Brazilian Jazz Guitar – Samba and Bossa Nova

Performance Guide
mattwarnockguitar.com/brazilian-jazz-guitar/

by Matt Warnock / Tuesday, 22 September 2015 / Published in Beginner , Intermediate , Jazz Guitar Chords , Jazz Guitar Lessons
, Jazz Guitar Licks , Jazz Guitar Rhythm
September 22, 2015

Brazilian jazz is one of the most popular genres of modern guitar.

With seductive swing, captivating melodies, and cool progressions, Brazilian jazz is one of the
first genres that guitarists explore beyond bebop.

With a lineage of world-class players, such as Laurindo Almeida, Baden Powell, and Toninho
Horta, guitarists have played a big role in Brazilian jazz.

It’s from recordings of these great players that you can build your own repertoire of Brazilian
jazz rhythms, chords, and lines.

Though you enjoy playing Brazilian jazz, when it comes to jamming a bossa nova or samba
tune, you fake a comping pattern.

To bring an authentic Brazilian sound to your next jam session, this lesson explores essential
Brazilian jazz chord patterns.

As well, there are arpeggio and scale patterns, and licks to add to your soloing vocabulary.

Whether you want to comp a laid-back bossa nova, or solo in the style of your favorite Brazilian
guitarist, this material helps you reach your goals.

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Brazilian Jazz guitar Contents (Click to Skip Down)

Introduction
Bossa Nova vs. Samba Rhythms
Essential Brazilian Jazz Songs

Brazilian Jazz Rhythm Guitar

Brazilian Jazz Chords Intro
Bossa Nova Rhythm 1
Bossa Nova Rhythm 2
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 Bossa Nova Rhythm 3
Samba Rhythm 1
Samba Rhythm 2
Partido Alto

Brazilian Jazz Guitar Soloing

Brazilian Jazz Soloing Intro
10 Brazilian Jazz Guitar Arpeggio Patterns
10 Brazilian Jazz Guitar Scale Patterns
10 Brazilian Jazz Guitar Licks

Bossa Nova vs. Samba Rhythms

Before you play the examples below, just a quick note about the terminology.

When living in Brazil, my musician friends referred to these rhythms as samba.

The bossa nova rhythms were “slow samba” and the samba rhythms were “fast samba.”

They acknowledged that bossa nova was a genre, but it was considered American and samba
Brazilian.

When jamming Brazilian jazz tunes, these rhythms were used, but they were all called samba.

Whereas, in other countries they’re separated into bossa nova and samba rhythms.

No matter what terminology you use, you can use these comping patterns over Brazilian jazz
tunes.

Bossa rhythms are more effective over slow tunes, and samba rhythms over faster tunes.

Essential Brazilian Jazz Songs

If you’re new to Brazilian jazz, here are 20 Brazilian jazz songs to use as a reference in your
studies.

If you don’t know where to begin, start with songs that you recognize, such as Girl from
Ipanema, then move on to other songs from there.

Make sure to listen to each song before you learn it, as that tells you which comping rhythms
are most appropriate, tempo, and other elements for each song.

Agua de Beber
Aguas de Marco
Berimbau
Canto de Ossanha

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 Chega de Saudade
Corcovado
Cravo e Canela
Deixa
Desafinado
How Insensitive
Influencia do Jazz
Jazz and Samba
O Barquinho
O Morro Nao Tem Vez
O Pato
Once I Loved
One Note Samba
Summer Samba
The Girl From Ipanema
Wave

Each of the Brazilian guitar chords and rhythms that you learn below can be used over these
songs.

Refer to the note in the Brazilian jazz guitar chords section about choosing the right rhythm for
any Brazilian song you play.

Brazilian Jazz Guitar Chords

The majority of your playing Brazilian jazz will be comping chords behind a melody line or
other soloists.

Because of this, having a strong sense of Brazilian rhythms nails bossa and samba tunes in
your jam sessions.

Each rhythm below is presented over a one-chord vamp, the first four bars to O Barquinho, and
the 16-bar form of that tune.

Learning these different bossa and samba rhythms ensures that you can confidently comp in
any Brazilian jazz situation.

There are some rhythms that start on the upbeat and others that start on the downbeat.

The key to playing Brazilian jazz chords is to know when to use each rhythm.

