The pompe

Manouche style requires accompanying rhythm guitar players to highlight the solist's musicality. Rhythm guitar in Manouche style is called la pompe. It is of paramount importance that in order for a pompe to sound Manouche, it is played with a swing accent. To cut a long story short, the accompanying guitar is supposed to replace the drumkit and therefore it tries in some way to mimic its accents, notably what's played at the charleston.

The pompe is the first thing that is taught when starting Manouche style. Manouches themselves say that several years are needed to master the pompe before tackling the solo parts. As far as I'm concerned, I'm learning both at the same time but it's up to everyone to follow the tradition or not. In any case, the pompist - as we can call him - must always adapt his volume so that whatever the solist plays, it can be heard clearly, therefore not too loud when the chorus is quiet, and louder when it gets stronger. Here are a few films to explain the different pompes available on the market (at least the ones I know of).

Two other very good explanation videos have been shot by OlivierMTL from the Manoucheries site (in French):

Right hand (4.2 MB)
Left hand (4.0 MB)

Standard pompe

Pompe's movement can be broken up into four swinged beats.

1- Downstroke on the three lower strings
2- Right hand goes back up without touching the strings
3- Downstroke on all strings
4- Upstroke on all strings while the left hand mutes them



The strings are muted by the left hand at the end of beats 1 and 3, which means the pressure on the strings by the left hand is released. The right hand roughly does the same movement as if trying to strike a match.

According to whether the fourth beat is swinged or not, the pompe will be called swinged or straight.

Swinged (450 KB)
Straight (460 KB)

Right hand view (1.410 KB) to see the different stages of the movement
Right forearm view (2.250 KB)
Left hand view (1.720 KB) to see how the strings are muted on beats 1 and 3
Full view (1.670 KB)

What should be avoided at all costs, don't play like that Tzigan poum-tchak (370 KB) or reggae-like (370 KB)

Muting the strings with the left hand

Muting the strings is important for the pompe, because it is this very movement that allows proportioning between the harmonic side (let ring the chord notes) and the percussive side (do a big tchac with the strings). The more we let ring, the more it's harmonic, the less it's percussive. Conversely, the faster we mute the string, the less it's harmonic, the more it's percussive.

Exercise to mute the strings (1.450 KB). At first, practise very slowly, then double the tempo, again and again.

Pompe droite sèche (pompe alsacienne)

Certains accompagnateurs comme Stéphane Wrembel ou Yayo et Fanto Reinhardt préfèrent jouer un pompe très sèche et percussive.

Temps 1 : la main droite tombe grâce au poids de la main et de l'avant-bras sur les cordes, la main gauche appuie l'accord; Temps 2 : la main droite remonte sans toucher les cordes un peu plus haut, pour préparer le temps 3, la main gauche étouffe complètement les cordes; Temps 3 : la main droite met une claque aux cordes avec un mouvement rotatif rapide du poignet vers le bas, la main gauche étouffe l'accord immédiatement après l'avoir à peine appuyé pour donner un effet percussif (difficile à ressentir au début). Attention, il ne faut pas taper trop fort, le médiator brosse simplement les cordes très rapidement; Temps 4 : la main droite remonte sans toucher les cordes juste au-dessus de la corde de Mi grave.

Pompe droite sèche, vue sur la main gauche qui étouffe les cordes (730 Ko)
Pompe droite sèche jouée très lentement et vue de face (750 Ko)
Pompe droite sèche plus rapide vue de face (390 Ko)

Straight dry pompe

Some rhythm guitar players like Stéphane Wrembel or Yayo and Fanto Reinhardt prefer to play a very dry and percussive pompe.

Beat 1 : the right hand falls down on the lower strings merely with the weight of the hand and the forearm, the left hand frets the chord;
Beat 2 : the right hand goes back up higher above the strings to prepare beat 3, the left hand completely mutes the strings;
Beat 3 : the right hand "slaps" the strings with a fast downwards rotative movement of the wrist, the left hand mutes the chord immediately after having very briefly fretted it, in order to give a percussive effect (hard to feel at the beginning). Caution: do not hit the strings too strongly, the pick must merely brush the strings very quickly; Beat 4 : the right hand goes back up without touching the strings, just above the lower E string.

Straight dry pompe droite, view from the left hand that mutes the strings (730 KB)
Straight dry pompe droite played very slowly in front view (750 KB)
Faster straight dry pompe in front view (390 KB)

Fast standard pompe (> 140 bpm)

The right hand's movement is not so different from the basic pompe excepted that downstrokes must be particularly well synchronised between the wrist rotation and the downward forearm movement. The left hand mutes the strings but this time only on the fourth beat. Ideally, the bass notes should "purr", in other words the bass E and A strings should be let ring. Only the other four strings should be muted if possible.



