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Paul's Manouche
Masterclass -
Gypsy Jazz Guitar Workshop
  Paul
Vernon Chester
holds regular Tuition schools in Walsall in the West Midlands
It's
a great opportunity to receive first class instruction from this world
respected guitarist and a chance to download from him a deal of his
personal recollections and anecdotes regarding the music he loves and
promotes.
His dexterity, musicianship, intricate skills, historical interest and
enthusiasm are a joy to absorb. If you are a serious student you could
have no finer teacher than Maestro Paul Vernon Chester in the
demanding and delicate delights of Manouche Swing Jazz.
Manouche Workshops function
well in conjunction with a Live Performance.
Talk to us about the possibilities.
The Artist knows best what they can do and what works, and who the
potential participants are. Workshops will give local enthusiasts a
chance to participate. They will educate, encourage involvement, raise
awareness and be fun. They require good planning, preparation and
evaluation. If the workshop is combined with an event, it will
encourage new people to come along to the performance (offer a joint
ticket with entry to the main performance) You are assured of a good
audience, timid people may well feel encouraged to come to another post
concert workshop the next day.
It's a brilliant idea and
reaches so many people - with excellent professional teacher-performers
and a great chance to meet them in person.
We
can also attach a short talk to the main event. Get the audience to come
a little early to talk to the Maestro or stay behind to meet the Artists
in person.
 Paul's Next
Proposed Workshop is
likely to be during May, 2010
Times - 10.30am till 4.00pm
Venue
St. Martin’s Church Hall
Daffodil Road (Off Sutton Road - B4151)
Walsall
West Midlands
WS5 3DQ
Google-Map
Note -
The Workshop is subject to a minimum number to make it viable for hall
hire but there is also only a maximum of 16 places and these
are likely to go very quickly - 12 registered to date.
Don't leave it too late before you
register your interest or book.
Any
candidates that miss the wire will
be placed on an overspill list for the next Workshop Class.
Terms & Conditions
Apply for Bookings
Advice to Manoucheries
Always
Book early to avoid disappointment -
Attendance numbers are
limited to 16 per Master Class.
Sorry - No Spectators - Students only.
Contact 01844 353117 or
Paul Vernon Chester by email
regarding future Workshop Bookings
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The influence of
music reaches into all areas of our psyche. Both a science and an
art it has been shown to increase mental ability and stimulate
our emotions. The teaching of both listening and playing skills
enhances all our lives.
Paul's Workshops
are set up to help educate and inspire a new generation of
musicians and audiences though lectures, performances and
workshops in schools, colleges and youth centres. The projects
provide insight into Manouche Swing Jazz and demonstrates
how jazz improvisation is performed. The workshop is
well structured and Paul's aim is to keep the presentation
informal: Extensive parking available free.
The cost of the day is reasonable for such quality Tuition and
includes a booklet, chord charts, lunchtime snack and lots of
interesting additional material.
The Workshop
is divided into two sessions within the day, Rhythm
and Solo. Nick Mellor assists throughout the day and
all areas covered are clearly demonstrated. The abilities of
students are quickly established in order to focus on individual
improvement agendas. Activities are designed to enable you to
work in group, duo and individual formats. Tuition provided is
designed to challenge and will cover all of the key elements of
Gypsy Jazz. The day is not heavily theoretical and employs
the 'Gypsy Tradition' of demonstration and assimilation.
Essential elements however, are enthusiasm, love of the music,
fun, and a real desire to improve your personal best! The whole
programme is based on Paul's own route to this music, which he
invites you to follow! Paul and Nick will perform a set
during the lunch break. The workshops are a regular feature of
Paul's year and are gaining in popularity to the point where he
is running additional sessions. The day is overseen by Karen,
Paul's wife, who welcomes you and ensures the day runs smoothly.
For students without a 'Gypsy Guitar' there will be instruments
available for you to play.
Paul - We make
it as 'hands on' as possible and supportively push the students
out of their comfort zone. They really enjoy the challenge and
learn a lot - go away with a lot, to improve their future playing
skills.
Which is what it's all about.
Rhythm Guitar Techniques - Nick Mellor
-
 Chord
Knowledge
- Triads
- Chord Substitution
- Voicing
- Comping
- Right Hand - technique/stroke
variation
- Building Tension
- De-cluttering
- Chord Rolls
Solo Guitar Techniques - Paul Vernon Chester
-
 Octaves
-
Vibrato
-
Harmonics
-
Note Bending
-
Harmony
-
Runs
-
Arpeggios
-
Damping
-
Pauses
-
Attack
-
Restraint
Other Considerations
Starts and Endings
Tags
Mood
Contrast
Repertoire Construction
Energy Waste
Performance Confidence
Building a Solo.