In Brazil, the musicians I played with told me to let the melody guide my rhythmic choices.

If the melody has up-beats at the start of the bar, use a comping rhythm that also has up beats
at the start of the bar.

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If the melody has down beats in the first half of the bar, use a rhythm that has more down
beats at the start of the bar.

That’s easier said than done.

But, with time you will make the right rhythmic choices over Brazilian jazz tunes.

As well, in Brazil, lead sheets or mostly written in 2/4 time, while in other countries they’re
written in 4/4 time.

Because the Real Book and other fake books use 4/4 time, the examples in this lesson are
written in 4/4.

If you want to translate that into 2/4 time, you play each rhythm at half the written speed.

Here’s an example of that approach over a Cmaj7 comping pattern.

The quarter and 8 th-notes are translated to 8th and 16 th-notes to allow the chords to fit over
both time signatures.

When translating rhythms from 4/4 to 2/4, use this chart as a guide to help you play the
correct rhythms.

Whole notes become half notes.

Half notes become quarter notes
Quarter notes become 8 th notes
8th notes become 16 th notes

You can now begin your studies of Brazilian jazz guitar chords.

Start with the first rhythm, no matter where you skip to from there.

This first rhythm is the foundation for all rhythms that follow.

So, if you can play the first rhythm, you use that pattern to build the rest of the examples.

But, if you skip the first rhythm, you might be confused as to why and how other rhythms are
built.

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Lastly, notice the 6, 9, 6/9, and other chords used in place of the written chord changes.

In Brazilian jazz, players prefer to use the “softer” 6 and 9 based chords, as opposed to maj7 or
7th chords that you find in jazz.

Playing authentic Brazilian jazz means learning the rhythms and chord voicings.

So, make sure to check out the shapes as well as the rhythmic patterns in each example.

Bossa Nova Rhythm 1

A favorite of Joao Gilberto, and used over slow songs, this rhythm is the perfect introduction
for those new to samba comping.

As was mentioned, this first bossa rhythm acts as the foundation for everything you do
moving forward.

For that reason, break it down to its smallest concepts, and then build it back up again.

In the process, you learn fundamental guitar skills that make each subsequent rhythm easier
to learn.

The first item to practice is getting your thumb to play the root on beats 1 and 3.

You want the bass note to be automatic, as it’s the foundation for each chord you play.

Notice that the root is used for the bass notes in this, and all examples, in this lesson.

When playing Brazilian jazz, you play the root for each bass note, rather than alternating the
root and 5th as in other Latin genres.

Some players prefer to use the root and 5 th in the bass, but it’s not necessary, and more often
than not interferes with the bass player.

Here’s an example of the tonic bass-note rhythm over a Cmaj7 chord.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 2

Once you have the bass notes down, add a chord on beat one of each bar.
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When doing so, keep the bass notes and downbeat chord quiet.

Accents are extremely important in Brazilian jazz comping, and so keeping these notes and
chords quiet makes it easier to add louder chords later on.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 3

Moving on, play the top-three notes of the chord on beat 2 of each measure.

Again, keep all these chords and bass notes quiet, no accents are added yet to the comping
pattern.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 4

You finish by adding a chord on the & of 3 in each bar.

This is your first accented chord, where you play the & of 3 chord slightly louder than the other
chords and bass notes.

Go slow with this rhythm, use a metronome, and only take it to the song example below when
ready.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 5

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To help you hear this rhythm in a musical situation, here’s the bossa 1 applied to the chord
progression of O Barquinho.

Learn each four-bar section one at a time, and then connect them together when comfortable.

For this and all chord examples in this lesson, there’s a backing track (bass and drums) to
practice with in your studies.

O Barquinho Backing Track brazilian jazz guitar backing track

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 6

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Bossa Nova Rhythm 2
You’re now ready to move on to the more complex bossa rhythms, as you see in the next
example.

Even if the first example was easy for you, this rhythm takes some time to learn.

So, don’t feel like you have to rush it.

Take your time and focus on the anticipated chord before increasing the tempo.

The only difference between the first and second bossa rhythms is the addition of the chord on
the & of 4.

This chord is tied over to the downbeat of the second bar.

That means that after you play the initial downbeat, you never play another chord on the
downbeat.

Here’s an example of that rhythm over a static Cmaj7.

