Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, chances are you play along to your favorite guitar players from time time. It is a great way to further our guitar skills and often opens us up to fresh new ideas that we may have otherwise have never thought of. In this section, I hope to show you the limitless creativity that some great guitar players have displayed and hopefully it will inspire you to greatness!

It was not until fairly recently that I developed a strong interest in Gypsy Jazz. Having experimented a little with traditional jazz, I found that it just was not clicking, but when I stumbled upon gypsy jazz I felt an immediate connection. The great Minor Swing by Django Reinhardt is an icon in the Gypsy Jazz world and is a typical song that beginners learn. You may not know the song by name, but when you hear it, it may likely sound familiar.

Gypsy Jazz is normally played on a Gypsy Jazz guitar and Gypsy Jazz players normally employ a picking technique that is unique to Gypsy Jazz. In this lesson I do not play a Gypsy Jazz guitar, nor do I use the gypsy picking technique. Purists may look down upon such a rendering, much as classical purists would look down upon the performance of a classical piece on a steel string acoustic. I am not overly interested in purist viewpoints and believe that any musician should feel free to play any piece of music on any instrument. So grab whatever guitar you have and let us get to it!

Django recorded a number of versions of Minor Swing, each that starts out with a guitar and violin harmonizing the intro melody. The version that I played for this lesson is a combination of elements I liked from several renditions (such as the descending bass line which I adapted for guitar). I highly recommend listening to several renditions so that you too may mix and match what is most pleasing to your ears.

Many artists have recorded their own renditions of Minor Swing. On Rhapsody I count 65 available versions. The version by the Moreno & Marina Quartet is amazing! Click here to get a free 14-day trial of Rhapsody.

As you go through this guitar lesson, be sure to focus on the timing of the piece (rests, etc). Be sure to maintain a good swing feel. If you are like me and had not previously played a lot of swing feel music, you may find it takes a while for it to become natural. But once it becomes natural, you will find yourself playing with a new sense of creative phrasing!

Good luck.

Brian Huether