Pick Technique.
The Guitar.
The Setting!
Chosen for its fine live acoustics that add to
the ambience.
^The Workshop of June 2007
Student Comments:-
The
Walsall Workshop was excellent, worth every penny. Paul is not
only a superb musician but an excellent teacher (that is his day
job of course), Nick was brilliant also. I've plenty of chord
theory homework to do. Warren.
This is just a quick note to let you know how much I enjoyed
Saturday's workshop. I'm really enjoying
the new CD - Duets for Django'. Thanks to Paul, Nick and Karen
for a good day. - Malcolm.
Thanks for a
wonderful Saturday. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I learned
a lot again from yourself and Nick, but it’s more than just
that, it’s about being in the company of people who share my
massive interest in Gypsy Jazz and being able to talk with them
about the subject. I look forward to the next workshop and
hope to reflect more improvement. Thanks to Karen for doing
the food and looking after us. - John
Hi Paul -12,000
miles would be a long way to come but I am sure it would be
worth it:-) Sound like a good course.
Here's our one happening in New Zealand around the same
time.......http://www.gypsyjazzworkshop.com
Cheers Leigh
_T___T___T_, /
Leigh Jackson Bmus, MMus(dist)
{ o. o. o.... \==+==+==+==+==+
Guitarist-Pianist-Teacher-Composer =|
/ ` --- `--------||==|==|==|==|==|==|==|= http://www.leighjackson.com +==|
\ , _ _ _ ------||==|==|==|==|==|==|==|Wellington, NEW
ZEALAND ==+==|
{ o ' o' o'" /==+==+==+==+==+==+==+ leigh@leighjackson.com =+==|
--T-----T-----T-'
\ 0064 (04) 971 4763
LOGISTICS
There is adequate Parking
Available and Overnight Accommodation can be arranged for those
that require it in Local Hotels.
Some 5 Acoustic
Guitars are available for those that wish to try other models
and any who have yet to buy or cannot bring their own Guitar for
Luggage reasons.
Any acoustic guitar is fine to use, students don't need a gypsy
model.
The number of
places will be limited to 15 students per Workshop and an
overspill date will be arranged for those that fail to register
early enough and as soon as numbers permit..
Food - Light
Refreshments are made available for free and those that are
Vegetarians should advise in advance.
Paul likes to talk with committed applicants individually to
gain insight as to their interest and current level of ability.
Booking forms will be issued and settlement is by cheque payable
in advance of the Workshop Date.
Duets for Django
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Students Should Study
Intently this Current Live Album
 
The first Live Album release date was 6th June 07 - CD Day
'Duets for Django'
recorded at Live @
Concert Jazz In Thame
on 14/03/07 (Paul's Birthday). This celebration may account for
the Manouche Magic captured by
Jake
Kirkpatrick at this Concert Jazz
Venue in Oxfordshire.
This High Quality Production gives
great insight to Paul's compositions, faultless technique and
ability to improvise inventively on a chord structure and his
tender treatment of .slow tempo compositions. The attentive
listening audience were so enraptured that their presence is
only apparent in the enthusiastic applause at the end of each
number. A must for Manoucheries - This is professional stuff -
no Bootleg productions - all worthy of Paul Vernon Chester's Highest Standards.
Paul's
Observations to Jake Kirkpatrick - Sound Engineer.
.Just to let you know how delighted we
are with the final product. As anticipated the recording
quality is top notch and the packaging looks great. Love the
colour scheme. Nick's guitar works well for the tweaked volume.
Notwithstanding the CD works really well. Many thanks for your
hard work Jake and I feel we have a recording that truly
reflects our performance ideals. It's only when you hear the
audience at the end of each track you realise this is a live
recording! I feel the same tension that I felt at the gig!
Very well done mate, you know your
stuff. - Paul.
 Track
Listings are
Loverman
Douce Ambience
Chez Jacquet
Autumn Leaves
Lady Be Good
St Louis Blues
Mona Lisa
 Blues
en Mineur
Django's Waltz
Anouman
September Song
Minor Swing
 on
line CD Purchase
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Django's
Playing
From the people most
influential to the development of Django's distinctive
playing style, two have been considered to rise above
others: Poulette Castro and Gusti Malha.
Poulette Castro, player of banduria and other stringed
instruments, performed mainly waltzes and the more
traditional Gypsy repertoire with his guitar playing
brother Laro. Django at his early teens would watch them
attentively for hours.
Poulette Castro was probably the primary model for
Django's famous picking hand technique so distinct from
the American jazz guitarists: very fast, strong and
accurate wrist movement with the hand and arm loose at
all times from the top of the instrument, thus allowing
freer movement with greater power.
