One of the most influential guitarists in history is the gypsy jazz virtuoso, Django Reinhardt.
Django is legendary. An accomplished guitar player by the time he was a teenager, he nearly died in a caravan fire at the age of 18. He was badly burned and permanently lost the use of the 4th & 5th fingers on his left hand. His doctors said he’d never play the guitar again.
Boy, did they get it wrong…
Starting from scratch, Django developed a dazzling level of mastery, eventually establishing himself as one of the greatest players of all time. His lyricism, technical ability and improvisational artistry continue to astonish and inspire guitarists today (despite being two fingers short).
I had my first guitar lesson in 40 years yesterday, and it wasn’t what I’d expected. Here’s why…