Course Description

HOW TO dive into a song and play it the way you imagine it, WITHOUT becoming repetitious, EVEN IF you catch yourself playing the same licks over and over again and EVEN IF you feel that there is an annoying blank spot in your brain that seems to just keep holding you back.

Because,  If you're like me, you love the feeling that you're playing the song just as it should be played, just like a pro. You have an intense desire to understand and feel that you speak the language like a native speaker, not like someone repeating phrases from a phrase book or dictionary.

Discovering these 7 elements and IMPLEMENTING them over 7 of your favorite songs will make you ENJOY this process and be able to use it with any song you like.

Master these 7 wild cards for each song:

  • MELODY: Play the basic melody and add beautiful embellishments

  • HARMONY: Discover the most wonderful chords that lead right into the next target chord by the use of passing chords, substitutes and three note voicings.

  • IMPROVISATION: How to play over chord changes knowing what's just right for each chord and how to find interesting lines connecting chords and sound good

  • RHYTHM: Master the unique rhythm of each song and keep it consistent without drifting off the tempo throughout the entire song

  • ARRANGEMENTS: Make your performance vivid and exciting and discover my ideas for each song and how I love to play over it

  • INTROS AND OUTROS: Wrap up the song like a precious gift and add your extra-personal touch to each song

  • SONG ORDER: How to build a set-list, the stories behind the songs for your audience, my personal insights into the world of professional playing, plus special tricks that'll spice your playing

Songs Included

HONEYSUCKLE ROSE

Django's version of this Fats Waller composition from 1929 is famous thanks to Django's astonishing arrangement and playing. You will learn the song, its arrangement, how to embellish the chord progression and the melody, and how to improvise and create your own shining solos in the spirit of Django's ideas, using triads, arpeggios and guide-tones.

DOUCE AMBIANCE

One of Django's most beautiful compositions from 1943 combines Django’s musical Gypsy roots, Jazz and the French flavor. You will learn the song, and how to simplify the chord progression to allow you to improvise freely in either swing or Balkan feel. You will learn the intro and outro and get chord and improvisation studies at a variety of levels and tempos.

CLAIR DE LUNE

Time to play a ballad! This beautiful ballad by J.Kosma was recorded by Django in 1947. Its simple and beautiful melody and chord progression gives us the opportunity to explore and master special techniques to decorate the harmony and the melody. You will learn how to create a harmony arrangement in two voices, how to embellish the melody and how to create beautiful improvisations using Middle-Eastern techniques and sounds. 

COQUETTE

This 1928 hit has one of the most common forms and chord progressions that composers used in that era. Thus, learning it deeply gives you a free ticket to improvising over lots of other songs! Learn how to play the original melody of a song, while everyone else is improvising and then how to embellish the melody and harmony.  Plus, you will get four super-cool exercises for improvisation that you can implement over any song, over a large range of difficulty levels and tempos.

BRASIL

Latin rhythm has a place of honor in Gypsy Jazz. Jazz musicians have always been enchanted by Latin rhythms. You will learn how to implement the Tumbao, one of the most common conga rhythms,  on the guitar and how to play either rhythm or percussion guitar with this fun Latin feel. As with all other songs, you will learn the harmony and melody of Brazil and get useful improvisation etudes.

AFTER YOU'VE GONE

This catchy hit was first recorded in 1918 by Marrion Harris and later on by many other jazz musicians, including Django. Today, it is a standard at almost every Gypsy Jazz gig/ jam session.
 You'll learn how to deal with a fast-tempo song and how to add Gypsy Jazz embellishments to your accompaniment and melody playing. You'll learn to use secondary dominants, to build tension in your improvisation over musical breaks with slides and rolls and to master all the examples with a few etudes in different tempos.

ANOUMAN 

"A new man" is one of the suggested explanations of the name Django Reinhardt gave his beautiful ballad, Anouman, which was recorded on Jan. 30, 1953, only a few months before he passed away. This may be one of his most beautiful melodies; Django uses superimposed chords (arpeggiating a different chord over the song harmony), creating a very special color over the basic chords that are in the accompaniment. You will learn Django's solo and ten exercises for improvisation using Django's superimposed chords and more.



