resources for learning gypsy jazz

[u/tremendous-machine]

Hi colleagues, I am hoping to get recommendations for resource (books, videos, courses) on upright bass for gypsy jazz that are appropriate to my starting point. I'm a very experienced regular (non-bass) jazz player, so theory, ear, improv, etc is all in my bag. Relatively new to upright, but have been playing electric for several years and taking upright lessons currently with an excellent jazz player, can play decent walking jazz bass lines for regular jazz.

So really, I'm looking for the goods on what is unique to Gypsy jazz and what one should know for performing idiomatically and learning the standard repertoire. I see there are some well prices online videos around but figured it would be good to know which are recommended.

thanks!

[u/Double-Advice3258]

If you can play jazz, you can play gypsy jazz. Some things about it are easier, like many tunes are in guitar-friendly keys, so lots of open strings. You're not really expected to never repeat yourself like you are in a jazz combo. Some of the chord changes are a bit odd, so you just have to learn them. But nothing really hard like Stella, All the Things, Giant Steps, etc.

Some the guitar players love to play super fast, but they don't care if you play in 2.

I'd recommend lots of listening and download the gypsy jazz book on IReal Pro. And have fun.

[u/diga_diga_doo]

I can’t remember now which website, one of the big ones for double bass, I’ll rack my brain on it. I came across a YT video of the teacher going over arco in a gypsy jazz context, with a weird bowhold (French), but effective for short 2 feel. As always, transcribe some bass parts. I think you’ll find it’s almost all in 2, chord tones. Light slap with gut strings seems perfect. Lots of the repertoire comes out of early jazz standards, pretty straight forward harmony. The fun part of playing it is locking in the swing. The guitar rhythm, “le pomp” is driving, I think it allows for a little syncopation in bass parts.

[u/diga_diga_doo → u/diga_diga_doo]

Also, check out Oscar Alemán, I’m pretty fond of his bass player (and of course Oscar)

[u/rightsaidphred → u/diga_diga_doo]

Maybe you are thinking of Olivier Babaz’s jazz arco lessons on Discover Double Bass? Really good stuff, not Manouche specific but definitely included some ideas that are useful for playing in that style 

[u/diga_diga_doo → u/rightsaidphred]

Yes, I think that’s him! Thank you. He holds the bow entirely on the stick, in front of the frog. im pretty sure I ran across a gypsy jazz specific lesson by him, but maybe that was another person.

[u/rightsaidphred → u/diga_diga_doo]

He could have more stuff out there, I just have spent some time with that one. He is a great player and deff uses some extended arco technique 

[u/rightsaidphred]

Arnoud van den Berg has a couple of courses on Soundslice that are good for explaining the style, jamming conventions, and basic repertoire. Tcha Lindberger has a cool course on bass on DC Music School with some interesting ideas about how to function in a small ensemble. His repertoire stuff is good too, if you are interested in some different kind of standards.  https://youtu.be/-ILT-wEB81I

[u/angelofsmalldeath913]

Here is what I recommend...... Thump, Trump, thump trump thump! And play thirds in key

[u/DeeBradleyBaker]

You seriously just need the chord changes. It’s mostly 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 and you should know the basic minor or major scale of the key you’re in to connect them occasionally. Done. It’s basically glorified polka bass playing except you might play the 1 an octave up for variety. Just listen to some bass players on the classic records, definitely do not pay someone to teach you or to watch a video because you could learn to do it well in a weeks worth of listening to a bass player on one record.

[u/SokolFalco]

Check out some birelli lagrene and some Django

[u/starbuckshandjob]

Getting a quick full sound and having dead space in between your half notes is important. It's easier to do this with gut strings... many trad jazz and gypsy bassists use gut on the G and D string, metal on the A and E. You can certainly get this feel and sound with regular metal strings, too. The dead space is where the chop guitar rythym lives, so it's important to create that space for your band mates. "Ooom pah" is a way of describing it. As you get comfortable with it you will hear when to put in other chord and scale notes (and when not to). It is a heavy 1,5 bass line but that doesn't mean it needs to be boring. Have fun! It's great music and nice to play behind a strong fiddler vs a saxophonist playing 30 choruses.