Notice that the & of 3 and 4 are both accented, with all other chords and bass notes played
quietly.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 7

Once you can play this rhythm over a static chord, apply it to a chord progression in your guitar
practice routine.

Here’s where things become difficult for most players.

When you play the chord on the & of 4, you anticipate the next chord in the progression .

This means playing the top-3 notes of the next chord before that chord and bass note arrives
in the music.

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This anticipation is essential when playing Brazilian jazz, but it can handcuff you if you’re not
ready.

Give it a try, and if you find it difficult, go back and work the static Cmaj7 example until you’re
ready to try this progression again.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 8

Here’s that new bossa rhythm applied to the chord progression to O Barquinho.

Again, watch the anticipated chords, as they’re now in every bar, resulting in a lot of
concentration needed to make it through the form.

O Barquinho Backing Track brazilian jazz guitar backing track

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 9

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Bossa Nova Rhythm 3
In this final bossa nova rhythm, you reverse the previous pattern.

Before, you played two downbeats in the first half of the bar, followed by two upbeats in the
second half of the bar.

Now, you reverse that process by playing two upbeats followed by two downbeats.

In some ways, this rhythm is easier than the previous example, as you don’t anticipate
subsequent chords.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 10

You now apply this last bossa rhythm to the first four bars of O Barquinho.

Though it’s easier than the previous rhythm, moving the accents to the first half of the bar
gives it a unique feel.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 11

In this final example, you apply the third bossa nova rhythm to the full O Barquinho chord
progression.

As you work through this, or any rhythm, apply it to any Brazilian jazz song you’re practicing.
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O Barquinho Backing Track brazilian jazz guitar backing track

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 12

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Samba Rhythm 1
Moving on to fast Brazilian rhythms, this first samba rhythm combines two patterns that you
learned previously.

In the examples below, you play the second bossa rhythm in the first bar, followed by the third
bossa rhythm in the second bar.

As has been the case in each example so far, you accent the upbeats, so the second half of
the first bar and the first half of the second bar.

Though it’s a combination of previously learned material, it takes time to get this new rhythm
under your fingers.

Go so, then increase the tempo over time as you become more comfortable with this pattern
in your comping.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 13

Here’s an example of the first samba rhythm as applied to the opening four bars of O
Barquinho.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 14

Lastly, here’s the same rhythm used to comp over the whole O Barquinho chord progression.
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Again, break down this chord study into four-bar sections, working it up from that starting
point.

O Barquinho Backing Track brazilian jazz guitar backing track

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 15

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Samba Rhythm 2
The second samba rhythm is a reverse of the comping pattern you just learned.

In this case, you play the Bossa 3 rhythm followed by the bossa 2 rhythm, repeating that two-
bar pattern from there.

Watch that you don’t “flip” this pattern when comping over Brazilian jazz songs.

It’s easy to flip back to the previous rhythm, especially when practicing with a metronome.

Use backing track when possible so that your ears keep this rhythm locked into the correct
part of the form.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 16

Here’s the second samba rhythm as applied to the first four bars of O Barquinho.

Notice that you now anticipate the Bm7 chord in bar three of the progression.

You should be comfortable with anticipating chords at this stage in your development.

But, if it still gives you trouble, become comfortable with this example before moving to the full
song study.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 17

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Here’s the full O Barquinho form with that rhythm applied to each chord in the progression.

Watch the anticipation between each two-bar rhythmic phrase, and slow things down with a
metronome if needed.

O Barquinho Backing Track brazilian jazz guitar backing track

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 18

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Partido Alto
The final Brazilian jazz rhythm is called the partido alto.

This rhythm uses accented upbeats, and there’s an anticipation between each two-bar pattern.

Notice that the first half of the first bar features only one chord, on the & of 1, as opposed to
the two chords you’ve seen before.

Holding that chord, not cutting it short, gives you that smooth swing that is characteristic of
Brazilian jazz guitar.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 19

Here’s the partido alto rhythm applied to the first four bars of O Barquinho.

As was mentioned earlier, you need to anticipate the next chord at the end of each two-bar
rhythmic pattern.

You can see that anticipation being used at the end of the second bar in this example.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 20

Lastly, here’s the partido alto rhythm applied to the full O Barquinho chord progression.

