This is a brand new course from gypsy jazz guitarist Robin Nolan. A very prolific educator, Robin has many courses, books, instructional materials and even a subscription based gypsy jazz education website. This latest product is interesting as it focuses on a very simple concept. Robin teaches you 6 hot licks (2 licks each for major, minor and dominant chords).
The licks all have individual nick names too. They are:
Hot Lick #1: Swingtime In Springtime
Hot Lick #2: Power Triads
Hot Lick #3: Minor Moods
Hot Lick #4: Gypsy Sizzle
Hot Lick #5: Dominant Manouche
Hot Lick #6: Big Band Django
I’ve been following Robin’s work for several years now and really enjoy following his work both from a pedagogical angle as well as a marketing angle. This new course was promoted via e-mail marketing, Instagram, Facebook posts, retargeting ads, FB live videos and YouTube videos.
Going into the actual content of the course, Robin is clearly a professional educator at delivering the material. I’ve watched Robin’s earlier videos & really dig how his teaching has gotten even better and clearer now. He makes it fun to learn the licks and is good at explaining both the origins of the lick & how to play it.
The problem with a lot of bigger courses (I’m talking about 2 to 3 hour video courses) is that it’s often difficult to complete them. Not with this one. Robin has assembled great material that you can use today. That is the main selling point for this video. This reminds me a bit of Gonzalo Bergara’s approach to teaching gypsy jazz. In Gonzalo’s videos, he only teaches ONE main concept which becomes your homework until you master the material. (I love Gonzalo’s work in this style too!)
With Robin’s course, you are greeted with an introductory video which introduces the concept of the course. Then, each lick is taught individually with practicing tips and suggestions + demonstrations of where to apply the licks. Hearing the licks in context on different song chord progressions is definitely useful.
Accompanying him on rhythm guitar is his student Mike. This is great as you get to hear how the rhythm guitar part goes along with the licks. I also enjoyed playing along with the video (both playing rhythm guitar & playing the licks).
In conclusion, this is a good (and very practical) course that is in fact, possible to complete within a reasonable amount of time. Even if you’re new to the gypsy jazz style, Robin’s teaching style and format provides a good introduction to soloing in this style.
Pros: Great licks, well taught & concise lessons.
Cons: None
TLDR: If you want to learn gypsy jazz & want to get licks that you can use immediately, I recommend this course.
The course was available via this link during the launch period: http://6HotLicks.com (currently not on sale)
Robin’s educational materials are here: https://gypsyjazzguitarnow.com/
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[Submissions for Review Consideration]
- Are you an author who wrote a jazz, guitar or music book?
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