"Minor Swing" Gypsy Jazz Chord Study; 4 levels of essential moves & embellishments for comping!

[@Trombonology]

Alex, you are much too marvelous a musician and much too articulate an instructor to "fade into obscurity." I love the nuanced way in which you describe what to do -- and what not to do ("oompa loompa," etc. 😁) to achieve an authentic sound in a variety of musical settings; your comments really add to each demonstration of technique. Your lessons always expose the hours, years and miles on the fretboard that you've put in. IMO, you're doing everything exactly right with your excellent channel.

[@mstenzel03]

totally agree, this video is pure gold - again ;-) Thanks Alex

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Ah thank you so much, your comment honestly means so much to me. Very glad to have you as a regular viewer my friend 🙏🏻

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Thank you so much! ☺️

[@cubadavid4133]

I must finally react on effort this guy puts in his videos. I am very grateful that i have found your channel Alex. I got to your content when i was chasing for video lesson of Douce Ambiance, which i had chosen as a tune for musical conservatory talent exam performance and i did it as you say at the end and used the looper - it was quite cool indeed. Than I was so influenced by the Gypsy Swing style that i even wrote my own chord melody tune based on the right hand swing and a few gypsy jazz voicings. I feel it as something i would like to express gratefulness for - and not just because i am these days already a student of the musical school :) but as well for that you are a guy who makes the explorations in the gypsy jazz voicings and chord shapes very colorful and rich indeed - accesible, although not trivial. Thanks for Your creative work and approaches to tunes and the genre in general, keep going Alex. I'll definitelly check your patreon, and yeah - when you switched to that Weird Fishes hypnothic fingerpicking pattern, i had that kinda feeling - so surprised but actually not at all :D you hit the fellow note. Make something on them in the future man - you got the talent necesarry for that and there will be some to appreciate that for sure! :)

[@heypockyway6652]

I appreciated the office reference 👌

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Haha glad you liked that one ;)

[@NickKizirnis]

I appreciated the radiohead sidebar. Great lesson, i just downloaded the music!

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

That's awesome!.. thank you for your support my friend, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the lesson! 🙏🏻

[@tomcorner6545]

Thank you very much for that song and the exercises!

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

You're so welcome! Thanks for the comment! 🙏🏻

[@arvo56]

After playing standard chords with first finger bars etc, I find it hard to bring thumb over as you gypsy guitarists do. I learned to keep thumb round the back & out of it! Also using my little finger in instead of using one finger to bar first & second strings helps me manage,-but in the end I have to compromise a bit to suit my arthritic hands. This is a great lesson, so thanks a lot!

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Glad you enjoyed the lesson mate. Absolutely, no problem modifying shapes to suit your hands. It's all about the sound! 👌🏻

[@fkp-1353]

Incredible lesson, Alex. Thanks!

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Anytime buddy, thanks for the comment! 🙏🏻

[@DeGroove]

I’m glad you seem to be getting more and more attention, you deserve it, you’re such a fabulous musician, just keep doing what you’re doing, I have no doubt that you will build a massive loyal fan base. As for being called a ‘Swinger’ 😂 I wouldn’t mind at all. I call myself ‘Blessed’ being one of your patreons. Thank you so much Alex! Take care.

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

🙏🏻 thank you so much my friend, I really appreciate your comments. I’m the blessed one to have such lovely Patrons such as yourself! 🧡

[@MC-mi4ck]

Those Autumn Leaves changes are very nice. Hadn’t thought of that.

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Thanks buddy, glad you enjoyed it!

[@LostOriginalHQ]

Those voicings are à real work outs for my brain but feels so rewarding once you get how to build them ! Your videos are à blessing for selftaught noobs like me ! Best wishes alex 👌

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Ah thanks man, really appreciate the comment. Glad you enjoy the videos my friend.. and hey.. I’m a self taught n00b too! 🤪

[@NickKizirnis]

WOW!

[@meeno_the_man]

The hits just keep coming! Brother, thank you for providing your monster genius such that my burgeoning genius might grow.

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Ah man, you’re too kind!.. really glad you’re enjoying the lessons! Thanks for the comment buddy! 🙏🏻

[@manuelfornies1667]

Beautiful and useful lesson! Thanks for sharing!

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

My pleasure! Thanks for the comment my friend! 🙏🏻

[@AndyBankside]

Man that is a sick guitar!! Total respect!

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Cheers mate!

[@MulryTime]

Radiohead songs that use 3 note voicings: That Am/C in exercise 4 is the same chord that kicks off the the arpeggios in "Scatterbrain" ( Am/C G/B F/A Em/G F#dim7 Em all with three note voicings on the E D and G strings).

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Good shout!.. I love that song. I’ll have to do a Radiohead three note chords video soon. So many great examples! 👌🏻

[@MulryTime]

@@AlexFarranGuitar That sounds fantastic.

[@markfisher1215]

Great lesson so much to unpack here

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Thanks Mark, glad you enjoyed it 🙏🏻

[@jakelee7639]

Many thanks…you are awesome and hope your channel blows up as it should!….also great aesthetics with yellow & blue background lighting, gives a distinct look for your videos..nice…..btw, what country are you from?…just curious

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Thank you so much for the kind words!.. glad you like the videos my friend! 🙏🏻 I’m from Nottingham, England.. the home of Robin Hood and the World’s greatest football team 😉🍻

[@graemero5532]

Great lesson Alex. Hope your wee Louis is not too panicked by these stupid fireworks, my Louie is freaking out and this is only the day before Guy Fawkes.

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Thanks buddy, glad you enjoyed it! Aw sorry to hear your Louie is having a though time!.. thankfully my Louis isn’t too phased by the noise.. but yeah I agree, it’s pretty excessive here at the moment! Lots of noise! 😬

[@EchoesOfTheDeep]

Great video as allways with lots of good ideas to practice. Genuine question : is there a difference between "la pompe" rythm and the "american style" of comping from the 30s (from guys like freddie green for example) ?

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Thanks buddy, that’s a good question and one I answered in detail on a Patreon Q&A. To give a short answer, yes there is a subtle difference, the gypsy swing feel is a little tighter with the “and” of the beat pushed even later. American swing feel tended to be a little looser and “wider”. 🍻

[@icps86]

great lesson! question: I see thats not a gypsy jazz guitar, but an archtop - sounds sweet! what type of strings and pick do you use?

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Thanks mate! Glad you enjoyed it.. make sure to watch the tone and gear talk near the end of the video where I go over all that stuff! ;)

[@StuartwasDrinkell]

how about LE POMPE PATREON for a name...We could even say it in a French accent 🤔.... very cool as usual Alex!

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

😆 that’s really not a bad suggestion at all mate! I’ll add it to the list 😂👌🏻

[@juliangurr8669]

As a soloist, which of the four options you present here would you prefer your accompanist to play? I’ve heard several soloists express their preference for really simple backing so as to avoid potential clashes with their soloing ideas. What are your feelings about this? Thanks.

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Hmmm that’s a good question.. in the spirit of performance, any amalgamation of all 4 studies would be fair game plus many more options, but if I was putting down a backing track for the purposes of recording, I’d probably go with something like the 3rd option 👌🏻

[@inlandbott]

great tutorial! you use 12s on that guitar? with a wound third? cheers!

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

Thanks buddy! Yes indeed.. currently got Thomastik 12 gauge flats on there (wound third). My favourite strings for this guitar are the D’addario EJ21’s though.. 12 gauge, roundwounds with a wound third

[@BL55]

👍

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

🙏🏻🍻