I have really learned a lot from practicing Gypsy Jazz. Even if you don’t plan to become the next Django you can still learn so much form studying how these guys play and it will improve your technique.
So what are these techniques I am talking about?
First lets look at what the right hand is doing.
Just as the infamous 'sweep pickers' we will start every picking pattern with a downstroke when switching strings. But we will do it every time! So when playing across the strings from the highest to the lowest it becomes the opposite of sweep picking. And the idea is not to let the pick 'fall' to the next string in order to develop speed. It's simply a natural way to play and by using reststrokes one can get a really loud attack a la Django.
ok what about the left hand?
Most people know that Django could only use 2 fingers (1st and 2nd) in his line playing and this has influenced many gypsy jazz players and others as well. I find that those two fingers are 'stronger' and by using those more one can again develop a better technique. Look how Django lets one finger run chromatically over the frets in this (only?) footage of him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iJ7bs4mTUY
The trick is to apply just the right amount of pressure to the strings and develop a good coordination with the picking hand. I see guitarist like George Benson, Pat Martino and Jake Langley do this kind of fingerings in their playing.
Here is one lick from the DeBarre solo where I give you the fingerings and picking patterns. These are my fingerings and I don’t know what DeBarre is doing but its based on the 'rules' I talked about.
Good Luck!
Gypsy Guitar Techniques
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