What You Get:

  • An online course with seven modules for 7 songs

  • 102 video lessons with a total length of over 6.5 hours

  • 94 PDF pages in 41 PDF files - all the material and etudes

Course curriculum

    1. 1.1 Basic suggested chord progression

    2. 1.2 Basic suggested chord progression- PDF

    3. 1.3 Basic Melody

    4. 1.4 Intro

    5. 1.5 Embellishing the melody #1

    6. 1.6 Embellishing the melody #2

    7. 1.7 Embellishing the harmony - Harmony and chord study #1

    8. 1.8 Embellishing the harmony - chord study #2

    9. 1.9 Embellishing the harmony - chord study #3

    10. 1.10 Embellishing the harmony - chord study #4

    11. 1.11 Embellishing the harmony - chord study #5

    12. 1.12 Embellishing the harmony - complete etude - slow

    13. 1.13 Embellishing the harmony - complete etude - fast

    14. 1.14 Embellishing the harmony - complete etude PDF

    15. 1.15 Ending

    16. 1.16 Improvisation study

    17. 1.17 Improvisation study - PDF

    18. 1.18 Improvisation Etude

    19. 1.19 Improvisation Etude - PDF

    20. 1.20 Community Discussion - Ask Questions, Comment and Share Your Thoughts!

    1. 2.1 Basic suggested Chord Progression

    2. 2.2 Basic Suggested Chord Progression - PDF

    3. 2.3 Basic Melody

    4. 2.4 Harmonic study - Simplifying the chord progression

    5. 2.5 Harmonic study - Simplifying the chord progression - PDF

    6. 2.6 Improvisation study #1- the basic shapes

    7. 2.7 Improvisation study #1- the basic shapes-PDF

    8. 2.8 Improvisation study #1-creating melodies

    9. 2.9 improvisation study #2 - creating melodies

    10. 2.10 Improvisation study #1-2 -creating melodies-PDF

    11. 2.11 improvisation study#3 - Balkan B part

    12. 2.12 Improvisation Study #3 - PDF

    13. 2.13 Improvisation etude - medium tempo

    14. 2.14 Improvisation etude - Medium tempo -PDF

    15. 2.15 Improvisation etude - fast tempo

    16. 2.16 Improvisation etudes- fast tempo - PDF

    17. 2.17 Chord study #1 - intro

    18. 2.18 Chord study #2 - A parts

    19. 2.19 - Chord Study #3 - B Part

    20. 2.20 - Chord Study # 4 - Ending

    21. 2.21 - Complete chord etude

    22. 2.22 Complete Chord Etude - PDF

    23. 2.23 Community Discussion - Ask Questions, Comment and Share Your Thoughts!

    1. 3.1 Basic Chord Progression

    2. 3.2 Chord Progression - PDF

    3. 3.3 Basic Melody

    4. 3.4 Decorating the melody

    5. 3.5 Decorating the melody - PDF

    6. 3.6 improvisation study#1

    7. 3.7 Improvisation Etude#1 (slower)

    8. 3.8 Improvisation Etude#1 PDF

    9. 3.9 improvisation study#2

    10. 3.10 Improvisation study#2- Pdf

    11. 3.11 Improvisation Etude#2 (faster)

    12. 3.12 Improvisation Etude#2 PDF

    13. 3.13 Chord study #1

    14. 3.14 Chord Study #2

    15. 3.15 Chord etude -PDF

    16. 3.16 two voice accompaniment

    17. 3.17 two voice accompaniment + melody

    18. 3.18 Two voice accompaniment with Oud

    19. 3.19 Clair De Lune by Swing De Gitanes

    20. 3.20 Community Discussion - Ask Questions, Comment and Share Your Thoughts!

    1. 4.1 Finding the original melody

    2. 4.2 Basic melody

    3. 4.3 Basic suggested chord progression

    4. 4.4 Basic suggested chord progression- PDF

    5. 4.5 Embellishing the melody

    6. 4.6 Embellishing the harmony - chord etude

    7. 4.7 Embellishing the harmony - chord etude - PDF

    8. 4.8 Improvisation study #1

    9. 4.9 Improvisation study #2

    10. 4.10 Improvisation study #3

    11. 4.11 Improvisation study #4

    12. 4.12 Improvisation study #5

    13. 4.13 Improvisation study - PDF

    14. 4.14 Complete exercise for improvisation study#1

    15. 4.15 Complete exercise for improvisation study#2

    16. 4.16 Complete exercise for improvisation study#3

    17. 4.17 Complete exercise for improvisation study#5

    18. 4.18 Complete exercises for improvisation studies- PDF

    19. 4.19 Improvisation etude - slow

    20. 4.20 Improvisation etude - slow -PDF

    21. 4.21 Improvisation etude - fast

    22. 4.22 Improvisation etude - fast – PDF

    23. 4.23 Community Discussion - Ask Questions, Comment and Share Your Thoughts!

