|
 Rhythm Guitar
Le Pompe
The
Manouche Pump
In his secondary but essential role as rhythm guitarist Nick Mellor is a tower of strength to enhance
Paul's ability to relax and deliver with a solid rhythm accompaniment. An unsung
but essential component of the soaring soloist's performance . He is the hard rock
strata foundation on which Paul strives for perfection. Albeit he looks so
intense and insignificant in this gargantuan and so important task of rhythm
guitar support
Rhythm guitar is like
vanilla extract in cake.
You can't taste it when it's there, but you know when it's left out.
The driving style pioneered by Django Reinhardt
and other Gypsy players became one of the dominant sounds in jazz during the
thirties and forties. Starting with basic four-to-the-bar comping and damping,
we take you through a variety of accompaniment ideas.
Gypsy Jazz, is a highly-evolved
style of music, based on the guitar playing of Django Reinhardt. It requires a
solid rhythmic foundation upon which a soloist may build his or her musical
statement. The challenge lies in learning how to produce this rhythmic
foundation, for Manouche rhythm can be both instantly recognizable to the
audience and, frustratingly subtle to the student.
Video of Nick in Action @ Concert Jazz
in Thame 14/03/07
Manouche
Band
Standard gypsy jazz bands are
strictly acoustic ensembles, using mainly string instruments, including one or
more guitars, a violin and a double bass. No drums or other percussion
instruments are used; rhythm is provided by a steady "up-down" strumming
technique known as the "pump" provided by one or two rhythm guitars. Violin,
clarinet and lead guitar provide the melody and improvisational leads. Modern
gypsy jazz bands often employ accordions and acoustic pianos as lead melodic
instruments.
"What characterizes this music is
a rhythmical style of accompaniment we call 'the pump,' "It's rare for musicians
to master it. It's a Manouche jazz thing. But once you can do 'the pump,' you
can do everything."
Le Grande Pompe
Nick Mellor - Rhythm Guitar in a Duo Format
Playing Rhythm
guitar accompaniment with a good player like
http://paulvernonchester.com/NickMellor.htm is a bit like
good food. Savour the taste, rejoice in the presentation and never ever get your
fill.
Listen, Watch, Hear and actually
Feel the music you are playing, don’t just play
along, make the going yourself, after all you are the mainstay and the
foundation for the music you are playing.
Good players complement each other.
The lead guitar sometimes follows the rhythm player and visa versa, neither
musician is there just to go it alone, two guitarist working together produce
the magic that makes a great performance
Vary the attack and style of rhythm, give the music tension, make the piece come
to life and as interesting as possible without creating confusion.
Listen to what you are playing as a team, make it good.
-
Always play your best, there’s
no one to fall back on
-
Watch what the lead guitar
plays; try to pre-empt a change in mood, change of pace or a pause.
-
Hear the song both in your head
and as the live performance you are producing
-
Feel the music you play, sense
the emotions aroused by the music.
-
Complement the lead guitarist
as he complements you with the music you play
Elements required for a good
rhythm guitar player.
Memory
Dexterity
Endurance
Concentration, focus on the tune you are
playing
A sense of timing
When playing a piece, carry
out and stick to the following important steps, it helps a lot.
Know the tune you are playing
Follow the tune all the way through in your head
whilst the lead guitar initially confirms the song melody then improvises, the
melody will be confirmed again later toward the end, be aware of this.
-
Make sure you know the changes, where and when they
occur
-
Ensure correct Chords & Inversions are used to complement the mood & feel of the
song
-
Think
in advance of the changes to see if you can offer anything special to the
performance
-
Listen
& check what you are playing is in the correct timing
-
Try
to imagine listening from the audience’s viewpoint; - do they like what they are
hearing?
-
Make
your playing fit with that of the lead guitar, try to fill the ‘gaps’ in the
music as much as possible without losing track of what the rhythm player is
there for,
namely to keep a regular rhythm and create a percussive drive to the
song.
The
Rhythm Player is in effect a ‘Rhythm Section’ in his own right.
Understanding the theory of
music is not essential to good rhythm playing.
An understanding of the song
melody and the person you are playing with is, to my mind much more important.
You don’t have to know the
names for all of the different Chord shapes, the important thing is to know what
the chords sound like and where they can be fitted into a performance.
-
Triads help greatly, one basic
chord shape can represent many different sounds during a performance.
-
Get to know the basics, make
each chord sound crystal clear, no string buzzing.
-
Make chord changes smoothly –
relax, tension in yourself, your hands or arms makes for a poor performance.
-
Perfect a good left-hand
technique as well as the usual 'Bomp -Chick' for the right hand.
-
The left hand rocks as the
strings are struck with the pick to accentuate the beat.
