Selmer Paris
Selmer Paris
Gypsy Jazz Guitar - a One-man Genre
Gypsy jazz guitar is a genre based on the music of Django Reinhardt, a guitar player who overcame a severe disability to become a legend in jazz music. Most people have heard music by the Quintet du Hot Club de France or one of the gypsy jazz groups devoted to its style of music. Born in the 1930's this group with Stephane Grapelli on violin, Django Reinhardt, Joseph Reinhardt and Roger Chaput on guitars and Louis Vola on bass, pioneered the concept of lead and rhythm guitar.
The group played popular jazz tunes of the time with Django and Grapelli alternating on the lead with the two other guitars playing rhythm and Vola playing walking bass figures. A drummer was never in the mix. They also wrote their own tunes, many of which have themselves become standards. Some of the group's compositions include blue Drag, Minor Swing, Djangology, Django Rag, Django’s Blues, Django’s Tiger and Nuages.
The group's violinist, Stephane Grapelli continued making music until his death in 1997 but the figure that has proved to be the inspiration of many gypsy jazz groups, Django Reinhardt only lived to be forty-three years old. Gypsy jazz has been behind the popularity of the Maccaferri and Selmer style guitars. The guitar that Django Reinhardt made famous was made by the Selmer company in Paris based on a revolutionary guitar design by Mario Maccaferri, one of the first generation of classical guitar players. Surprisingly, Maccaferri was never familiar with Django Reinhardt's music.
As with all music associated with the tag "gypsy" the music is usually passed on directly from one musician to another. The Quintet Du Hot Club came out of an environment where playing music was simply a part of life. Each musician was both student and teacher. And there were not too many note readers among them. In fact Stephane Grapelli, a classically trained musician used breaks in the groups playing schedule to tutor Django in music. So every guitar player wanting to learn to play gypsy jazz is faced with learning the music of Django Reinhardt, as played by Django Reinhardt.
One element that made Django's music unique was the fact that, due to an injury in a fire, Django played the guitar using only the first and second fingers of his left hand. This limited the range of notes available to him as he worked his way up and down the fretboard was severely limited. As a result of his injury, barre chords are not found in gypsy jazz guitar music. A close look at Django's music will tell you he had little use for sevenths in his music.
If you want to listen to some contemporary gypsy jazz guitar, American groups devoted to the genre are Pearl Django and the John Jorgenson Quintet but Europe is still the place where there is most interest in this music, with groups like Hot Club of Hungary and Hot Club of France. If you want to learn to play gypsy jazz guitar, the ability to read tab would be a minimum requirement because there are many examples of Django's music available as guitar tab.
About the Author
Do you want to learn to play the guitar? http://playaguitarforfree.com/ is my blog which shows you that there are many people like you who wish to learn how to play bass, acoustic or electric guitar. You will find guitar lessons, videos, articles and reviews to answer your questions, calm your fears and help you play the guitar.
Saxophone players.... Favorite case?
I just recently purchased a Selmer Paris Reference 54 alto and do not like the case it came with. I want something that isn't extremely heavy but will protect my sax. I need quite a bit of storage for my 3 mouthpieces and reeds but don't want a huge case. Suggestions? Links would be great 
I have a dinosaur old wooden Yahama case for my alto, and it is heavy and annoying, as well as dinged up and scuffed. Perhaps I might looking into buying myself one for Christmas. 
Selmer Paris
Selmer Paris Saxophone Manufacturing
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Selmer 50 $7899 Selmer 50 Selmer 50 Description: Selmer (Paris) Super Action 80 Series II Eb Sopranino Saxophone. Standard (Paris) - "Series II" - Hand-engraved, clear lacquer body and keys, high F# key. Get your Selmer 50 today! |
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Selmer B15ODY $2779 Selmer B15ODY Selmer B15ODY Features: Odyssee (Paris) - Bb Soprano - .571" bore, grenadilla wood body undercut tone holes 17 keys-6 rings silver-plated keys Selmer Paris 221-105 hard rubber mouthpiece 5105 fabric covered case. Key of Bb. Get your Selmer B15ODY today! |
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Selmer 51 $3829 Selmer 51 Selmer 51 Description: (Paris) - "Series II" - Hand-engraved, clear lacquer body and keys, high F# key, ribbed contruction, one-piece body and neck. Selmer (Paris) Super Action 80 Series II Eb Sopranino Saxophone Get your Selmer 51 today! |
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Selmer 66AF $9549 Selmer 66AF Selmer 66AF Description: Standard (Paris) - "Series III" - Eb Baritone - Hand-engraved clear lacquer body & keys high F# key low A Get your Selmer 66AF today! |
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Selmer 1904 $3399 Selmer 1904 Selmer 1904 Description: (Paris) - .393" bore, Monel pistons, clear lacquer. Includes 342-7C mouthpiece and 5029 case. Get your Selmer 1904 today! |
Learn how to buy a saxophone - music advice & buying guide for beginners
Alto or Tenor? Let's talk about these two since they are the most popular followed by soprano and baritone. Many people wouldn't really know the differences between the alto and tenor saxophones if they glanced at them from a distance but there is a big difference between them.
Girls play alto and boys play tenor. When I was in a secondary school band it seemed that's the way it was. It make sense when you think of the size difference, a Tenor Sax in it's original factory case is somewhat heavy to carry, making it very difficult for a small teenage girl to lug it home from school every day.
For a small person, boy or girl it's not a bad idea to start on the alto sax, it requires less air and the notes are closer together making it easier for small hands to control. Of coarse this is a generalization and if you're small and dead set on playing a tenor sax from the get go then do it.
