Gypsy Jazz Lesson-Django Reinhardt Descending Chord Lick (step by step)

"Just One of Those Things" is one of my favorite jazz standards. It was written by the illustrious Cole Porter, a legendary composer known for shaping American jazz. The song features a few jazz turnarounds, commonly referred to as "Christophe Changes." These chord progressions appear frequently in gypsy jazz and swing music, and many musicians struggle with mastering them.

Another great example of this progression can be found in Djangology, a classic piece by Django Reinhardt, who of course was a master of these progressions. Musicians like Django, Biréli Lagrène, and Angelo Debarre are known for navigating these changes with ease. Today, I’ve analyzed a Django line over this progression to help break down gypsy jazz improvisation techniques.

I have more to come on these turn arounds, so stay tuned!

This particular lick starts on an offbeat! I’ve posted the original reference lick on the YouTube description—it’s a half step up from the example, but make sure to listen to it.

Happy practicing!