I was just wondering what makes gypsy music sound like gypsy music. Is it a particular scale used, or timing and rhythm or what? Maybe lots of altered chords? I'm becoming pretty interested now in the stuff. It sounds really interesting.
It seems too complicated to be just from one scale. Plus, I know that gypsies from south america wouldn't be using the exact same scale as irish gypsies, for example. Is it just a variation of the local ideas of what music is, and merging that with other cultures?
What techniques are there that I could use to make some gypsy music (basic riffs, chord progressions, whatever).
Couple of things that are common to most of all of European Gypsy music.
1) minor keys. Minor and diminished scales.
2) no drums, beat is carried by a very robust strumming with lots of choke on the chords.
3) Lots of extended chords. Why play an Am when you can play an Am(add 6) :)
4) Rest strokes for picking.
5) Big heavy strings, high action, wide bodies, and a big fat stiff pick will get you the volume and tone.
6) Violins
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
a while back when reading about Modes I seem to remember that there was a mode scale fo gypsy music.
I dont remember specifically. I'll check my notes tonight.
modes definately have moods.
Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeilian, Locrian.
was it Lydian?
Lydian would be intriguing, as that is a tendency tone in normal tonality (really really wants to resolve down a half step). If I am remembering correctly. I really wish I knew more about modality. I don't really know how to construct a good modal melody or harmony. Maybe I will have to mess with that later.
Lydian comes to mind for the very reasons you state.
sht I forgot to look at my mode mood notes last night.
I'll have an answer. tomorrow.
Manouche music (Django et al) does not tend to use modes for solo'ing.
It uses harmonic minor, hungarian minor and diminished scales.
I don't know about other Gypsy styles.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
here are my notes on mode moods:
Ionian...major scale we all know.
Dorian...blues/jazzy/rock
Phrygian...spanish feel
Lydian...lofty airy feeling
Mixolydian...folk, rock and blues
Aeolian...dark, mystical
Locrian...tense, unresolved, dark.
for what it is worth.
Dog -- the question is not "what modes sound like this?" But "what gives this it's distinctive sound?"
The answer for La Manouche music is not playing in modes. The answer is minor keys, harmonic and hungarian minor scales, diminished scales, the particular instruments used, the picking and strumming techniques, etc.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
A "Gypsy" theory-related item:
Tetrachords are "half a scale".
A Major tetracord is tone > tone > semitone
A Minor tetrachord is tone > semitone > tone
A Harmonic tetrachord is also known as a "Gypsy" tetrachord, and goes:
semitone > tone-and-a half >semitone.
A full Harmonic Scale consists of a Minor tetrachord and a Gypsy tetrachord, separated by a tone, thus:
tone > semitone > tone > tone >semitone > tone-and-a-half >semitone.
Example for A minor Harmonic scale:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G#, A
The "Gypsy" note is that G#....in a natural minor scale, it would be a G.
"A child of five could understand this...send someone to fetch a child of five !"--Groucho Marx
Gypsy Scale:
C Db E F G Ab B C
Hungarian Gypsy:
C D Eb F# G Ab Bb C
Portamento - The ability to move from a wrong note to the right one without anyone noticing the original mistake.
Harmonics - The buzzing sound that string instruments make.
Impromptu - A carefully worked out composition.
