7 - The different rhythm styles
The rhythm is the element which defines a music style.In Gypsy Swing this would be the guitar, especially when it plays "la pompe" (pump in english), a style, where the chords are stroked to sound like a hihat or a snare drum.
But there are many other rhythm styles in Gypsy Swing than " la pompe", like "Boléro", "Waltz" or "Gypsy Bossa".
Holding the pick
When you play rhythm, you should not use the tip of your pick, but the side of it.It lasts longer and you can hit the strings with more intensity.
How to play the rhythms
To understand the Gypsy rhythms with your head, you get them here in notation form.After practicing them for a while, you will get the feeling and when is starts to groove, you got it.
If you don't know, how to play the pompe the right way to get the real sound, ask a teacher or watch the great masters at a live concert or on YouTube.
In Djangolizer, you can turn off the rhythm guitar track, if you like. So you can practice the following rhythms with just the bass, and still get the beat and the harmonies.
Flat Four
This is the classic American Jazz rhythm. All four beats get hit with the same intensity.Let the chords ring for just a short time.
Load the song "Artillerie Lourde", to practice the Flat Four rhythm.
Ballad
When you play a ballad, use the Flat Four rhythm, but let the chords ring a little bit longer.To practice a ballad, load the song "Nuages".
La Pompe
The pompe is the standard rhythm in Gypsy Swing!It is the driving force in this music. To play the pompe perfectly groovy is an art and it can take a few month, to get to that point. Take your time.
The pompe is played at tempos between 150 and 300 bpm.
The next version is a little bit tricky to play. Play a slight up stroke scratch before the first and third beat.
To practice the pompe, select the songs "Minor Swing" or "Hungaria"
Waltz
Waltz has a 3/4 beat.The tempo is usually between 135 and 180 bpm.
To practice the waltz rhythm, select the song "Montagne St-Genevieve (Django's Waltz)"
Gypsy Bossa
Gypsy Bossa is played with straight 8ths with an accent (>) on the 2 and 4.You make a scratch over the beats 2 and 4, by holding the strings with your chord grabbing hand (but not pressing them down to the frets) and making a down stroke.
The tempo is usually between 140 and 170 bpm.
In Bossa Novas, change chords on the upbeat 4+ instead on the downbeat 1.
Djangolizer Power User:
Djangolizer has no Bossa rhythm yet, but you can practice it over the pompe without problems.
The two most popular Gypsy Bossas are "Bossa Dorado" and "For Sephora".
Boléro
Boléros are played at a tempo around 120 bpm.Solos are played straight and not in the swing feel.
There are different possibilities, to play a Boléro rhythm.
Think of playing straight 8ths down and up. Accentuate the upbeats in the first half and play all four 8ths in the second half.
In the next version, you play 16th triplets on the upbeat 1+. The rest is played as in the example abouve.
The next example shows the same rhythm as above, but the second half is played as la pompe.
Djangolizer Power-User:
To practice the Boléro rhythm, load the song "Troublant Boléro"
Gypsy Rumba
Gypsy Rumba is played straight with 16th, like Funk. You make a scratch over the accents (>), by holding the strings with your chord grabbing hand (but not pressing them down to the frets) and making a down stroke.
