords used in gypsy jazz and how to work with them. Practice on the pieces: Minor Swing, Swing 98, and many other ones. Along with these chords, you will also learn the turnaround, that will be detailed in the next chapters, as well as the rhythmic positioning, improvisation, & harmonization of a theme.
Scales and Arpeggios In this chapter, many theoretical notions will be explained by your teacher. They will be applied to pieces and exercises so that you understand them better.	Discover or rediscover important notions of music theory such as the armor and alterations and practice with interactive exercices. Study major, minor and diminished arpeggios. Besides these notions, you will also learn how to use arpeggio. In a second part dedicated to scales and arpeggio, you will see the : natural minor scale, harmonic scale, melodic scale, unitonic scale, 4-note arpeggio.
Ear Training This session is essential for improvisation. It will teach you to train your ear and recognize intervals, chords and melodies.	Thanks to a series of exercices, learn to recognize the different intervals. Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth… Once you master these exercises, use your new skills to recognize chords and melodies.
The Turnaround This chapter will be totally dedicated to the turnaround. Romane will show you all you need to know in order to accompany a theme.	The turnaround in C, in G, the harmonization of the turnaround, its transposition, its harmonic evolution, tritone substitution. All these notions, exercises and skills in mastering the turnaround will open the door to accompaniment.
Use of Arpeggio In this chapter, you will learn to use arpeggio, especially for improvisation.	Here, you will be explained the notions of broken arpeggio, doubled arpeggio, their use in blues, and how to use them to improvise. With the help of your teacher and all the available exercises, practice these notions to better master them. Next, you will also see the “delay effect” with arpeggio and its patterns on a grid.
The Accompaniment Here you will be explained all the notions around the accompaniment, the pump, the rolls, the octaves… as well as examples of styles to train and improve your accompaniment.	Presented as subchapters, you will find the “pump” notion, but also the rolls and the use of the syncope. You will work on octaves and train on the voicing. Discover two music genres to perfect your guitar playing: waltz and bolero!
Improvisation Explore all the tools and techniques necessary for improvisation. Use all that you have learned so far to improvise in a gypsy jazz style.	Finally, your teacher Romane explains to you how to improvise from targeted notes. Train on different exercices, then improvise with the help of chords seen in the previous chapters. Romane will make you improvise with intervals and on blues music. Finally, you will see more in details the rhythmic improvisation where Romane will explain you the fundamentals of improvisation: the rhythmic cell.

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A word from your teacher

Romane’s course will teach you all the nuances & techniques of Gypsy Jazz guitar playing. You’ll slowly but surely build your musical ear & develop your improvisation skills. After an introduction to basic gypsy jazz guitar techniques, as well as the percussive technique, “la pompe”, chords, arpeggios & picking, you’ll be able to play your first themes & strengthen your gypsy style. You’ll then learn various scales, triads, substitutions & rhythms that you can practice using our provided backing tracks that are specially adapted to technical & rhythmic work. Take these gypsy jazz guitar lessons online with Romane & imusic-school, & find the Django spirit within you!