About this Course


Rest stroke is the core of the Gypsy Jazz style, sound and technique.

Arpeggios are a must for any improvisational musician.

In this course, you will learn and practice the rest stroke technique with all the arpeggios you need to know. You will build a daily practice to master the technique and the shapes. After 6 months of 30 minute daily practice, your technique and improvisation skills will have improved tremendously.

What you'll get by completing this course:

  • You will know and master the rest stroke picking method.

  • You will get examples of how to use arpeggios in your improvisation over the songs Minor Swing and J’attendrai.

  • You will know vertical and horizontal positions for minor, major, m9, M9, 6, m6, 7, m7, maj7, dim7, m7b5 arpeggios all over the fingerboard.

  • You will know to alter the arpeggio degrees to create new positions such as 7#5, 7#11, Maj7#11 and Maj7#5.

  • You will learn how to easily visualize and memorize all of these arpeggios.

  • You will know how to use the dim7 arpeggio over the Dom7 chord to create the 7b9 sound.

  • You will know how to build a solo run over one chord all over your fretboard.

  • You will know how to use the m7b5 chord over dominant7 and m6 chords.

  • You will know how to use the m7 chord over M6 and M7 chords.

  • You will learn triplet runs.

  • You will know how to play an improvisation on a G major turnaround.

  • You will know how to play “David” and “Dark Eyes” using only one m7b5 shape.

  • You will get examples from Django over “Dinah,” “Montagne Sainte Genevieve” and “Stompin’ At Decca.”

Course curriculum

    1. 1.1 Introduction

    2. 1.2_The Rest Stroke Technique

    3. 1.3_The Down-stroke Roll_Triplet Exercise

    4. 1.4_Dim7 Arpeggio Exercise

    5. 1.5_Introduction to the Rest Stroke Technique - PDF

    6. 1.6_Community Discussion - Ask Questions, Comment and Share Your Thoughts!

    7. 1.7_Four chord families

    8. 1.8 Vibrato

    1. 2.1_Minor Arpeggios in Four Families

    2. 2.2_Minor Arpeggios in Four Families - PDF

    3. 2.3_Minor Horizontal Arpeggios

    4. 2.4_Horizontal Minor Arpeggios - PDF

    5. 2.5_Minor 9 Arpeggios

    6. 2.6_Minor 9 Arpeggios - PDF

    7. 2.7_Minor 6 Vertical Arpeggios

    8. 2.8_Minor 6 Vertical Arpeggios - PDF

    9. 2.9_Community Discussion - Ask Questions, Comment and Share Your Thoughts!

    1. 3.1_Major Vertical Arpeggios in Four Families

    2. 3.2_Major Arpeggios in Four Families - PDF

    3. 3.3_Major Horizontal Arpeggios

    4. 3.4_Horizontal Major Arpeggios - PDF

    5. 3.5_Major 9 Horizontal Arpeggios

    6. 3.6_Major 9 Horizontal Arpeggios - PDF

    7. 3.7_Dom7 Arpeggios

    8. 3.8_Dom7 Arpeggios - PDF

    9. 3.9 Maj7 Arpeggios

    10. 3.10_Maj7 Arpeggios - PDF

    11. 3.11_Community Discussion - Ask Questions, Comment and Share Your Thoughts!

    1. 4.1 The dim chord

    2. 4.2_dim7 shapes

    3. 4.3_dim7 shapes - PDF

    4. 4.4_dim7 over the Dom7 chord

    5. 4.5_dim7over the Dom7 chord - PDF

    6. 4.6_Community Discussion - Ask Questions, Comment and Share Your Thoughts!

