IntroToBossaNovaBossaNovaBassLinesThebasslinesinBossaNovaarederivedfromtherhythmsofthesurdo,whichisabassdrumfoundinSambabands.Hereisacommonsurdorhythm:Thenextstepistotakethisrhythmandtocreatelinesfocusingontherootand5thofthechord.ForFmaj7wewouldplaytheroot–F–andthe5th–C.
Youshouldbeabletohearthatthisrhythmanticipatesthedownbeatwhichisbeat3.Placingtheeighthnoteonthe&of2createsalotofforwardmotionwhichischaracteristicoftheBossaNovastyle.Hereis2variationsofthebaselinethatyou’llhearinmanyBossarecordings:
BossaNovaVoicingsWhenplayingBossaNova,wetypicallyuserootlesschordvoicings.Thisisbecausewearealreadyplayingtherootinourlefthandandsotherootlessvoicingfreesupafingerforamoreinterestingandcolourfulnotechoicessuchasanextensionoralteration.InourlefthandweareplayingaBossaNovabasslinetherootand5thandinourrighthandwecaneitherplay3-5-7-9or7-9-3-5.Alsoremembertopracticeboth
AlsopracticeTypeBinversionsofthevoicing:
Wecandothesamewithmajorchords:
Nextlet’sinvertthechordintoTypeBandplaythesamerhythmandbassline:
ChangingChordswhenPlayingBossaNovaHerewehave2barsofC-7and2barsofF-7.
HerewehaveEbMajor&AbMajor:
BossaNova&TheMajor251ProgressionHere’sa251inCMajorplayedwithBossaNovaRhythm:
There’saveryimportantpointtonotehere.Inthe‘Introductiontobossanova’lesson,welearnttheBossaNovagrooveisarepeating2barphrase.Intheabove251progression,theIIchordchangestotheVchordhalfwaythroughthe2barphrase.WhenthechordchangesinthemiddleofatwobarBossaNovaphrase,wealwaysanticipatethe2ndchordon&of4.WecanseethatthelastchordinthefirstbarisnowG13whichisbeinganticipatedbyhalfabeat.Thisanticipationaddsasenseofforwardmotion.Let’salsodoTypeB:
BossaNova&TheMinor251Progression
There’safewimportantpointstonotehere.Thefirstisthatagainweanticipatethe2ndchordonthe&of4.Thesecondisthatinaminor251,the2chordisa-7b5andsothatmeansthatinourlefthandweplayRoottob5notnatural5.ThelastthingtonoticeisthatovertheG7Iplayedanalteredvoicinginmyrighthandcontainingtheb9andthe#5.Finallylet’slookatthesameminor251inTypeB:
TakethetimetopracticeBossaNovaRhythmaroundall12majorandminorkeys–bothtypeAandtypeB.Wewillofcourse,becoveringtheseprogressionsintheBossaNovajazzstandardlessons.