Some writers have argued that Django's physical handicap
actually made him a better guitarist than had he the use
of all four fingers on his fretting hand. Unable to play
the linear, scale-driven lines that fall all too easily
under the fingers of most guitarists, Django's limited
mobility forced him to view the fingerboard more
vertically than horizontally. Blessed with exceptionally
large hands and long fingers (one famous photo shows him
fretting the high E through A strings of his guitar at
the 14th fret with his middle finger from the second
knuckle down), he had the strength and stretch to make
wide intervals with just his first two fingers. He
invented the use of octave runs as a soloing device on
guitar, another example of taking his two-fingered
limitation and making it a musical asset. Moving beyond
that, he frequently used double stop runs in colourful
intervals to generate tonal tension and resolution in
his solos. Django literally developed a new vocabulary
for lead guitar, making wide interval jumps across the
strings as often as he moved up and down the strings
individually. When he did remain on one string, it was
typically for a blistering chromatic run that might
start on the first fret and run all the way up to the
13th fret. Always aware of the slightest nuance of tone,
Django honed each note perfectly, often incorporating a
beautifully modulated finger vibrato or a skilfully
executed blues bend or slur to add emotional strength to
his playing. As the Django repertoire books written by
guitarist Robin Nolan show clearly, most of Django's
chord positions were simple three note chords, but his
musical genius enabled him to create diminished,
suspended and augmented chords that beautifully fit the
melodies he played by adding open string notes as
needed. Although a total illiterate musically who
couldn't name any chords, he always knew what chord
formation he needed to create the musical effect he
desired, either a sweet, lush chord or a jarring,
angular punctuation chord, to set the mood.
Video Link -
Django Playing in 1939 J'attandrais
A tireless worker, he endlessly developed a trailblazing
right hand technique, as well. Django was the first to
frequently utilize what is now called sweep picking,
where a run is played with the pick pushing through
three or more strings sequentially with either a down or
upstroke. His tremolo rivalled that of the great Italian
mandolin virtuosi, a skill that he utilized on full
chords and well as individual notes to great effect.
Django preferred the thickest, stiffest picks he could
find, generally using natural tortoise shell. But he
never let his equipment dominate his creative skills.
Delauney's book, for instance, cites one example where
he showed up for a gig without a pick and proceeded to
break off the tooth of a comb and used that as a
substitute plectrum for the night! - Some Comb, Some
tooth eh - was it a
nit (Bean) comb or just poetic licence. He also
used one of Les Paul's Button Picks while in the USA.
Django's Rhythm Techniques
Listen to this finger
busting tirade from Django - Mystery Pacific (Mystery
Train - long before Presley) this was recorded on 26th April
1937 and
appears to end abruptly when Django hits the buffers -
due to finger fatigue perhaps rather than a loss of
invention.. So you wanted to lay down a rhythmic
pulse just like a train on the tracks eh - try emulating this........................... |
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Mystery Pacific - MP3 -
4.46Mb
Selmer Maccaferri
- The action is typically high to
allow forceful playing and a louder sound with more sustain.
The player
used to a more conventional guitar is required to adapt his/her playing
style considerably with this type of instrument. The bridge is closer to
the edge, so the optional picking spot is further than usual on the
right for a right-handed player, and the combination of light,
relatively soft strings and a heavy pick adds even more to the
discomfort of the uninitiated.
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Chord G6. Left:
Common jazz-voicing. Right: Gypsy style five-string voicing with
the thumb on the lowest string
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Because the natural sonic
range for this type of guitar is somewhat thinner with less bass, it
calls for chords with thicker voicing: Freddie Green's famous
three-string chords should give way to Gypsy style four-to-six string
chords, where the left hand thumb is usually reaching for the lowest
note.
Light, soft
strings are a constant source for doubtful wonderings, the common belief
being: the heavier the strings, the more mannish the sound. While this
is true in the flat-top world, where the beautiful heavy bottom is best
reached with thick bronze strings, it won't fit in the Selmer/Maccaferri
philosophy. As stated previously, the top is very thin, the finishing is
extremely light and the bracing is simple. The wooden bridge directs the
string pressure straight towards the slightly arched top. In order to
have the top vibrating the way it's supposed to, this pressure must not
be too high.
The guitar
- if built correctly - will reward a humble player greatly for his/her
efforts. Even thick voicings don't interfere with the bass and other
instruments, they supplement them. Still, the sound of the individual
strings is so piercing that this guitar cuts easily through a regular
rhythm section, when played with the right picking technique. The long
sustained, clear ringing high notes sing with the most marvellous tone.
Django in June
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