    1. 5.1_The Concept - Overview

    2. 5.2_m7b5 - m6 Horizontal Shapes

    3. 5.3_m7b5 - m6 Vertical Shapes

    4. 5.4_Transition Points

    5. 5.5_The m7b5 as m6 - PDF

    6. 5.6_m7b5 over the Dom7 Chord

    7. 5.7_7add9 Arpeggios + Examples

    8. 5.8_The m7b5 Arpeggio as 7add9 - PDF

    9. 5.9_The m7b5 Shapes in your Accompaniment

    10. 5.10_The m7b5 Shapes in your Accompaniment - PDF

    11. 5.11_Song Example - David

    12. 5.12_Song Example - Dark Eyes

    13. 5.13_Songs Examples - PDF

    14. 5.14_Ending Lick

    15. 5.15_Community Discussion - Ask Questions, Comment and Share Your Thoughts!

    1. 6.1_Overview

    2. 6.2_Horizontal Positions

    3. 6.3_The m7 as M6 Horizontal Arpeggios - PDF

    4. 6.4_Improvisation on G Major Turnaround

    5. 6.5_Improvisation on G Major Turnaround - PDF

    6. 6.6_Vertical Positions

    7. 6.7_Vertical Positions - PDF

    8. 6.8_Practice Guidelines

    9. 6.9_The M6 Sound in Django's Playing

    10. 6.10_The M6 sound in Django's playing - PDF

    11. 6.11_m7 as the Maj7 add9 Sound

    12. 6.12_m7 as the Maj7 add9 Sound - PDF

    13. 6.13_Practice in the Cycle of Fourths

    14. 6.14_Adding the 9th - Summary

    15. 6.15_Community Discussion - Ask Questions, Comment and Share Your Thoughts!

About this course

  • $137.00
  • 91 lessons
  • 5.5 hours of video content

Reviews

John Winston

5 star rating

“Very helpful especially if you work slowly ”

“Very helpful especially if you work slowly ”

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Ian Hrydziuszko

5 star rating

“I've been at this course for about 6 weeks and my guitar playing is exponentially better than it used to be. While, I came into it as a somewhat experienced guitar player with knowledge of Delta and Piedmont style blues, I'd say there's a lot here...”

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“I've been at this course for about 6 weeks and my guitar playing is exponentially better than it used to be. While, I came into it as a somewhat experienced guitar player with knowledge of Delta and Piedmont style blues, I'd say there's a lot here for players of most levels. All of the jazz chord substitutions and knowing the building blocks of them through arpeggios have enabled me to read a lot of fake book jazz charts that were foreign to me before. I also write songs in a very different folk/indie style and all the learning here has done wonders to improve existing songs and fill me with fresh ideas for writing. This course is definitely worth it and I would recommend it to anyone. ”

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Joel Jakubowicz

5 star rating

“I've already bought and practiced many different methods about improvisation with scales and/or arpeggios. For me this one is the most exhaustive and comprehensive course. Yaakov demonstrates all the positions you'll need to improvise in gypsy jaz...”

Read More

“I've already bought and practiced many different methods about improvisation with scales and/or arpeggios. For me this one is the most exhaustive and comprehensive course. Yaakov demonstrates all the positions you'll need to improvise in gypsy jazz and links these positions in order to play them all over the fingerboard. On all the positions, he patiently shows you the most important techniques in this style which is the right hand techniques. Once you know these tools, study his applications and improvisations on two popular tunes, and you'll have a better understanding of what improvisation is and of course you'll be a better player.”

Read Less

James Archer

5 star rating

“Just completed the first chapter and am very impressed with Yaakov's teaching technique: thorough and clear! He doesn't leave out any information, yet does not overwhelm you, allowing you to focus on what's important and to help you get the best s...”

Read More

“Just completed the first chapter and am very impressed with Yaakov's teaching technique: thorough and clear! He doesn't leave out any information, yet does not overwhelm you, allowing you to focus on what's important and to help you get the best start possible in this unique style of jazz. Also, the e-learning interface is top notch, allowing you to easily navigate between different lessons, sub-chapters, etc. Great work! James”

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Everett Stanton

5 star rating

“I am enjoying the course. It is incredibly useful on so many levels!”

“I am enjoying the course. It is incredibly useful on so many levels!”

