arihendershot - Posted - 03/08/2010:  09:56:52

I'm very new to playing banjo.
I would really like to learn how to play gypsy style music.
Does anyone know good sites for tabs/tutorials or have any advice?
Even good examples of gypsy-style banjo players would be greatly appreciated.

Laurence Diehl - Posted - 03/08/2010:  10:06:56

Could you expand on what you mean by gypsy style banjo?

NYCJazz - Posted - 03/08/2010:  20:46:26

Are you thinking about music like Django?

He played tenor banjo before switching to guitar.

His first recordings were on 4-string banjo.

Arsonic - Posted - 03/12/2010:  15:34:41

Are you talking klezmer music? Gogol Bordello maybe, or the Amsterdam Klezmer band. I think they play balalaika mostly in russian music. Could be played on banjo though.

Paddy - Posted - 03/13/2010:  12:04:48

I thought it was a banjo-guitar that Django made his first recording on?

If wikipedia is anything to go by...

"he spent most of his youth in Romani (Gypsy) encampments close to Paris, playing banjo, guitar and violin from an early age, and professionally at Bal-musette halls in Paris. He started first on the violin and eventually moved on to a banjo-guitar that had been given to him as a gift. His first known recordings (in 1928) were of him playing the banjo."

pdbanjo - Posted - 03/15/2010:  13:39:42

Yep banjo guitar is what D'jango used. I think what ariherdershot is thinking is the music D'jango and his contemporries play. Gypsy swing. Very single string, minor oriented and scale heavy. It's a hard genre to get good at but if you do you'll be one of the few doing that niche style of swing music and possibly can make more $$ because it's not trad. BG.
I play a few tunes in that style and they go over well with audiences. I'd say to become really good you would have to know all your scales to the nines and be able to improvise starting anywhere in the tune, on any fret, on any string and (s)wing it from there.
The gypsy jazz standards are the tunes to listen to. Check out Bereli Lagrene, The Hot Club(s)of Detriot & California, The Roseburg Trio ETC, on youtube. You'll be amazed at the dexterity of those pickers. there's a site that you can download back up tracks for a few of those gypsy tunes but I can't remember what it was, Sorry but maybe someone else remembers it.
Other than Bela being able to come close, I don't know of any other 5 string players attempting this style. It may have to do with using fingerpicks rather than a flatpick. I certainly advise you to try it. It'll take some time to perfect but you'll be the first in your neighborhood to do so. Good Luck!!

Edited by - pdbanjo on 03/15/2010 13:49:46

minstrelmike - Posted - 03/15/2010:  18:14:30

Play Minor Swing any way you can.

find the chords to whatever tuning on whatever instrument you've got and just strum it.
Dm / Gm / A7 / Dm /
Dm / Gm / A7 / Dm /
Gm A Dm / Gm / Bb A7
Dm / Gm / A7 / Dm /

Strumming gets you the rhythm you think is gypsy or at least can achieve at this state in your learning. The chords will give you all the correct notes. They appear on different strings of the chords.

renofan52 - Posted - 03/15/2010:  21:27:03

ive been playing this style of banjo for a decent while now, and ive found that one really important stepping stone in the process is learning arpeggios. there are some cool diatonic arepeggios that can be used in songs like lady be good such as an am arpeggios over the Gmaj7. More importantly, the diminished arpeggios and scales will serve you well. For example, playing an Ebdim arpeggio over a D7 will give you that gypsy sound (#5 over the 5).

Laurence Diehl - Posted - 03/16/2010:  09:36:42

I have a couple of tunes on my homepage that some MIGHT say is gypsy banjo - BIP was definately influenced by Django and HCF

West of Bucharest

A Banjo in Paris

pdbanjo - Posted - 03/16/2010:  10:48:36

Laurence, great stuff!! Now I can say I know 2 folks that play in this style. You and Bela!! Sweet!!!

Laurence Diehl - Posted - 03/16/2010:  11:07:47

Thanks a lot Dave!
You know, I am always amused at how long we can sustain these topics long after the original poster has skipped town! (did he commit suicide? was his home foreclosed?) I guess anything is possible - hopefully, not the first option.
Ah, but where were we...

mbirdmusic@aol.com - Posted - 03/17/2010:  03:48:33

Nice tunes Laurence! I like this style alot. Here a couple more that may border on Gypsy style. First one is one of mine, second one from Peter Anick, my fiddle player (his son Jason is John Jorgenson's Violinist).

banjohangout.org/myhangout/med...archived=

banjohangout.org/myhangout/med...archived=

Laurence Diehl - Posted - 03/17/2010:  08:23:20

Yeah man, that Southgate strut is a cool one! very Dawg-like. killer guitar too!

pdbanjo - Posted - 03/17/2010:  14:18:34

Great pickin' mbird!!
Well, I'll be dipped.....another banjo jazzer comes outta the woodwork. It's kinda like a herd of termites!!
I liked the Southgate tune a bunch....Very cubanesque!! I hear a bit of Louis Prima in that tune.
Too Coool!!!!!
Was that a studio recording? Whoever the mixmaster was did an excellent job to enhance the superb musicianship(s)!
Dave

mbirdmusic@aol.com - Posted - 03/17/2010:  18:11:02

It was a studio recording, my fiddle players basement! We all mixed it (many times!) My old band "Acoustic Planet" Glad you liked the tunes! Glenn

pearcemusic - Posted - 03/18/2010:  12:30:22

sorry ... no banjo player ... but awfully good


youtube.com/watch?v=JK9Vzdjtxt...e=related

caeman - Posted - 03/18/2010:  19:00:58

Try practicing the Ahava Rabboh mode/scale/thing on your banjo: D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb, C, d. That is the scale/mode/thing used for many klezmer tunes.

It just happens to be a style of playing I am now experimenting with on banjo. I think it sound way cool. Take that scale, throw in hammer-ons and pull-offs and you get some awesome tonal transitions.

pearcemusic - Posted - 03/19/2010:  10:06:44

quote:

---

Originally posted by caeman

Try practicing the Ahava Rabboh mode/scale/thing on your banjo: D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb, C, d. That is the scale/mode/thing used for many klezmer tunes.

It just happens to be a style of playing I am now experimenting with on banjo. I think it sound way cool. Take that scale, throw in hammer-ons and pull-offs and you get some awesome tonal transitions.

---

caeman - Posted - 03/19/2010:  10:23:00

There are some other variations used for Greek and Turkish music. The music of the Rom will be similar, but have some of its own peculiarities unique to it.

mainejohn - Posted - 03/21/2010:  16:28:16

There's just something about a brand new member (in this case arihendershot) that starts a new thread, asks some questions, and lots of HO members take the time to answer the questions, yet almost two weeks later the original poster hasn't thought to acknowledge all those generally well thought out and informative posts. A little courtesy goes a long way. Just a pet peeve of mine.

Edited by - mainejohn on 03/21/2010 16:30:28

arihendershot - Posted - 03/21/2010:  19:41:12

quote:

---

Originally posted by mainejohn

There's just something about a brand new member (in this case arihendershot) that starts a new thread, asks some questions, and lots of HO members take the time to answer the questions, yet almost two weeks later the original poster hasn't thought to acknowledge all those generally well thought out and informative posts. A little courtesy goes a long way. Just a pet peeve of mine.

---

caeman - Posted - 03/21/2010:  20:03:28

*ahem*

Profanity is never justified. Please edit your post to remove it. Some of us read this board at work.