Please take special notice
of the duty and dedication of the rhythm guitar. The skill and artistry of the
Rhythm player is often somewhat masked by the brilliant musical lines of the
lead instrument, but without a great rhythm guitar, the body goes out of the
sound. A great rhythm guitarist is a major asset to the overall sound.
Unlike the conventional view of
the rhythm guitarist as a technically inferior musician to lead players, in jazz
Manouche a solid rhythm guitar player is highly esteemed. The la pompe technique
(‘the pump’), considered the bedrock of the traditional Hot Club sound, seems
deceptively simple but takes a surprisingly long time for many experienced jazz
guitarists to master.
Nick
Mellor's Advice for the Rhythm Guitar Player
Regularly attend
Pauls’ Gypsy Guitar Workshop to find others with mutual interests;
networking is a very important consideration when playing Rhythm guitar. Rhythm
players are always on the lookout for people to accompany. This helps them
progress their playing and to cope with different players techniques and styles.
Make arrangements to meet and play, even if not in the same area; try to arrange
a monthly meet. Possibilities come out of the blue. Be prepared for them; put
the guitar in the car and be open about playing at all times.
Choose a Lead Player whom you get on with,
they may well be on a learning curve, bear this in mind and be patient.
Record both yourself and your guitar partner. Help each other to identify your
Musical strengths and weaknesses. Be truthful and talk about the performance. Be
constructive in any criticism, this will help you to perfect your craft and hone
your playing skills. You’ll learn a lot and appreciate the process.
Nurture a true commitment to music and guitar playing in
general; always be on the lookout for opportunities to learn, even when not
playing guitar with someone else. Always look for something new, on Radio, on TV
or DVD film soundtrack or at the cinema, take in everything musical, not just
guitar players/playing, all music is a good and a great knowledge resource.
Explore and experience everything musical, music and melody know no bounds and
are not confined to guitar. Let music be your guide.
Be self-motivated; regard your guitar as a friend, a shoulder
to lean on and something with which to express your feelings and emotions. To be
the best you must be driven; there is no better vehicle than the guitar to
express yourself. Always strive to be and do the best you can, even when
you practise your guitar at home on your own.
Respect the other person/partners playing
at all times, try to understand your partners nuances and learn to predict with
foresight, changes in the performance before they happen. The other person will
be astounded and wonder how you knew and could understand their motivations.
Express yourself musically. You don’t always have to follow the lead
player. Take control and lead the song with your rhythm playing, you will gain
much respect from your partner by doing this. Try to be at one with the
piece you are playing; that does not mean you can’t put your own slant on the
interpretation. The music you produce should come across as one, well integrated
with each other and no awkward gaps or silences.
Concentrate and be committed to the music
you are playing. Don’t let your mind wander off the theme you are playing. Play
with conviction, passion and fire. Be sure to use your newly learnt rhythm
tricks, resources and devices as you progress. Vary
the
chord inversions you know. Agree with your partner to play the song in a
different key or perhaps play in a different rhythm style. Be creative but keep
it simple, that’s the key ingredient, simplicity and remember, you only get out
what you put in. Always prepare and practise well. Poor preparation
only results in poor performance.
Do you’re very best to learn something new each week. That may
be a new chord inversion, a new way of fingering a particularly difficult chord,
or a new way to express the feeling of the music through the type and form of
rhythm you play. Practise thoroughly, try out new
things, be adventurous, no one is there to criticise or complain. The overall
result will be very satisfying when you realise you’ve managed to put a little
more of yourself into the music.
Extend and stretch your abilities. Learn new songs;
try out new material, try different chord inversions to change the mood and feel
of a piece.
Research Guitar music on the web. Watch how other players do
it; this may give you ideas or even a starting point for some difficult piece of
guitar music. Don’t copy others; just accept them as a source of useful
information that allows you progress your musical career. Practise as
often as you can. This is just as important for a Professional as it is for an
Amateur.
Remember the Three Important Rhythm Player Maxims’:-
Strength: is your inner strength of mind and the
ability to physically control your guitar to get the results you want. The way
you play and hold the guitar as well as your stance is very important. Look as
if you’re ready to play and ‘beat off any opposition single handedly’. Some
chords and rhythm patterns require a lot of left hand strength. This needs to be
accomplished without tiring or cramp setting in. Left and Right hands should
operate independently but in perfect sync to give a well integrated performance.
Agility: is needed to provide sequences of
strummed chords that are accurate and clearly executed, with timely chord
changes that match the tempo of the song you are playing. Changes between one
chord and the next should be clean and seamless with no gaps as you change
chord. Playing rhythm on your guitar is not a chore, it is a pleasure you can
enjoy time and time again.
