Django Reinhardt's music is a great example of the highest level of musical talent and intuition. While he never learned to read or write music, or formally studied music theory, Django managed to play some of the most beautiful guitar lines anyone has ever heard, and wrote some of the most gorgeous melodies! How could this be? He didn't study which mode goes with what chord, which note is the raised fifth or when to use an upstroke or down stroke. He probably didn't get up at 6 A.M. every day to practice his scales. How could he play soooo good? Well, along with people like Wes Montgomery, Ray Charles, J. S. Bach, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, B. B. King and the like, Django had an incredible intuitive sense of MUSIC!

His was the kind of music that was played with reckless abandon, and while it could be broken down and analyzed a million ways, he just had a knack for playing it off the top of his head! He relied on his great ears and pristine musical intuition to play all those great solos. In addition to Django's wonderful sense of rhythm, his music ALWAYS had a sense of spontaneity and fun! His playing is filled with lighthearted phrases and "fun to listen to" themes he would improvise.

On his recordings, you can hear Django use several different techniques to enhance his expressiveness and get his music across. In addition to his characteristic strong "twang" he used various techniques very effectively, including: fast tremolos, palm muting, natural and artificial harmonics, powerful vibrato, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, string bends- the works! He employed all means of expression and always used dynamics and technique in a musical fashion in spite of limited use of his left hand due to the fire-damaged fingers! Describing Django's technique or music doesn't do him justice; you have to HEAR him!

I've talked with a lot of music students wanting to learn to improvise and play solos over changes and have found that many of them are very much in touch with the academic side of improvising, knowing which notes should fit over which chord and what scales go where; even so, they have not been able to tap into the "intuitive" part of their musicality. I am a big fan of musical education and training, but when it comes to playing music- and especially improvised music- it's just as important to be spontaneous and intuitive. That means putting all of your music theory in the back of your mind, and letting the creative part of the brain take over.

I like to make the analogy of riding a bike. You don't get on a bicycle and say, "OK- a little more pressure on the left peddle, and a 10-degree lean to the right; now the right leg has to push a little, 15 degrees left..." You just turn it over to your subconscious, which does a much better job of dictating your movements than you could if you tried to control everything.

Playing jazz, or any improvisational style, is very much the same. Django was in that "zone" and had such a command of his instrument that he could sit back and play what his imagination dictated. I can't imagine him thinking about music theory as he played; he just relied on his innate sense of music. And what a sense of music! Django had such passion and fire in his playing, and such a great sense of joy! I can't help feeling that Django got as much pleasure hearing himself play as his listeners did. I remember the great studio guitarist and educator Howard Roberts saying, "When you play your guitar, you have to always play like it's the last thing you'll ever play". That's the kind of passion Django showed in his playing.

A good way to tap into your musical sense is to sing along with CDs or the radio or whatever. Just use your ears and scat a few choruses by yourself in the car! You may be surprised at what you come up with when you simply open your ears and let your subconscious go! Then try the same thing on the guitar- just thinking about how the music SOUNDS, not about anything technical. Play a chord and sing a line out loud. Then try to play that same line on the guitar.

I did a Lexus commercial once where the composer wanted a "Django-style" guitar sound. I don't have a Selmer or Maccaferri Django-style guitar with an oval hole or D-hole, so I brought my Guild Artist Award archtop and my Martin D-18 to the studio. I ended up using the Martin with a heavy pick and pretty strong "twang" close to the bridge. With a little EQ from the engineer, the sound was real close, but the main component was that Django "attitude"! The music was right in keeping with the "Hot Club of France" style, and I tried to approach it with the same sense of fun and spirited attitude that Django would have had.

The passion and spirit that Django Reinhardt had in his playing has been and still is a wonderful influence on anyone who hears him!

Until next time,
Tim May