Django’s Dilemma

Django’s Dilemma can only be understood fully by those who play instruments that require the use of at least three fingers on a fretboard. Wind instruments, like trumpets, flutes and saxophones often require 8 to 10 fingers and most traditional string instruments such as guitars, violins, banjo’s and ukuleles are played with three or four fingers on the fretboard. Yet one of the greatest guitarists in history, Belgian born Romani gypsy Django Reinhardt, ran up and down the fretboard, creating fluent licks without ever taking breaks other than essential phrasings. Django learned to play music from early years on and was quite accomplished on violin, banjo and guitar, on the verge of breaking through at age 18. But tragedy struck, when he was severely injured in a fire in 1928. His young wife, Florine “Bella” Mayer, made fake flowers from celluloid and paper and their caravan was filled with highly flammable materials. One night, Django came home and accidentally knocked over a candle on his way to bed. He was rescued by neighbors, but not before suffering first and second degree burns over half of his body. The injuries left his right leg paralyzed and several fingers on his left hand were badly injured as well. Although doctors wanted to amputate his right leg, he refused and regained his ability to walk within a year. To help with his recovery and morale, his brother Joseph bought him a new guitar. Django forced himself to relearn how to play despite partially paralyzed third and fourth fingers on his left hand. His new style employed only his index and middle finger for solos, but he was still able to use his other fingers for some chords on the lower fretboard. In spite of or because of his severe limitations, over the next 25 years of his life, Django Reinhardt became regarded as one of the, universally acknowledged, greatest guitar players of all time. The Allman Brothers Band song “Jessica” was written by Dickey Betts in tribute to Reinhardt. Woody Allen’s 1999 film Sweet and Lowdown, the story of a Django Reinhardt-like character, mentions Reinhardt and includes actual recordings in the film. “Django was the definitive genius on the guitar, and the depth of his gift was so spectacular,” said Allen. Many guitar players and other musicians have expressed admiration for Reinhardt or have cited him as a major influence. Jeff Beck described Reinhardt as “by far the most astonishing guitar player ever” and “quite superhuman”. Willie Nelson has been a life-long Reinhardt fan, stating in his memoir, “This was a man who changed my musical life by giving me a whole new perspective on the guitar and, on an even more profound level, on my relationship with sound.” Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia and Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, both of whom lost fingers in accidents, were inspired by Reinhardt’s example of becoming a beyond accomplished guitar player despite his injuries. Garcia was quoted in June 1985 in Frets Magazine: His technique is awesome! Even today, nobody has really come to the state that he was playing at. As good as players are, they haven’t gotten to where he is. There’s a lot of guys that play fast and a lot of guys that play clean, and the guitar has come a long way as far as speed and clarity go, but nobody plays with the whole fullness of expression that Django has. I mean, the combination of incredible speed – all the speed you could possibly want – but also the thing of every note have a specific personality. You don’t hear it. I really haven’t heard it anywhere but with Django.” Django’s Dilemma, after the fire took some of his fingers’ functionality, was no longer. Before the tragedy he had four fingers to play the fretboard, no doubt often wondering, like all of us guitar players, which fingers to use best for certain chords, leads or progressions. With only two fingers that dilemma was gone. No fraction of a second hesitation, that the brain needed in selection the right choice between which finger to use in what situation. Django quickly decided that his arm speed up and down the neck, combined with lightning fast arpeggios, slight bends, slides, hammer-ons and pull offs, could still create magic on the instrument. Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page said “Django Reinhardt was fantastic. He must have been playing all the time to be that good.” Our own co-worker and friend Nick Petta, who retired from the store last year, went through a similar ordeal when an electric saw took off his index finger and damaged his thumb and middle finger. He didn’t play for almost 10 years before he got the courage again to embrace the music. At his retirement party we were all witness to the fact that he was still an awesome guitarist. If making music is in your heart, everything after that just becomes a matter of determination. Check out Django Reinhardt’s incomparable technique in this 1938 video from Paris Hot Club. His part starts around 2:30min. Another 51 min. documentary on Django’s music will leave you speechless at the talent of some brilliant contemporary guitarists that are keeping his memory alive. None of them however have to deal with Django’s ‘shortcoming turned asset’. Django’s Dilemma was more about options than opportunities. Too many choices and distractions diminish the opportunities. Django Reinhardt was born and raised in a gypsy community with an everyday life reality that was harsh, but the closeness to living with nature, the harmony of spirit and the ever present opportunity to make music in the open air, meet it sweet nonetheless. His music and playing became an important link in the chain of musical history.