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Bill P

5 star rating

“When you consider you are getting over 5 hours of instruction for just over $100, that is like $10 per half hour session. I challenge you to find a guitar teacher anywhere that will give you those rates. At the price alone, this material is an inc...”

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“When you consider you are getting over 5 hours of instruction for just over $100, that is like $10 per half hour session. I challenge you to find a guitar teacher anywhere that will give you those rates. At the price alone, this material is an incredible deal. Now, when you add that it is coming from Yaakov, a proven teacher/specialist in the gypsy genre, you can't go wrong! Countless free lessons are graciously available on youtube for you to see the quality of video and presentation. But why would you worry about the polish if the content weren't there? Well, it is. He starts with basics on the rest stroke technique and idiosyncratic nature of gypsy phrasing. He gives you authentic fingerings and gypsy arpeggio shapes. He goes over each arpeggio pattern paying attention to both left and right hands. Then, he shows you how to use these arpeggios within the context of actual gypsy jazz songs, often quoting directly from Django's playing. Still not enough? How about the discussion boards on each course where you can ask your questions and he responds quickly? You can post short videos of your technique, progress, etc for evaluation and validation. I have yet to write an e-mail to Yaakov and not have him respond within a business day. I have seen him help other students refine their technique. And all this for $10/half hour still? What are you waiting for? Where will you find a better deal? Join us in the course and join the family!”

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Randy Hammon

5 star rating

“I'd say this is a must have for any player. It's all condensed and focused. Just what you need. Thank you Yaakov! ”

“I'd say this is a must have for any player. It's all condensed and focused. Just what you need. Thank you Yaakov! ”

Read Less

Joel Jakubowicz

5 star rating

“I've already bought and practiced many different methods about improvisation with scales and/or arpeggios. For me this one is the most exhaustive and comprehensive course. Yaakov demonstrates all the positions you'll need to improvise in gypsy jaz...”

Read More

“I've already bought and practiced many different methods about improvisation with scales and/or arpeggios. For me this one is the most exhaustive and comprehensive course. Yaakov demonstrates all the positions you'll need to improvise in gypsy jazz and links these positions in order to play them all over the fingerboard. On all the positions, he patiently shows you the most important techniques in this style which is the right hand techniques. Once you know these tools, study his applications and improvisations on two popular tunes, and you'll have a better understanding of what improvisation is and of course you'll be a better player.”

Read Less

Robert Van Housen

5 star rating

“I've been playing guitar on and off since I was 16, I'm 55 now. I've always loved Jazz guitar, but couldn't quiet get the hang of improvisation. This course provides a method and very detailed video and text examples of how to learn arpeggios in a...”

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“I've been playing guitar on and off since I was 16, I'm 55 now. I've always loved Jazz guitar, but couldn't quiet get the hang of improvisation. This course provides a method and very detailed video and text examples of how to learn arpeggios in a fun and effective way, and to allow you to feel comfortable soloing over jazz changes. I've not seen one of his videos or courses that were not excellent. Thanks so much Yakov!”

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Martin Lawson

5 star rating

“I have a a number of books, some better than others, which provide details of the basic GJ arpeggios but by comparison to this video course they are 'dry' and sometimes sketchy in the information they provide. I love...”

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“I have a a number of books, some better than others, which provide details of the basic GJ arpeggios but by comparison to this video course they are 'dry' and sometimes sketchy in the information they provide. I love the systematic way the arpeggio lessons build, the fact you can navigate the site easily and view the lessons via either a downloaded mpeg or stream them online. And considering you can view the lessons again and again it makes it great value for money when compared with private 1-2-1 lessons. ”

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Matthew Materazzi

5 star rating

“This course is such a great program for getting into the Gypsy Jazz style. Amazing content. Clear instruction. Extremely valuable!”

“This course is such a great program for getting into the Gypsy Jazz style. Amazing content. Clear instruction. Extremely valuable!”

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chris Koulouridis

5 star rating

“Hi Yaakov,thank you so much for adding of how to use arpeggios in improvisation over the songs Minor Swing and J’attendrai .For the time being I`m working on Minor Swing ,and i have to admit that by doing the exercises you provide ,is like havin...”

