( 3 reviews )
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( 2 of 3 found this review helpful ) Posted: Feb 11 2006
Well executed and conceived, though a bit toward the beginning intermediate player... not heavy on theory or scales... a real good place to start.
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( 20 of 20 found this review helpful ) Posted: Mar 29 2005
There is a plethora of Jazz teachers, methods and approaches out there - all catering to different skill-levels. This makes it difficult to guess what instruction material will be perfect for what you want to learn. This lesson from leading Gypsy Jazz guitarist Paul Mehling was the happy exception to the rule. The DVD delivers precisely what it promises: a no-nonsense, comprehensive primer to the art of Gypsy-style swing comping. Actually, I was amazed at the amount of information that Mehling is able to present in a mere hour, including strumming patterns (giving both right-hand and left-hand techniques), chord voicings, connections between accompaniment and lead, bass-like patterns, a brief overview of Gypsy guitar types and some really catchy 2-guitar demos. All this is done in style, with Mehling often referring back to "the" source, the legendary Django Reinhardt. I heard no out-of style voicings, anachronistic "cool-jazz" type dissonances or any other obvious departures from Django's style. Also, Mehling provides a vast number of practical exercises, practice tips and (what I found especially valuable), points the musician in the right direction as far as self-development in this style. Mehling does not just give a set of pre-canned techniques, but he presents the musical reasoning behind his choices and encourages the student to use musical sense and theory to find more voicings and chord-patterns (within the confines of the style, of course). All this, he does while providing sensible recommendations and suggesting an appropriate pace of study and progress ("don't overshoot and try to sound like Django in a week..."). The accompanying booklet is extremely informative as it presents all the chords that Mehling uses on the video. I would not consider this video to be for beginners, because it assumes a healthy amount of musical knowledge, structural understanding and technical "chops." But for anyone else, it's gold. I am extremely pleased with this DVD, which I will continue studying diligently. Bravo, Paul Mehling.
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( 9 of 9 found this review helpful ) Posted: Feb 22 2005
This dvd is great for getting your feet wet in this complex form. Basic strums are covered, as well as some great tricks like splaying chords, "galloping", etc. You'll work through "I'll See You In My Dreams" and "Oriental Shuffle", offering some very useful voicings. Included is a booklet with charts/diagrams. Paul Mehling is a great teacher, and has a very down-to-earth approach that's easy to follow and understand. Definitely worth the price.
