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Minor Swing
Django Reinhardt
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Minor Swing
Django Reinhardt
1937-1951
I've yet to see a correct submition for this tune.
In the intro, Django chooses to harmonise
Grapelli's F note with B - it's 'flat five'.
Stranger still, he bends his E note up a semitone to F
under Grapelli's A - a flat six. Django clearly loved discord.
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----1-0h1p0-3-5b6-----1-0h1p0-3-5b6-----1-0h1p0-3-5b6-|
G|---2-----------------2-----------------2---------------|
D|-2-----------------2-----------------2-----------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
[Bass fill = 2 bars]
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----1-0h1p0-3-5b6-----1-0h1p0-3-5b6-----1-0h1p0-3-5b6-|
G|---2-----------------2-----------------2---------------|
D|-2-----------------2-----------------2-----------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
Django then opens up his solo with the chords E7#5b9
and E7b9 before following this progression until the finale:
|Am| |Am| |Dm| |Dm|
|E7| |E7| |Am| |Am|
|Dm| |Dm| |Am| |Am|
|E7| |E7| |Am| |E7|
The band do mess with the chords a little,
adding 6ths and 9ths to the chords along the way.
Some phrases you may wish to 'quote' when soloing are:
Appears around 0:21
E|-7p5p4-5-7-5-4-7-5-----------10-8-7------------------|
B|-------------------6----------------10-9h10p9--------|
G|---------------------7-4--10------------------10-7---|
D|---------------------------------------------------9-|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------|
B|------------------------|
G|-----7-10-9h10p9-10\7-7-|
D|-6-9--------------------|
A|------------------------|
E|------------------------|
Appears around 0:40
E|-12-------12-------12-------12-12-|
B|----12-13----10-13----10-13-------|
G|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|
Appears around 0:53
E|-12-12-11-11-10-10-9-9-8-8-7-7-5-5-4-4-------------|
B|---------------------------------------6-6-5-4-5---|
G|-------------------------------------------------2-|
D|---------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------|
Appears around 1:22
E|-3-2-1-0-------------------------------|
B|---------4-3-2-1-0---------------------|
G|-------------------3-2-1-0-------------|
D|---------------------------4-3-2-1-0---|
A|-------------------------------------4-|
E|---------------------------------------|
etc etc until Django plays a variation on the intro
theme with Grapelli in unison.
E|--------------------5-----5-5-----7-----7-8-5-|
B|------5-----5-5---6-----6-------9-----9-------|
G|----5-----5-----7-----7-------9-----9---------|
D|-/7-----7-------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------5-----5-5-----7-----7-|
B|------5-----5-5---6-----6-------9-----9---|
G|----5-----5-----7-----7-------9-----9-----|
D|-/7-----7---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------|
E|-----------3-4-5-5-|
B|-5-4-5-6-7-------5-|
G|-----------------5-|
D|-------------------|
A|-------------------|
E|-------------------|
When improvisong, don't use modes or scales,
play by ear - I'm sure Django did.
Also, don't get into the habit of playing jazz
note for note. Play what you feel.