Tchavolo Swing: chords & grille (gypsy jazz)
Tchavolo Swing by Tchavolo Schmitt, key of G (manouche), form A. Below is the full chord grid; on Haute Gitanerie you can play along with a scrolling chord ribbon, transpose to any key, set the tempo, and switch on a rhythm backing (la pompe) to practise your solos over the changes.
About
Tchavolo Swing is a signature tune of the manouche guitarist Tchavolo Schmitt, one of the great post-Django stylists of the Alsace and Paris gypsy scene, popularised by his recordings and a staple of modern jam sessions.
The sound: G major that never sits still: a D7♯5 and B♭°7 opening, an Am–D7 with a descending AmMaj7–Am7 line, an A♭°7 passing chord, a Dm–G7–C ii–V and a C–Cm shift before the E7/A7 turnaround.
Practising it: isolate the AmMaj7–Am7 chromatic line and the C–Cm–G move, drill the arpeggios of each ii–V, and keep la pompe crisp. Build tempo gradually, this one flies live.
Tchavolo Swing chords: the grille
A : | G | D7♯5 | G | D7♯5 | G/B | B♭° | Am | D7 | Am | AmΔ | Am7 | D7 | Am | D7 | G A♭° | Am D7 | G | D7♯5 | G | D7♯5 | Dm | G7 | C | C | C | Cm | G | E7 | A7 | D7 | G | G |
Chords used
G · D7♯5 · B♭° · Am · D7 · AmΔ · Am7 · A♭° · Dm · G7 · C · Cm · E7 · A7
Play along
Open the interactive grille for Tchavolo Swing: loop any section, transpose to any key, set the tempo, and play over a rhythm accompaniment, with a real recorded pompe on featured tunes. In the browser, free.