Stamina: comes from strength training with the
ability to play sequences of chords for extended periods without tiring or your
left hand ‘seizing up’. Try playing a simple piece, Minor Swing or Dark Eyes for
example for about 15 – 20 minutes to get into the swing of things. There is and
always should be a warming up period when you start a performance. This is
needed to get your hands, muscles and thoughts to operate in unison. This can
range from a few minutes to half an hour before everything is working as it
should be.
Feel the Music in your Heart as well as in your Head. Be at
one with your Head to make the performance believable as well as enjoyable. The
music should come from your soul and give the audience the feeling of being
totally involved with the performance. Sometimes a sad song can bring an
audience to tears; this is pure emotion and shows you have done a good job.
Always look for and gauge audience reaction. If your audience is happy, you’ll
get a lot more from the performance.
Jazz Gitan Rhythm
Rhythm Picks -
Use the type of pick that is
suitable for the type of music you are playing as well as ‘man enough’ to
survive a good rendition of ‘After You’ve Gone’ or ‘Black Eyes’. A normal hard plastic pick
usually only survives one gig, for me at any rate and I wouldn’t say I was
particularly hard on Pick, Strings or Guitar.
 Guitar Choice
 JWC
Guitars, Saga, Hodgson, Le Voi, or perhaps a rare Selmer-Maccaferri,etc. etc.
You must play several guitars to find the one that is best suited to you. - Nick
Mellor
Nick will be endorsing
JWC Guitars and will be playing one of the source Luthier
Jeongwoo Cho's 14 fret D holes. These guitars are really taking off as word gets
around of their quality and closeness tonally to the Selmer Maccaferri
originals. They are beautiful instruments.
JWC-Guitars
Jeongwoo Cho Video
New Zealand guitarist Gareth Johnston and luthier
Jeongwoo Cho on Rhythm
Guitar play
Minor Swing during a guitar makers show case concert at the Daejon
guitar festival ,Korea September 2009. Both these guitars are made by
Jeongwoo Cho. His classical guitars are also wonderful instruments!
UK Hot Club Advice:
- The pick should
be held firmly. This is usually between the thumb and first finger
- The wrist should
be bent out.
- The elbow should be locked onto
the guitar but not the forearm.
- Their should be NO
fingers resting on the guitar for support. It just saps the power out of the
hand.
- Persevere and it will come. It
may take a while but it will come.
The study of Gypsy Rhythm is an
essential part of your journey into Gypsy Jazz.
Many is the time when a solid rhythm player holds more attention from the
audience than the average soloist.
Many decide that they will only concentrate on playing rhythm and leaving the
solo work to others, these guys get lots of work I assure you, soloists are 10 a
penny.
The nuances in playing rhythm are many
and wondrous and as you see more players playing "good gypsy rhythm" you will
realize it's a complete study course in itself.
A phrase you will probably come across is "La Pompe" - this is the elusive feel
that Gypsy players impart to their rhythm, it involves pushing through the first
stroke and putting an almost imperceptible upstroke in the return. The only
place to hear it done well is by a Gypsy player. Fapy Lafertin once remarked he
could tell if the rhythm player was a Gypsy just by sound alone.
So here we go again trying to achieve the impossible .
This is a lesson to get you started.
It sounds easy but it can be a problem
for some, especially those who are not used to a plectrum.
Initially try for a boom chick effect, both are down strokes and both are damped
with the left hand (assuming you are playing right handed), by releasing the
pressure on the strings but still remaining in contact immediately after the
chord is struck.
Strike the chord on the beat and the
half beat i.e.
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and =
Boom Chick, Boom Chick, Boom Chick,
Boom Chick.
The boom is played on the bass notes
and the chick is played on the remaining notes of the chord.
You really have to go for a percussive
feel and if there is more than one person playing rhythm, it should sound as one
guitar. So get tight. The example shown here is only my interpretation of
a basic rhythm. People develop their own style and so should you.
The study of Gypsy Rhythm is an
essential part of your journey into Gypsy Jazz.
Many is the time when a solid rhythm player holds more attention from the
audience than the average soloist.
Many decide that they will only concentrate on playing rhythm and leaving the
solo work to others, these guys get lots of work I assure you, soloists are 10 a
penny.
- Practice these two chords: Gm6 &
Am6.
- Dampen the A string with your
second finger.
- Gm6 shown here. Slide whole thing
up two frets to get to Am6.
Gm6
e X!-----!-----!-----!-----!
B X!-----!-----!-----!-----!
G !-----!-----!--3--!-----!
D !-----!--1--!-----!-----!
A X!-----!-----!-----!-----!
E !-----!-----!--2--!-----!
| 
PAUL
VERNON CHESTER
