ME-311

1. Romani Music and the Origins of
Gypsy Jazz

2. Romani Origins
• Originated in India
• Migrated to Europe 1000
years ago
• Sasanian king hired 1000 lute
players who wasted all that
he had given them.
Consequentially, he sent
them wandering around the
world.

3. Romani Music
• Romani music plays an important role in Central and Eastern European
countries and has influenced European classical composers such as Franz
Lizst and Johannes Brahms
• Many famous classical musicians such as Hungarian pianist Georges Cziffra
are Romani
• Early violins and guitars are said to have originated from the Romani
• Romani brass bands
• The distinctive sound of Romani music
strongly influenced bolero, jazz, and
flamenco in Europe
• “Gypsy jazz” is still widely practiced
today

4. Django Reinhardt
• Belgium-born French guitarist of Romani ethnicity
• Regarded as one of the greatest guitar players of all time and was
the first important European jazz musician to make major
contributions to the development of the guitar genre
• Most popular compositions have become jazz standards – Minor
Swing, Daphne, Belleville, Djangology, Swing 42, and Nuages
• Strongly influenced by Louis Armstrong
• Formed the Quintette du Hot Club de France with violinist Stéphane
Grappelli

5. The Birth of Gypsy Jazz
 Reinhardt worked in musette
ensembles around Paris with a
group of Romani guitarists in the
1930’s through the 1950’s
 Musette style waltz is an
important component in Gypsy jazz
repertoire
• Dark, chromatic sounds contrast with uptempo,
spirited performance style
• 1930’s swing articulation

6. Instrumentation
• The original Quintette did not have a drummer, which
facilitated the use of the acoustic guitar as a lead
instrument
• Guitar and violin are the main solo instruments
• Clarinet, mandolin, and accordion are often used
• Rhythm guitar played with a percussive technique called “la
pompe”
• Upright bass

7. Harmony
• Barre chords are not acceptable – Reinhardt’s altered
chord shapes are what characterizes the Gypsy jazz
style
• Reharmonization is aimed at giving a piece a minor feel
even if a song is in a major key
• Chromaticism via mordents and trills
• Embellishments include tremolo, string bends,
pizzicato, ghost notes, harmonics, octaves, double
stops, and glissando
• Commonly used scales include the chromatic scale,
melodic minor scale, dorian mode, and diminished
scale