Good for all levels!

By: Lea on 04/23/2012 08:49:40 AM

I am a new student, 3 mos. old. My interest and love of gypsy jazz drew me into studying banjo. Gypsy Picking is exposing me to the habits I need to cultivate and practice in order to play this type of music. The introductory material is great for anyone with an interest in this style. Last week I received my plectrum and have begun on lesson 1.

super deal

By: Milan158 on 04/01/2012 12:06:03 AM

Pros: Clear

The picking patterns are unbelieveable, most of guitarists would play the same tones differently and maybe that is the magic.There is much more in the book but as a beginner I have to finish the book first

gypsy picking

By: wonky on 03/31/2012 09:59:41 AM

jazz manouche is the "new kid on the block" for me. i've been a mainstream player most of my life, so i know the tunes. however, the right hand technique is all new. i've definitely got my work cut out for me. the material that michael covers in "gypsy picking" is very well thought out. i would not hesitate recommending this book to anyone wishing to further enhance their gypsy experience. wonky

Fantastic book

By: tcrowe76 on 03/05/2012 11:35:33 AM

Purchased on the advice of all the Djangobooks Forum users. Very well laid out with a good level of description. Accompanying CD is so useful. I'm a beginning GJ player so I appreciate all the background and insight. More advanced players will probably already know this stuff.

DjangoBooks

By: Lonnie Turner on 02/11/2012 07:49:02 PM

I have been playing guitar most of my life and have a collection of technique and lesson /transcription material. Michaels' books are right on the money and far exceeded my expectations. His books are a credit to Django and a great asset to anyone who would like to learn his music.

Buy this first!

By: Vince on 01/21/2012 12:16:55 AM

I can't recommend this book highly enough. In my first attempt at learning this style, I focused too much on learning from tab and picking whichever way seemed fastest. I hit a wall very quickly, and it wasn't until I invested in this book, began fresh, and relearned everything that I began to not only play better with a more beautiful sound, but I also had more fun. Don't make the mistake I did — buy this first! Michael has captured so much information and first hand experience with Dutch gypsies in this book. It really helps us folks that can't make it there ourselves!

Worth the $

By: bas on 10/12/2011 01:10:25 PM

If you want to play in the gypsy style and you've been taught the alternate picking method, do youself a favor and buy this book. Considering all the time MH put into researching this material it's an amazing value.

You Need This!

By: DanielSmyth on 08/29/2011 03:56:48 PM

Pros: Inspires confidence that you are on the right track!

Cons: Living in the UK meant high shipping costs

Woody Allen's Sweet & Lowdown inspired me to investigate Django's music and I've found all the elements I naturally lean to within one style...however: Without this book I would never find it a natural style to play and this is important! Gypsy Picking gives you the fundamental pointers on Right Hand technique which allows you to deliver an authentic attack, tone and clarity which we all found so breathtaking upon our discovery of it. I've a long journey ahead of me, and you MUST be self critical, but it will be a much easier journey with Michael's book beside me. This should be the next essential purchase after your guitar! Enjoy!

excellent service

By: sirseine on 05/21/2011 12:51:42 AM

excellent service

Gypsy Picking

By: MK on 05/09/2011 07:05:21 PM

One of the few method books I can honestly say has been a pleasure to read. The author's scholarship and his love of the subject come through in all of the material in the book. I am not a guitar player (attempting to become one), having played bass and ukulele for years. The advantage is that I have no bad habits to unlearn, but attempting gypsy jazz is a fairly steep learning curve. The instructions are clear and concise, and the exercises well explained. Give the drills plenty of time and lots of repetition in order to process them into muscle memory.

Excellent!!

By: Ryan on 04/25/2011 09:02:02 AM

What an amazing resource for anyone approaching gypsy jazz. Michael Horowitz structures the book according to a series of very helpful exercises/studies that lead towards an understanding of the rest-stop right hand technique. This book has changed my playing. My phrasing now sounds more authentic and has a fuller, richer tone.

Fantastic Book

By: jon on 04/23/2011 10:45:57 AM

In my opinion, this is the best source out there for the subject of gypsy picking. Breaks down technique incredibly allowing for ease of learning. The book is filled with relevant examples and great audio samples. If you need to get a jump start on this not so talked about technique, this book is where you need to start...and stay for awhile. One of the most valuable guitar technique I have purchased

Distilled knowledge!

By: p.k. on 04/22/2011 08:36:14 PM

I consider this publication a great value even though similar books may be out there with more pages and less valuable information. While Michael does seem to spend a lot of time in the first half of the book making sure your right hand is doing what it is supposed to do, the second half makes up for the perceived pedantic approach with a ton of great licks that are easy to implement in a jam or whatever. Even if I totally master what's passed on in this book, I don't think I could part with it since it's full of great reference ideas that I could see myself revisiting in the near and/or distant future.

A Must Have Book!

By: ted on 11/25/2010 02:25:17 PM

Pros: TAB, CD with recorded examples, Detailed fignerings

While many books have taught the arrangements and chord changes of Reinhardt oriented tunes, none have attacked the correct manner in which the style is traditionally played. Gypsy Picking is the first such method and is required study by those who take their Jazz Manouche seriously and wish to obtain a correct, legitimate sound. The photographic examples depicting correct posture, the way to hold the instrument, hand and plectrum placement introduce the student to the fundamentals of obtaining a correct tone and the picking exercises are the keys which unlock the door to the unique sound and style of this genre of jazz. The picking exercises - focuses on the correct methods for picking upstrokes, sweep strokes, alternate picking patterns, triplets, horizontal and chromatic arpeggios and double bass triplet runs as played by the Gypsies are just a few of the studies contained herein. Horowitz' method of teaching, aimed at players of all skill levels, exhibits the quality one would expect from a musician with a BA from Berkley while his lessons reflect his hands-on study with some of Holland's finest young Gypsy talent. The best thing is that the lessons in this book are easily transferable to other methods out there. Highly Recommended.