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“Hi Yaakov,thank you so much for adding of how to use arpeggios in improvisation over the songs Minor Swing and J’attendrai .For the time being I`m working on Minor Swing ,and i have to admit that by doing the exercises you provide ,is like having a passepartout to open all the gray areas of the fretboard .I see allready improvement in my soloing ,and that gives me the motivation to practice more and more .I think You are the best gypsy guitar teacher and I mean it ,with all the respect to all the others who trying to help us learn , but you have a way to hit the heart of the matter with a simple but totally effective way. Thank you from the bottom of my heart ,for sharing all this knowledge with me and everyone else eager to learn this beautiful art named gypsy jazz guitar.All the best to You .Chris.”

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Ryan Rhea

5 star rating

“No one teaches this material better than Yaakov. I first learned of his instructional material from the excellent, free video on how to play La Pompe on YouTube. I was hooked! This video had me playing La Pompe correctly in a single afternoon, ...”

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“No one teaches this material better than Yaakov. I first learned of his instructional material from the excellent, free video on how to play La Pompe on YouTube. I was hooked! This video had me playing La Pompe correctly in a single afternoon, so I felt I had to check out more of Yaakov's material. I've been a loyal customer and student ever since! ”

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David Green

5 star rating

“This course has taken me up several levels. In the past I was content to learn other peoples' Jazz standards parrot fashion, but there was nothing of myself in the music, it was someone else's interpretation. I now have the 75 arpeggios which im...”

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“This course has taken me up several levels. In the past I was content to learn other peoples' Jazz standards parrot fashion, but there was nothing of myself in the music, it was someone else's interpretation. I now have the 75 arpeggios which improve each day giving me full access to the whole fretboard and a complete understanding of what I am playing over various chord progressions. This is such a joy, I can now do my own thing! I still have lots to do, it's my beginning and I have signed up for more of Yaakov's courses to push on and progress with Gypsy Jazz. It does become a passion and for inspiration I watch Yaakov play! ”

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joe C

5 star rating

“having learnt to nail la pompe from yaakovs brilliant la pompe course, this was naturally the next step for me, and what a giant step it has been. after a couple of months using yaakovs lessons on this essential must know course on arpeggios the w...”

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“having learnt to nail la pompe from yaakovs brilliant la pompe course, this was naturally the next step for me, and what a giant step it has been. after a couple of months using yaakovs lessons on this essential must know course on arpeggios the whole guitar neck has lit up. although i am no master gypsy guitar player my knowledge of the guitar neck has improved immensely. this course will definitely improve your playing. yaakov's lessons are brilliantly put together, he really helps you to nail the gypsy picking style. simply brilliant. cheers yaakov.”

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Matthew Ruderman

5 star rating

“I'm steadily working my way through the course. It's very well organized and well explained. I feel that my picking technique and arpeggio knowledge is now well grounded and developing nicely. I am looking forward to learning other courses/lessons.”

“I'm steadily working my way through the course. It's very well organized and well explained. I feel that my picking technique and arpeggio knowledge is now well grounded and developing nicely. I am looking forward to learning other courses/lessons.”

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John Cross

5 star rating

“Having played for fifty years, I have to unlearn my former picking technique to learn rest-stroke. Thanks to Yaakov I am getting it easily.”

“Having played for fifty years, I have to unlearn my former picking technique to learn rest-stroke. Thanks to Yaakov I am getting it easily.”

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Jean-Marc Sabourin

5 star rating

“This course have changed my way to play and my way to think the fretboard. It is an excellent course. I recommend this course for everyone that want to navigate freely on the fretboard in their improvisations. Thank you !!!”

“This course have changed my way to play and my way to think the fretboard. It is an excellent course. I recommend this course for everyone that want to navigate freely on the fretboard in their improvisations. Thank you !!!”