Soprano or Baritone? One voice higher than the alto is the soprano, and because it's smaller it does require less air support. This is the good news, the bad news is that good intonation (tuning) will be harder to achieve for the beginner, especially in the higher register. Same thing applies to the baritone sax as far as being difficult to play in tune in the upper register, and the low register requires lots of air... it's a big horn.
Reeds: Beginners will start with a #1 or #2 reed. As you get into a more opened mouthpiece and your air support becomes more powerful you'll most likely get a harder reed, maybe #3 or #4. They come in half sizes as well. Again, this requires a lot of experimenting with reed strengths and mouthpiece combinations. You'll know whalso en the right one comes along.
Horns: Selmer Mark VI come recommended. If you can't get that however, generally speaking the older and more expensive the better. Also recommended: Selmer Paris Mark VI.
To begin with, it is best to buy a Cheap Horn. This is because:
1) You (for whatever reason) might not use it for very long
2) You're unlikely to get a great tone in the first year or 2 no matter how expensive the horn is
3) It is the reed and the mouthpiece that are the most important part of your set-up rather than the horn itself.
Finding used horns should also be easy. Most music shops offer a good selection of and there are plenty of stores nationwide that specialise in classic professional horns. Also Ebay is a good place to find a used horn, as are online saxophone retailers.
Advantages of buying a new saxophone:
A new saxophone has special appeal. You know this saxophone is ready to play and has no wear, tear, or any defects on it at all. The plating is perfect and and the pads are new. It has a sophisticated design based all of the modern production techniques. A new saxophone also offers support from the factory and/or the music store where you purchased it. This new saxophone also holds it's value fairly well for the first few months of ownership. Sometimes it's possible to even get a new saxophone at a very good price. The psychological effect of owning a new saxophone also can't be underestimated. For beginners and young students, that can be mean a lot. When you are first starting out, the look of the saxophone that matters, rather than how it sounds that matters.
Disadvantages of buying a new saxophone:
Buying a new saxophone can be costly. New horns can be up to 10 times as much as a used saxophone. Also, there are a lot more used horns available for purchase than new horns. If you want a new professional model, you must understand that there are less than a dozen true professional manufacturers out there. Another problem found on many horns is a lack of consistency in quality of manufacture. With mass production, the artistic aspect and attention to detail put into producing a musical instrument is often lost. This approach is seen as labourious and slow, quality is sometimes compromised, all in the name of quantity.
Advantages of buying a used saxophone:
A used saxophone can be an affordable option. Also, the materials and craftsmanship of older used horns is usually very good. Older saxophones tend to have a a lot more engraving and decoration than any other kind of horn. There is more likely to be plating (instead of lacquer) and have much stiffer brass.
Disadvantages of buying a used saxophone:
The hardest part of buying a used saxophone is determining its true worth and condition. Without this prior knowledge, the person selling is at an advantage if you don't know what to look for or what you want. Buying horns over the Internet poses another level of complexity since you are relying on a written description or electronic photographs.
This raises another difficult topic regarding buying a used horn from a private individual (and sometimes even music shops). A horn will almost never be in perfect condition when you go to see it. It is very rare that you'll find a horn looks and plays perfectly. Most of the time, the horn has been sitting for a period of time (usually years) and will leak fairly badly. This horn may also have some minor rod or key damage that keeps it from playing properly. As these ocurrances are regular, you must see if you can get enough of an idea about the horn to decide if you want to buy it. This is yet another case of where bringing someone along to try it is a good idea. Naturally, when buying online, being able to feel and try it out is impossible. That is why it is especially important to only purchase from reputable dealers or people who have clearly documented the positives and negatives.
HOMEWORK:
Make a list of the 'must have' and 'would like to have' requirements in your first Saxophone. The 'must have' is the most important as this is where you will not compromise and be secure in walking away from something that doesn't feel right. With the second category be prepared to be more flexible, especially in negotiating with a private seller. However, be wary of online adverts or auctions that don't clearly detail any damage along with pictures.
About the Author
Ugo Onwutalu is a musician and piano teacher, also playing the guitar and organ. He is the founder of Grade Music Tutors, a UK music tuition production and entertainment organisation based in London. He has performed with Opera Singers and musicians signed to record labels at Conway Hall in London and is a performer in the Samehouse Quartet who host an annual September concert with the Ravensdale Choir.
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Invite Stochelo Rosenberg $8.99 ... |
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Legacy AS2000 Professional Fully Engraved Alto Saxophone with Case, Accessories and Selmer Paris S80 C* Mouthpiece $2,899.99 Every musician strives to create their own legacy ... but where do you start? . We would like to introduce you to the "Legacy" line of musical instruments. This is the the AS2000 Professional Alto Saxophone which you can compare to famous pro instruments costing thousands more. The quality is outstanding and the tone and intonation are superior. This is an excellent choice for advanced players... |
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Marcel Mule Sonata Paul Creston Tableaux de Provence Paule Mauice Divertissment Pierre-Max Dubois Goyescas Enrique Granados Valse-Caprice Paul Bonneau Giration Henri Tomasi Caprice Eugene Bozza... |
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Selmer Paris Model 40 Contra Alto Clarinet I am a music dealer And repairman. Any instrument can be returned for full value All instruments are shop tested and adjusted "it makes good sense to buy from people who service what they sell." We service everything that we sell. I have been playing sax, clarinet, and fl... |
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Selmer Paris Model 41 Contra Bass Clarinet I am a music dealer And repairman. Any instrument can be returned for full value All instruments are shop tested and adjusted "it makes good sense to buy from people who service what they sell." We service everything that we sell. I have been playing sax, clarinet, and fl... |
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