    1. 5.1 Rhythm practice

    2. 5.2 Latin rhythm - PDF

    3. 5.3 Chord progression

    4. 5.4 Chord progression - PDF

    5. 5.5 Basic melody- lesson

    6. 5.6 Basic melody- demonstration

    7. 5.7 Embellishing the melody

    8. 5.8 Embellishing the melody - PDF

    9. 5.9 Improvisation study#1

    10. 5.10 Improvisation study #2

    11. 5.11 Improvisation studey#3

    12. 5.12 Improvisation study - PDF

    13. 5.13 Improvisation etude - Slow

    14. 5.14 Improvisation etude - Slow -PDF

    15. 5.15 Improvisation etude - Fast

    16. 5.16 Improvisation etude - Fast - PDF

    17. 5.17 Guitar percussion study#1 - Tumbao rhythm

    18. 5.18 Guitar percussion study#2 - Tumbao rhythm

    19. 5.19 Tumbao rhythm - PDF

    20. 5.20 Community Discussion - Ask Questions, Comment and Share Your Thoughts!

    1. 6.1 Chord progression and harmonic analysis

    2. 6.2 Lead sheet-PDF

    3. 6.3 Accompaniment in fast tempo, break, roll and slide

    4. 6.4 Advanced accompaniment with substitutes and inversions

    5. 6.5 Advanced accompaniment - PDF

    6. 6.6 The melody

    7. 6.7 Embellishing the melody with chords

    8. 6.8 Melody with chords - PDF

    9. 6.9 The pick-up break#1

    10. 6.10 The pick-up break#2

    11. 6.11 The pick-up break#3

    12. 6.12 More pick-up breaks

    13. 6.13 The pick-up breaks -PDF

    14. 6.14 Improvisation study#1

    15. 6.15 Improvisation study#2

    16. 6.16 Improvisation study#3

    17. 6.17 Improvisation study#4

    18. 6.18 Improvisation studies - PDF

    19. 6.19 Improvisation etude- slow

    20. 6.20 Improvisation etude- slow- PDF

    21. 6.21 Improvisation etude - Fast

    22. 6.22 Improvisation etudes-Fast - PDF

    23. 6.23 Community Discussion - Ask Questions, Comment and Share Your Thoughts!

About this course

  • $287.00
  • 150 lessons
  • 8 hours of video content

FAQ

  • Can I download the digital course to my computer and save it for life? Do the lessons work on tablet and smartphone?

    Yes! the course is yours and you can use it as long as you wish! You can download it and you can watch it online. You can view the course from any device. You just need your email and password to sign in.

  • I have other courses of yours, Yaakov, do I need this course too?

    This is a unique course, with unique content that you don't have in other courses of mine. Do you need it? If you have enjoyed my other courses and you want new content that will enrich your playing over new songs and get more lessons that relate directly to the previous lessons you have learned from me and enhance them, the answer is: YES!​​​​​​​

  • For what level is this course?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

    The course is suitable for all levels. The difficulty increases as the course progresses.

  • Can I pay in Installments?

    Yes, you can pay in up to five installments.

  • Is this course going to be available again? ​​​​​​​

    Last time I sold this course was 17 months ago, so I really don't know when it's going to be available again. If I do sell it without a special deal (like the one I'm offering you now), the price is much higher and without bonuses. So this is the best deal for you.

  • I am very busy. How much time do I need to devote to this course each day?

    It's up to you. The benefit of a digital course is that it's there for you forever to watch and learn at your own pace.

  • What if I decide that this course is not for me?

    You will get a refund! You have my 30-day money-back guarantee. Just send me an email and I will send you a full refund! No questions asked.

  • What feedback can I get to monitor my progress?