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guy grumach

5 star rating

“Thank you Yaakov for sharing this diamond. I've been waiting for something like that to come out , and you did it ! Also in very focused and understandable way. Keep up the good work !!!!”

“Thank you Yaakov for sharing this diamond. I've been waiting for something like that to come out , and you did it ! Also in very focused and understandable way. Keep up the good work !!!!”

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Steven Gallardo

5 star rating

“Great class. As usual, very informative. Thanks, Steve ”

“Great class. As usual, very informative. Thanks, Steve ”

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Hector Law

5 star rating

“Thanks Yaakov, I have searched for many years for an online teacher and you have been the best. You have opened a new world of guitar for me and it is so great to have direction in my learning. I think teaching is an art that is often overlooked...”

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“Thanks Yaakov, I have searched for many years for an online teacher and you have been the best. You have opened a new world of guitar for me and it is so great to have direction in my learning. I think teaching is an art that is often overlooked but your ability and teaching method is seriously good. These courses are practical, well organised and logical. Thanks a lot from New Zealand. Hector”

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Mo O'Connor

5 star rating

“A great course the building blocks of gypsy jazz technique”

“A great course the building blocks of gypsy jazz technique”

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Jeff Sites

5 star rating

“A great program that removed the mystery of arpeggios and opened the door to new ways of playing!”

“A great program that removed the mystery of arpeggios and opened the door to new ways of playing!”

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Jon Richmond

5 star rating

“It has taken a lot of time, thought, practice, and effort to get the most from this course and see beyond seeing arpeggios as technical exercises and being able to use them as a framework for confidently improvising and finding my own sound. Fortu...”

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“It has taken a lot of time, thought, practice, and effort to get the most from this course and see beyond seeing arpeggios as technical exercises and being able to use them as a framework for confidently improvising and finding my own sound. Fortunately the course is well structured and as I learned I was able to put improvising using arpeggios into context and play over songs I already known. It's been well worth the effort and the money. I thoroughly recommend this course as means not only for how to learn how to improvise - but, more importantly, to understand what you are doing and why.”

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Doug Tyler Tyler

5 star rating

“Very Clear and precise. The pace was good too; not an overload of information. one thing you might consider speaking about (or I might Have missed it while practicing) is tension versus relaxation. I found i was getting a little tense in the neck...”

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“Very Clear and precise. The pace was good too; not an overload of information. one thing you might consider speaking about (or I might Have missed it while practicing) is tension versus relaxation. I found i was getting a little tense in the neck. People tend to tense up learning something new but you look as relaxed as a cat! ”

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martin shea

5 star rating

“very good, I got a lot out of it.”

“very good, I got a lot out of it.”

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curt cummins

5 star rating

“Yakov is an excellent teacher who really knows his craft. His teaching took be back to the basics with "sweep picking" and it's transforming everything else I play on guitar. The course is well put together and easy to follow. I really apprecia...”

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“Yakov is an excellent teacher who really knows his craft. His teaching took be back to the basics with "sweep picking" and it's transforming everything else I play on guitar. The course is well put together and easy to follow. I really appreciate the video lessons paired up with the PDF files. Buy one of Yakov's courses, its money well spent! ”

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Andreas Ostertag

5 star rating

“By his delightful and motivating style of giving lessons, Yaakov accomplishs to mediate even the most complicated knowledge of mastering guipsy jazz guitar "as good as a play" and lets look all chapters like no-brainers. This course is my favorit...”

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“By his delightful and motivating style of giving lessons, Yaakov accomplishs to mediate even the most complicated knowledge of mastering guipsy jazz guitar "as good as a play" and lets look all chapters like no-brainers. This course is my favorite one and I took Yaakovs advice to practice the arpeggios daily. My experience: the more often you play, the more interesting they get. My handy hint: always connumerate and / or say aloud the musical score. In this way you´ll get a good foundation for the chords secondarily. Arpeggios are the best daily warm-up directly after tuning yout instrument. Believe me: You´ll never wand to do without it again. Andrew Easterday”

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Δημητριάδης Γιάννης

5 star rating

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