Breakdown
In this lesson Jarrod covers the melody from the Gypsy Jazz standard Lulu Swing. This lesson follows on from the Lulu Swing Rhythm lesson. If you'd like to learn the chords click on the link to check it out!
"the Gypsy Jazz Philosophy is to learn to the chords first so you can see and hear how the chords and melody harmonise together"
The Melody
This tune uses a repeating motif that gets very slightly modified to tastefully follow the chords in the backing, and give us a nice chromatic run! The key is D major, and we're mainly using the G CAGED shape. Here's the underlying scale shape:
We stick with that shape for the main motif, coming out slightly to play the 6th fret and 5th fret on the D string, to make sure we follow the chords. For the final D major scale run that finishes the song we switch to the A CAGED shape D major scale here:
If these CAGED shapes are new to you then check out our Major CAGED Course to get an understanding of this super useful system for learning the fretboard.
Technique
Pay attention to the hammer-ons and slides in the tab. These are there to help you get across the fretboard in time, as this is a fast tune! There are some big stretches in this melody too, and Jarrod will recommend the most efficient fingering for each section in the video
For the 'turnaround' section where the ryhthm guitar stops, and the scale run in the outro remember to use alternate picking to make things easier for yourself! Keep your picking hand relaxed and pick with your wrist and forarm, not your elbow to avoid tension. Good luck!