Bossa Nova Guitar
From LoveToKnow Guitar
Are you looking to learn more about the bossa nova guitar style? The popular but brief movement is still a commonly discussed and played musical style. A good deal of bossa nova tracks have even weaved their way into modern jazz and R&B. Learn more about bossa nova guitar and get a few tips how you can get started playing it today.
History of Bossa Nova Guitar
Bossa nova is a musical style that is largely associated with Brazilian college culture. The movement itself, founded by Joao Gilberto and others, only lasted approximately six years (the late 1950s to the early 1960s), but it's still commonly incorporated into many jazz routines. The style is thought to be a mixture between samba and jazz music. The word bossa itself comes from Portuguese and means new trend. However, the style originated in Brazil.
The guitar used in boss nova is typically a nylon-string classical guitar. Bossa nova music is rarely played on an electric guitar and is considered to be more of a fusion-style when it is. Often, the guitar is played without other accompaniment. In full-band jazz arrangements, the guitar is responsible for the rhythm. In fact, rhythm is the most important part of the style, even when the guitar is presented alone. It is also normal for the guitar to be played without a pick (only by the fingers). These two features of bossa nova are perhaps the most important. The second most important instrument in bossa nova music is the piano. In larger ensembles, the piano is responsible for carrying the arrangement, but the guitar is still responsible for the rhythm.
Musical Artists in the Bossa Nova Style
- Milton Banana
- Gal Costa
- Astrud Gilberto
- Bebel and Joao Gilberto
- Elis Regina
- Bob Tostes
- Zoot Sims
- Toquinho
- Henri Salvador
- Maysa Matarazzo
- Chico Buarque
Chords
There are a few chords that are common in bossa nova style guitar playing. These chords include:
- Cm9
- Gm7
- Am7
- Dm7
- G7
- E7
While bossa nova doesn't formally have any required guitar chords, many of the style's most popular songs use a lot of major seven chords. Popular chord patterns will also often make good use of diminished chords. These chords can sometimes be difficult to change between, so be sure to practice and look into alternative fingerings. If you need a refresher on how to play these chords, check out a chord chart for a reference.
Popular Songs
Generally, the bossa nova style is not associated with any single song. It is more related to particular rhythms and formations. However, a few popular songs do exist and are generally recorded by many different artists. They include:
- What Kind of Love
- Between the Sand and the Sea
- Desafinados como eu
- The Girl from Ipanema
- Love Song In Vain
Tips For Playing Bossa Nova
- If you have trouble with finger picking, don't sweat it. A musical style is about more than just whether or not you use a pick. Experiment with different ways of finger picking before giving up entirely.
- Listen to common bossa nova tracks and see if you can find tabs for some of them. One of the best ways to learn is to emulate something that has already been done. Bossanovaguitar.net provides a large listing of bossa nova music for your listening pleasure. Bossanovaguitar.com provides a listing of songs and in many cases provides their chords. There are also lyrics and, in some cases, MP3s.
- The most important part of playing bossa nova guitar is the rhythm. The entire style is based on the rhythm of samba. If you find yourself having trouble with the style, pay close attention to the rhythm, and you will see things become clearer.
Resources
If you still would like to learn more about bossa nova or its history, here are a few links to help you on your way:
Learn More
This page has been accessed 690 times. This page was last modified 14:18, 15 April 2009.
© 2006-2009 LoveToKnow Corp.
Print this page
Follow ltk on twitter
Visit us on facebook