Form32-bar AABA study form; separate ending in inherited chart
FeelSwing
Meter4/4
MusicEdgar Battle, Eddie Durham
Guide coverage12 / 12 sections present
Owner content reviewed — 2026-10-15T13:12:26Z by admin. Coverage measures presence, not accuracy. Content review does not certify rights or musical perfection.
See what is here and what is missing
✓ Recording evidence
✓ Key & form
✓ Chart
✓ History
✓ Playing notes
✓ Practice plan
✓ Backing track
✓ Django recording
✓ Django solo study aid
✓ Illustration
✓ Sources
✓ Difficulty
Django's Recordings
Django recordings for this tune. Uploader dates and take labels remain source claims; only an evidenced exact association enables a row’s Listen control.
1 historical recording entries · source text preserved
Entry
Year
Recording / session / release evidence
Listen
01
1947
Topsy, 4/10/47, Part 4763-1, "Fremeaux FA 315, Classics 1046, Verve 835 418-2"," - Paris - QHCF - Django Reinhardt (elg), Hubert Rostaing (cl), Joseph Reinhardt (g), Emmanuel Soudieux (b), Andre Jourdan (d)"
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A dash means no video has been associated with this exact historical recording. Tune-level listening resources remain available above.
History & Listening
Edgar Battle and Eddie Durham's Topsy belongs to the riff-based swing repertoire. Django's inherited entry places his performance in Paris on 4 October 1947 and preserves the Part 4763-1 reference in its source text. Stéphane Wrembel's recorded repertoire also credits Battle and Durham, helping distinguish the composition from unrelated uses of the title. For improvisers, the compact minor-key idea is a useful starting point for variation: a small rhythmic change can carry more character than a continuous run of notes.
Tune details
Music: Edgar Battle, Eddie Durham
Source-attributed publication / composition: 1937
Original key: Not established
Study level: Intermediate; dominant bridge and riff development
Melody & head
Follow the recurring riff and notice how accompaniment density changes under the soloist.
Losing the dominant-chain bridge while repeating a minor pentatonic shape.
The C-minor A sections contrast with a bridge driven by dominant chords. In the inherited chart, C7–F7–B♭7 leads toward A♭7 and G7 before C minor returns. Hear each local third instead of treating the bridge as one C-minor scale. Check the video key before playing with the chart.
Chart & Form
The C-minor A sections contrast with a bridge driven by dominant chords. In the inherited chart, C7–F7–B♭7 leads toward A♭7 and G7 before C minor returns. Hear each local third instead of treating the bridge as one C-minor scale.
Inherited text retained, including the separate closing cells. Do not count the ending as extra bars in every chorus.
Topsy - Playback jazz manouche - Gypsy jazz backing track / play along
Clément Reboul
Swing · 110 BPM · 4m24s · Video available when checked; creator-described attribution.
Creator-described gypsy-jazz play-along. Check the key and full arrangement before joining in; the guide chart may use another key. Tempo is the creator’s stated value.
source-described; accuracy not independently verified
Creator presents a study of Django’s recorded solo. Use it alongside the original recording; exact transcription accuracy has not been independently reviewed.
Begin with the named chord tones. Add passing notes only after the melody and cadence are secure.
Build three choruses from one two-bar riff: repeat it, shift its starting beat, then answer it with a bridge phrase following the dominant thirds.
Comping & voicings
Aim for a compact, riff-friendly pulse. Keep the bridge's changes clear without accenting every chord. Save a stronger gesture for the return of the head.
Voicing note sets
Cm6: C–E♭–G–A; Fm6: F–A♭–C–D.
C7: C–E–B♭; F7: F–A–E♭; G7: G–B–F.
Keep the accompaniment clear
First establish an even pulse; add rhythmic variation only when the melody leaves space.
Losing the dominant-chain bridge while repeating a minor pentatonic shape.
Practice room
Start at 100–110; explore 160–200 bpm
Your assignment
Build three choruses from one two-bar riff: repeat it, shift its starting beat, then answer it with a bridge phrase following the dominant thirds.
Loop these changes
Cm → Fm → Cm
C7 → F7 → B♭7
A♭7 → G7 → Cm
Metronome
Count quarter notes first. Then place the click on beats 2 and 4 at half the click rate, keeping the phrase length unchanged.
Transposition
Move one short cadence to a nearby key by naming its chord tones, then return to the chosen study key.
At the session
C minor (inherited chart); 32-bar AABA study form; separate ending in inherited chart. Agree the arrangement, pickup and ending before counting in.
Start together
Count a clear tempo and use the final cadence of the agreed arrangement.
Finish together
Cue the final tonic together; agree any tag before starting.
Losing the dominant-chain bridge while repeating a minor pentatonic shape.
Losing the dominant-chain bridge while repeating a minor pentatonic shape.
Arranging the tune
Solo guitar
Keep the melody uppermost and begin with a single bass note under each harmony. Cm6: C–E♭–G–A; Fm6: F–A♭–C–D.
Trio or larger group
Aim for a compact, riff-friendly pulse. Keep the bridge's changes clear without accenting every chord. Save a stronger gesture for the return of the head.
Vocal considerations
No vocal arrangement is prescribed; use the instrumental melody as the phrasing reference.
This player guide combines inherited recording evidence and editorial study notes. Musical study notes are editorial suggestions; compare them with the recording.
Original Djangopedia illustration · AI-assisted, 2026
Original AI-assisted editorial artwork inspired by the tune’s mood. It does not depict a documented historical event.
Generated with the native image-generation tool on 2026-10-15; original editorial artwork, not a historical photograph.
Prompt: Use case: illustration-story. One original Djangopedia jazz tune guide illustration. High resolution landscape 3:2, 1536x1024 or larger. Original playful mid-century modern graphic illustration mixed with 1930s–1950s Paris and Art Deco. Angular geometric construction, expressive silhouettes, bold confident outlines, flat limited colors, subtle vintage print grain. Balanced professional editorial artwork with personality. No text, no lettering, no logos, no watermark. Not a photograph or documented event. Do not imitate any particular artist. Focal objects within safe 10% margins. A playful abstract swing orchestra: tilted upright bass and clarinet silhouettes weave diagonally between staggered piano-key architectural blocks, small guitarist near the bottom, energetic call-and-response rather than chaos. Burgundy, terracotta, mustard and warm cream.
Research & rights notes
Publication history is source-attributed; rights registration not independently checked.
The inherited session row remains source evidence; no exact video-to-matrix mapping is claimed.
Original composition/recording rights not independently cleared. Video metadata and musical suitability are separate checks.
Topsy by The Tcha Limberger Trio with Mozes Rosenberg 2015Dave KelbieVideo available when checked; creator-described attribution.Performer attribution follows the video title and channel description. Proposed listening selection; no popularity ranking implied.✓ Featured
Topsy - The Hot Club (Nottingham)Wayne JefferiesVideo available when checked; creator-described attribution.Performer attribution follows the video title and channel description. Proposed listening selection; no popularity ranking implied.Select video
