Learn to play swing style. This style of playing requires you to slightly increase the length of the first eighth note in a piece and shorten the second eighth note. For instance, a series of two eighth note played in swing style will sound like a dotted eighth followed by a 16th note.
Develop the ability to improvise a musical line. Manouche music requires the ability to improvise based on a chord progression. Improve your ability to improvise by memorizing scales and keys; then practice creating melodies on the fly by practicing over a chord progression.
Memorize chords that use only two or three pitches. Major and minor sixths intervals with ninths added are commonly used chords in manouche playing.
Practice playing arpeggios to improve your ability to play manouche music; these techniques are used often and combined with various minor scales.