    One-on-one direct feedback in the discussion within the course and a LIVE group Zoom session to see how you're doing. I'm also available by email, so you'll have my help as you go along.

  • I don't have a Gypsy guitar. Can I learn this on my classic/ acoustic or electric guitar?

    Yes! Don't ever let your guitar hold you back. Do you know that Django played a concert on a toy guitar once? It happened when he was sure that his brother brought the guitar for him but he didn't. Did you know that Charlie Parker played on a plastic sax because he pawned his instrument? So, don't let the guitar stop you. Let the love of music be your guide.

“I picked up books/tabs/dvd's and various courses. about 8 years had gone by and my playing was between beginner and intermediate and I practiced 4 hours a day! Then I stumbled upon Yaakov Hoter. WOW!!.. somebody who explained the Gypsy language better than ANYONE! If ONLY I had found this 8 years ago! Get lessons from YAAKOV, you will not regret it ”

“I always talked about Django Reinhardt with admiration but never understood how he did it...time moves on and and I found Yaakov Hoters Gypsy Jazz courses. It is the best way to learn. Yaakov is a great teacher with great patience to teach you and to tell you the little secrets you need to know.”

“I'm a big fan of Django and Yaakov. I've bought a lot of lessons from his website and I've learnt a lot with them...All of them are very well organized and helpful. Easy to understand and come with a pdf explanation. Thank you very much Yaakov!! ”

Reviews

Mark Allerton

5 star rating

“Hi Yaakov, Just wanted to say how much I am enjoying your Wild Cards set of lessons. The explanation of the way to play interesting melodic runs against the chords in Honeysuckle Rose is very clear and helpful. It is answering some questions abou...”

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“Hi Yaakov, Just wanted to say how much I am enjoying your Wild Cards set of lessons. The explanation of the way to play interesting melodic runs against the chords in Honeysuckle Rose is very clear and helpful. It is answering some questions about things that have been holding me back in my playing for a while. And I agree that a diminished run against a tonic chord sounds great. It is good to go back and review sections, to better embed them in my memory.”

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Max Gouverne

5 star rating

“Yaakov, thanks so much for another great course. I love the song approach: First you teach the melody, then the comping for more advanced players you embellish the melody and comping with etudes. Finally, you introduce new ideas for a solo ste...”

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“Yaakov, thanks so much for another great course. I love the song approach: First you teach the melody, then the comping for more advanced players you embellish the melody and comping with etudes. Finally, you introduce new ideas for a solo step by step. You show us the some theory and a phrase based on this concept Then you build all this into an etude that can be challenging for even more accomplished players. Attached PDFs are included to make it even more clear. I have been following "Gypsy and Jazz" and it's precursor for years and I periodically return when my ideas on a song grow stale. Please keep up the good work and I look forward to more songs that get the "Yaakov treatment" MLG ”

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Carl Rothman

5 star rating

“As a lifetime self-taught guitarist and a player interested in learning the gypsy jazz style and technique, I have tried several online approaches and teachers. I liked the ones I've tried but found certain weaknesses in them after a time, a coupl...”

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“As a lifetime self-taught guitarist and a player interested in learning the gypsy jazz style and technique, I have tried several online approaches and teachers. I liked the ones I've tried but found certain weaknesses in them after a time, a couple of which I'll address in this review. It became clear to me that Yaakov has the approach that suits me best. I have signed up for several of his courses and I really like his teaching style. This new course, The Wild Card Collection, is as close to exactly what I've been looking for as it can get. I prefer learning from a tune-based approach so that you can see the application of the licks, riffs, arpeggios immediately. I've also learned from my experiences that you don't always benefit by a course that tries to teach you too many tunes. That can become overwhelming in itself and de-motivating. Sometimes, more isn't better. Yaakov's collection of 7 tunes (actually 9 if you count the two "bonus" ones) is enough to provide you with many of the licks, riffs, and arpeggios that you need which can then be applied to so many other tunes in the genre. He reduces the amount of theory to a bare minimum and shows you many practical approaches to soloing. With many online courses, if you find the monthly fee becoming too burdensome, or you decide you want to leave for any reason, you lose access to all of the materials that you paid for over the time you were a member, a method designed to lock you in, I think. With Yaakov's courses, you pay for them once and you keep them forever. This course is really a bargain for what it offers and is certainly worth looking into. There's not that much to lose and a whole lot to gain.”

