Out of print

Please see the updated and expanded version:

Gypsy Swing & Hot Club Rhythm Complete Mandolin Edition.

Gypsy Swing & Hot Club Rhythm II for Mandolin by Dix Bruce. Learn 12 MORE great Gypsy Swing/Hot Club standards (see song list below) in the style of Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli and The Quintette of the Hot Club of France.

Book with CD plus downloadable audio

Additional Details

This is volume II of our popular Gypsy Swing & Hot Club Rhythm set. Just like with the original set, you’ll play along with a great Gypsy Swing Rhythm Section and learn chords, comping, and melodies, then let the band back you up as you practice chords and soloing. You play all the leads!

Beginners can practice basic skills while more advanced players can hone their improvisation chops, each at their own individual learning pace. You’ll learn moveable closed position swing/jazz chords and practice playing them with the swing guitar comp. We’ve also included information on basic chord substitution along with exercises on transposing melodies and chord progressions to different keys. These are essential skills for any swing/jazz musician. But we’ve added more: Gypsy Swing & Hot Club Rhythm II has downloadable bonus music, lyrics, TAB, and MP3s!

Among the twelve selections in a variety of keys are some of the most popular songs in the style. We’ve got “Indiana,” “Limehouse Blues,” and “El Choclo” the great tango. “Clouds and Shadows” is an etude based on Django’s “Nuages.” “St. James Infirmary” and “Django’s Djazz Blues” will let you work out on blues chord changes in a variety of different keys. In fact, “Django’s Djazz Blues” works through seven different keys. “Margie,” “Whispering,” and “Stumbling” are wonderful melodies and chord progressions played by swing and jazz musicians all over the world. “Tiger Rag,” with its four key changes, will challenge the most advanced player but it’ll be more fun that you can imagine!

Book/recording set includes standard notation, tablature, chord diagrams, lyrics, playing tips, and more. Each song is presented on the CD or in the downloadable audio at slow and regular speeds. First you’ll hear the melody played on guitar at a slow speed with just guitar backup, then it’s repeated at regular speed with the band.

The back up band is a classic “Hot Club”- style rhythm section with two acoustic rhythm guitars, string bass. We’ve also added rhythm mandolin so you can hear how the Gypsy Swing comp sounds with mandolin. Split track mixing on the recording allows the student to hear just the melody (while reading along in the book) or just the rhythm section, or both for maximum flexibility and specific study.

Finally the band plays several choruses and you play all the leads. Songs may be repeated, at slow or regular speed, as many times as you wish in order to perfect phrases, melodies and solos in a band context. Potential for improvement is unlimited. We’ll jam all night long!

The band, l. to r.: Jason Vanderford, Marty Eggers, Dix Bruce.

Samples:
Sample pages: Limehouse Blues
Audio Preview sample 1
Audio Preview sample 2
Watch Dix demonstrate how to work with the Gypsy Swing & Hot Club Rhythm sets on mandolin.

Additional downloads from book.

Special Books/CDs/DVD offer:
Includes both of Dix Bruce’s Gypsy Swing & Hot Club Rhythm book/CD sets ($15.95 list each) plus Dix Bruce’s Swing & Jazz Mandolin DVD: Chords, Rhythm, and Songs ($24.95 list) for our lowest price ever: $39.89. That’s two book/CDs sets plus DVD with over 100 minutes of great video swing & jazz mandolin instruction. You’ll save over $17.00! Click here.

Watch Dix demonstrate how to work with the Gypsy Swing & Hot Club Rhythm sets on mandolin.

Watch Dix demonstrate how to work with the Gypsy Swing & Hot Club Rhythm sets on guitar.

Guitar versions also available. Click here.

Table of Contents:
How to work with the book and CD
Swing Guitar Rhythm
Limehouse Blues
Chinatown, My Chinatown
St. James Infirmary
Clouds and Shadows
Margie
Whispering
El Choclo
(Back Home Again in) Indiana
Django’s Djazz Blues
Red Wing Swing
Stumbling
Tiger Rag

Customer comments:
Dear Dix,

First time, ever, writing a letter like this. But, felt compelled to… I’m 61 years old and started playing guitar about 3 1/2 years ago … The music that makes me happy to be alive is Gypsy Swing. I have bought DVDs by ***, ***, and about three others. Also books on Django and books on arpeggios etc., etc., etc.. All of this was so over my head, so overwhelming, so frustrating. Most of the technique and scales and arpeggios were disjointed and had really no similarity to the music I was listening to. Not their fault, just over my level … Three weeks ago I came across your book/CD “Gypsy Swing and Hot Club Rhythm for Guitar.” … I started with “Avaoln” — right away I liked the format with the chord diagrams, the melody, and the finger number placements [tablature] for the melody. Now, what’s most amazing is that I spent hours watching the *** tapes and still (for some strange reason) could not get the “le Pompe” sound. (Granted I blame myself or my level of understanding). Yet immediately I picked it up from you, Jason, and Steve… After playing “Avalon” and “The Sheik” I immediately ordered the second book/CD. I’ve spent 3 weeks so far with the 1st book and plan to spend a lot more tiime with it before I move on. I love the use of the 7th and 6th chords. “Swingin’ Like ’42” is just what I’m talking about. The melody is great. I can play it medium slow but it still sounds great. That’s the Django sound.
G.N.
Long Beach, NY

“…Thanks for the (downloadable) ‘extras’ for the Gypsy Swing book. A good mix of easy and challenging songs, songs & tunes I know and some I hadn’t heard before, in keys I usually avoid. Thanks…”
S.H.
Urbandale, IA

Hello Dix,
“I just wanted to thank you for your Swing Mandolin Instruction material. I have Gypsy Swing Vol. 1 and have really enjoyed it, and just recently took advantage of your sale to get Gypsy Swing II and the (Swing &  Jazz Mandolin) DVD. This is by far the best value in music tuition I’ve ever gotten…I appreciate all the time and effort you are putting into these projects. I’m having a blast and learning a ton!”
D.S.
Issaquah, WA

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