Minor Swing
The quintessential gypsy jazz standard. A pure instrumental arrangement with shared melody between saxophone and piano, featuring la pompe rhythm guitar and fast walking bass.
Listen
Piano, Guitar, Sax, Bass, Drums & Percussion
200 BPM
~2:08
About This Arrangement
"Minor Swing" was recorded in 1937 by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli with the Quintette du Hot Club de France. It is the most iconic gypsy jazz composition ever written. Our arrangement adapts this classic for a swing sextet with shared melody between piano and saxophone.
Form
COUNT-IN (1 bar) → HEAD 1 (sax+piano melody) → HEAD 2 (repeat) →
SOLO CHORUS 3 (piano) → SOLO CHORUS 4 (piano, peak) →
SOLO CHORUS 5 (sax) → SOLO CHORUS 6 (sax) →
HEAD OUT (chorus 7) → ENDING
Chord Progression (16-bar form)
| Am6 | Am6 | Dm6 | Dm6 |
| Am6 | Am6 | E7 | E7 |
| Am6 | Am6 | Dm6 | Dm6 |
| Bb7 E7 | E7 | Am6 | E7 |
Dynamics
| Section | Dynamics |
|---|---|
| Head 1 (Chorus 1) | mf |
| Head 2 (Chorus 2) | mf |
| Piano Solo (Chorus 3) | mf → f |
| Piano Solo (Chorus 4) | f (peak) |
| Sax Solo (Chorus 5) | mf → f |
| Sax Solo (Chorus 6) | f → mf |
| Head Out (Chorus 7) | f → ff |
| Ending | ff → tag |
Transpositions
- Concert pitch: A minor
- Tenor sax: Bm (written)
- Alto sax: F#m (written)