Hear the solo in the video, then learn the notes, bowings, swing articulation, phrasing, and jazz language that make it work. Use those ideas to strengthen your time feel and develop your own improvisational voice.
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Learn the harmony, phrasing, swing articulation, and jazz language behind the solo—then adapt those ideas to create stronger improvisations of your own.
Jazz Manouche or “Hot Club Jazz”, was developed in Paris during the 1930s by guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli. Their group “Quintette du Hot Club de France” was unusual in that it had no brass lead instruments nor drums, unlike most jazz groups of the 1930s. This was compensated by the guitar’s highly rhythmic playing style called “la pompe” (“the pump”). Their composition “minor swing” (“Mineur Swing”), recorded in 1937, is regarded as one of the pivotal recordings of Hot Club Jazz as well as early Violin Jazz. It is characterized by simple chord changes and a repetitive structure giving Reinhardt and Grappelli the opportunity to showcase virtuosity through their solos
Minor Swing Chord Progression (16-Bar Solo Form)
A common progression used for improvising over Minor Swing is:
| Am | Am | Bm7b5 (or Dm6/B) | Bm7b5 (or Dm6/B) |
| E7 | E7 | Am | Am |
| Dm | Dm | Am | Am |
| E7 | E7 | Am | E7 |
The final E7 functions as the turnaround back to Am. Players often use Am6, Dm6 and altered E7 voicings in the Gypsy-jazz style.
Playing Jazz violin solo transcriptions is an excellent strategy for musicians who are already good readers, because it makes it easy to develop Jazz melodic language. But it’s just one part of an overall strategy.
While the minor swing violin sheet music above is advanced, it is a great way to improve your overall technique, hearing skills and knowledge of scales, arpeggios, bowing techniques and other elements essential in jazz and other styles.
You can also play your own ideas against the minor swing backing track below in the Youtube playlist.
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