Tips and tricks for practicing with Djangolizer
The constructive jam session
After you've startet the song "Les yeux noirs", try the following steps:- Play the A7 arpeggio over the measures 1 and 2. Try to land on beat one of measure 3 on the note D. Don't play any other notes over the Dm chord right now.
- You can diversify your play by starting from a different A. You have three of them to choose from. Again, try to land on one of the two Ds on the first beat of the Dm chord.
- This time, start your lick on the offbeat of beat 4 or the offbeat of beat 1.
- Vary the start. Beginn on beat 1 and the next time beginn your lick on the offbeat of beat 1.
- Play swing feel. Vary by playing triplets now. Play swing feel the strings down and triplets the strings up.
- Include now the Dm chord. Play arpeggio notes in swing feel and in triplets.
- Turn on the scale view. Choose the Phrygian Dominant scale for A7 and the Harmonic Minor scale for Dm. As you can see, both scales use the same notes, but with different intervals written on them. Check the interval view.
- Play arpeggio notes up and scale notes down. Do that over both chords.
- Or vice versa, play the scale up and the arpeggio notes down.
- Instead of the A7 chord, you can use the A7b9 or A#dim7 chord. They have different scales. Check them out.
- Try to play octave licks. That means, play the same note on the high E string and the G string at the same time. That sounds nice, when you use notes from the Harmonic Minor scale.
- Increase the tempo. The keycommand is M for tempo up +5. N is for Tempo down -5. For changing the tempo, you need to stop the playback.
- When you feel comfortable with playing over the first four measures, play over the whole song. You can still use only the two arpeggios and scales of A7 and Dm, even over the chords A#7 and Gm. Check it out. It works!
- Start over with this constructive rehearsal, but now in another position on the fretboard.
When you follow each exercise mindful, your brain will store it quite easy (cognitive learning) and your fingers will do their job each time more fluently (practical learning).
Play with the list and extend it with your own ideas and concepts. I just wanted to show you, how many possibilities you have over only two chords! Explore new rhythm concepts and play the arpeggios and scales in exactly those grooves. Use only the lower three strings, or even only on one string.
When you've found a cool lick, store it in your brain or better, write it down in tabulature or score. Repeat your lick the next day. Do you still like it? Try to play it in a fast tempo. Does it still sound cool or maybe even cooler or bumpy? Maybe you need to fill in some chromatic notes or take some notes out. This is your chance, to add your solos with your personal spices.
Get in touch with each standard like this. Learn the V-I connection first, the step from the dominant to the root chord. Practice the arpeggios from both chords and the basic scales. That's usually the one on the top of the scale list. Take it easy and practice one position per day. Sometimes less is more.
In most songs, the first chord of the first measure is the root. There are some exceptions, like "Dark Eyes". Here, the second chord is the root.
Two other simple songs are:
Minor Blues
This song is played in a medium tempo.
The three main chords are Gm6, Cm6 and D7.
You can play the Harmonic Minor scale in G. It will help you through the whole song.
Try to play triplets. Django played many triplets in the theme.
Minor Swing
A Django classic. It was the first Gypsy Swing tune I've learned.
The three basic chords are: Am, Dm und E7.
Check out the Melodic Minor scale.
This song gets his typical sound, when you play the arpeggio notes over the chords.