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Bromley Palamountain

5 star rating

“The 7 wild cards has been one of my favorite courses of all time! Yaakov does a great job walking you through all aspects of playing 7 great jazz standards in the style of Gypsy Jazz! I highly recommend this course for any aspiring guitarists who ...”

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“The 7 wild cards has been one of my favorite courses of all time! Yaakov does a great job walking you through all aspects of playing 7 great jazz standards in the style of Gypsy Jazz! I highly recommend this course for any aspiring guitarists who are looking for tangible skills that can be applied immediately to any jam session or concert! ”

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Scot Lange

5 star rating

“This Is The Best Course yet! ( Well....really they are all so good) Not many have taught on the subject of Gypsy Jazz style guitar. You are So Thorough in every segment of the Lessons. " Thank You" So very Much for coming into my Life!! ...”

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“This Is The Best Course yet! ( Well....really they are all so good) Not many have taught on the subject of Gypsy Jazz style guitar. You are So Thorough in every segment of the Lessons. " Thank You" So very Much for coming into my Life!! Scot Lange”

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Greg Belchetz

5 star rating

“ I have advanced more after spending 4-5 hours with this course then 50 hours with other online resources. Anyone interested in tackling this difficult style of music absolutely needs to do themselves a favour and check it out!”

“ I have advanced more after spending 4-5 hours with this course then 50 hours with other online resources. Anyone interested in tackling this difficult style of music absolutely needs to do themselves a favour and check it out!”

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Jan Alriksson

0 star rating

“Good Teacher and excellent preforming”

“Good Teacher and excellent preforming”

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Jean-Marc Sabourin

5 star rating

“Yaakov is really a great teacher. His way to teach give to his courses a sure value.. This course give many things that we have to know to progress in this style of music (the right way). Thank Yaakov !!!”

“Yaakov is really a great teacher. His way to teach give to his courses a sure value.. This course give many things that we have to know to progress in this style of music (the right way). Thank Yaakov !!!”

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David Adasse

5 star rating

“The best way to learn this music is through learning the songs. Once you have Minor Swing and Dark Eyes under your belt, you may wonder what your next steps should be. This course is the answer: 7 beautiful and essential classics you can learn in...”

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“The best way to learn this music is through learning the songs. Once you have Minor Swing and Dark Eyes under your belt, you may wonder what your next steps should be. This course is the answer: 7 beautiful and essential classics you can learn in a progressive and systematic way. You begin with the basic chords and melody and then given a roadmap for embellishment and improvisation that would benefit even advanced players. You progress at your own pace and review material whenever you choose, so you are really able to internalize the tunes and techniques while having fun with them. Yaakov is always available for feedback, and a Zoom session available for Q&A and diagnosis.”

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Jeff Schalau

5 star rating

“While I have only studied a small portion of this tutorial, I feel I have retained what I learned due to the "learning by ear" approach Yaakov uses. While it is sometimes useful to use tablature/notation, it is most useful to learn the sound and a...”

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“While I have only studied a small portion of this tutorial, I feel I have retained what I learned due to the "learning by ear" approach Yaakov uses. While it is sometimes useful to use tablature/notation, it is most useful to learn the sound and assimilate it. Yaakov also explains the theory behind the sounds which provides context and allows phrases/licks to be easily applied to other tunes. It is a really nice course with lots of diverse material and concepts. Thanks Yaakov!”

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“My development as a guitarist due to the 32 lessons I took with Yaakov is much more than I had hoped for. Beyond learning just how to swing and how to play jazz songs, I can now improvise to any kind of music. Following all your tips...really works. Your approach hits the mark. Your generosity was always felt. Blessings to you. ”

“Yaakov is an absolutely brilliant teacher. His unique teaching method and style give a very effective mix of learning by doing and understanding. I can now play and learn, alone, at jam sessions and at workshops. Yaakov's lessons are so much fun; they excite my interest and hold it! I'm learning to play and learning to learn. ”

“I had loads of classes with really wonderful professional players but nothing compares. The way Yaakov introduces you to Django's style is unique, very helpful and highly entertaining. I'd never have imagined to be able to pick it up in such a short time. Taking Yaakovs Gypsy Jazz course is like having a friend in your practicing room.”