A 156 bpm (1.270 KB)
A 186 bpm (1.100 KB)

A few variations on the pompe

Pompe must not be monotonous since it should be adapted to the solist. The accompanist, who carefully listens to the solist, will vary volumes and effects. For my part, I know of a few effects : the long tremolo (see roulés, tremolos section), some short and quich tremolos at the end of the beats, the shuffle which sounds like a train and the syncopation in triplets to give a break effect. Of course, one should not use effects too much, just use them when you feel the time is right.

Schuffle example (2.580 KB)
Schuffle explanation in French (1.660 KB)
Pompe with short tremolos - Two quick alternate strokes (2.080 KB)
Syncopated pompe in triplets (1.150 KB)

Pompe for ballads

Not all Manouche musics need a swinging accompaniment. Some songs like "Nuages" on the contrary need a very cool accompaniment. This kind of straight pompe is easy since it's only about playing each beat with downstrokes and letting the right hand litterally fall down quite quickly on the strings to sort of sound like a snare drum. Volume must be adapted to the melody but usually it is quite low, walking the fine line between downstroke speed and volume. The pompist can let the strings ring like on the following little video or let the strings ring and mute them with the left hand right before strumming the next beat.

Typical pompe for a ballad (2.170 KB)

Tzigan pompe

Tzigan pompe movement is a sequence of a unique bass note followed by the chord's high strings. All beats are downstrokes. The purpose is to simulate a double bass playing a note on the beat, and a guitar that plays the chords on the backbeats. This movement must really be worked out as it should be played at many tempos, sometimes very fast.

Front view (490 KB)
Side view (460 KB)
A czardas example (1.550 KB)

Waltz pompe

To play the waltz, all you need to know is count until three: 1-2-3 1-2-3. The accompaniment of waltzes can be similar to the binary shuffled accompaniment excepted that beats 3- and 4- of standard pompe are repeated. The waltz pompe can also be very basic in which case, when the hand comes back up, strings are no strummed. The basic version can also be enriched with a swinged upstroke just before the first beat. Variations are possible to highlight specific beats: measure can be divided in sixths and all beats can be strummed down and up and while we let the strings ring (which sounds closer to the French java than a waltz by the way).

Waltz pompe in French (2.070 KB)
Basic waltz pompe without the upstrokes (1.150 KB)
Basic waltz pompe with a swinged upstroke just before the first beat (2.860 KB)
Java pompe (1.460 KB)

Bossa pompe

Bossa in Manouche style is done in four regular beats, that is they are not swinged. The left hand frets the chords on all beats excepted on the third. The right hand does a down-up-down-up movement where all strings are picked. The first beat is played at a very low volume or is not even played at all. The second beat is played at a medium volume. The third beat is percussive with a strong volume : all strings are plucked with a downstroke while the left hand mutes them. The fourth beat is just like the second.

Bossa pompe in French (3.770 KB)

Another more elaborated way o play bossa is shown on the following film. Since it's a bit complex to explain this with written words, the best is probably to cast an eye on the film and to try and integrate this rhythm.

Another bossa pompe (2.600 KB)

Bolero pompe

Manouche bolero was made famous with Django's "Troublant Bolero". It's played on a 4-beat measure and alternates bass and chords like this: basse (downstroke), light chord roulé in 16ths triplet (down-up-down-up) that ends on the second beat, then chord, bass, chord, bass, chord (all downstrokes). Chords can be let ringing (the way I prefer), or they can be muted for a staccato effect. To have an idea of the rendition, you can look at the following video.



Bolero pompe (2.720 KB)

Pompe in 5/4

Odd measures are used in jazz but they can be adapted to suit the Manouche style, as long as there is a swing energy in it. The reference 5/4 piece of music is "Take Five" from pianist Dave Brubeck. Pompe on this kind of rhythm can be problematics for starters, but sticking to the idea that accompaniment replaces drums, we can get started with the following video.

Pompe in 5/4 for Take Five (2.070 Ko)

There are supposedly several traditions for the pompe: Alsacian, Parisian and Dutch (the Fapy Lafertin way). Personally, I do not know the difference between those so if anyone can give me information, I'm a buyer. On the other hand, it seems that these regional pompes have mixed anyway so finally, there are mostly the straight and swinged pompes left. It could also be said that each musician will play the pompe his own way, way beyond the regional specifics.