As always, go slow, break it down to smaller chunks if needed, then build up the full chord
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study from there.

O Barquinho Backing Track brazilian jazz guitar backing track

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 21

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Brazilian Jazz Guitar Soloing
While many lessons focus on Brazilian jazz rhythms, there’s a lot to gain from studying the
soloing side of this genre.

To expand your guitar soloing chops, you now learn arpeggio and scale patterns, as well as
Brazilian licks, over popular chord progressions.

The examples are written in one key, so practice them around the fretboard in multiple keys.

As well, any arpeggio and scale pattern can be used to build your guitar technique, but they can
also be used in your solos.

After learning any technical pattern, put on a backing track and add the arpeggio or scale
pattern to your solos.

These patterns and licks come from samba and choro songs and solos, both genres of which
have contributed greatly to Brazilian jazz vocabulary.

Brazilian Jazz Guitar Arpeggio Patterns

To begin, you learn a descending arpeggio pattern over Cmaj7.

Each of the examples is written over one type of arpeggio.

So, after you’ve learned these examples over one arpeggio, apply them to other essential jazz
arpeggios.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 22

In the ascending arpeggio pattern, you approach the first chord tone by a diatonic note above
that tone.

You can see this with the D-C notes at the start of the pattern.

From there, you climb up two arpeggio tones before repeating the pattern from there.
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Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 23

Here’s a reversal of the previous pattern, where you approach the first chord tone by a diatonic
note above, followed by two chord tones, before repeating that pattern down the shape.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 24

You now add in the diatonic approach note before the last arpeggio note in each four-note
grouping.

You see this with the A-G notes in the first four-note group, repeating it up the arpeggio from
that starting point.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 25

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Here, you play the arpeggio note, then a lower neighbor tone, followed by the original arpeggio
note.

This pattern is also commonly used in jazz and Gypsy jazz guitar, and so it’s an important
pattern for guitarists studying all styles of jazz.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 26

Here’s an arpeggio pattern that features an approach note below each note in the arpeggio.

Notice that the pattern starts on the & of 1, as the first downbeat is a rest.

This is a common rhythmic approach to playing single-lines in Brazilian jazz, and it places
chromatic notes in appropriate places to bring out the Brazilian sound.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 27

In this next pattern, you play a diatonic note above the first arpeggio note, then the arpeggio
note, followed by an approach note into the next arpeggio note.

This pattern sounds great, but is tough to apply from a technical standpoint.

So, work this pattern without any time at first, then bring it to a metronome when ready.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 28

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Here’s a more complicated pattern that you can add to your guitar practice routine.

This pattern resembles more of a lick than a pattern, making it a great line to study as you
transport it into your Brazilian jazz solos.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 29

Here’s a busier pattern that features chromatic notes on the second 8 th note and diatonic
approach notes on the third 8th note of each four-note grouping.

Go slow with this pattern, as it’s also an important addition to your soloing vocabulary as well
as builds your arpeggio chops.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 30

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This final arpeggio pattern begins on the & of 1, working chromatic and diatonic approach
notes into the pattern from that starting point.

Again, because this pattern is more involved, take your time and go slow, bringing the tempo
up when comfortable.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 31

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Brazilian Jazz Guitar Scale Patterns
You now move on to studying popular Brazilian scale patterns.

These patterns are written over a C major scale, so take them to other essential jazz scales in
your studies.

You can also move them to other keys as you expand each pattern in your playing.

The first scale pattern, is an ascending pattern that begins with three pickup notes in the first
bar.

From there, there’s a four-note group that’s played up from each note in the scale.

When doing so, you end each four-note group on the strong beats of the bar, 1 and 3.

Then, you begin the pattern on the & of 1 and 3, weaker beats, which is commonly used in
Brazilian single-note melodies.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 32

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Here, you start on the & of 1, then climb up the scale from there, resolving to the downbeat of
the next measure.

You repeat this pattern from each note in the scale as you work your way up the fingering.

This is a longer variation of the first scale pattern, and again, a technique that’s commonly
used in Brazilian jazz guitar.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 33

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After the characteristic three-note lead in, this pattern jumps up a third, before returning to the
starting note in each four-note grouping.

That pattern is then repeated from each scale tone as you descend through the shape from
there.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 34

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Here’s a reversal of the long pattern you learned earlier, as you now descend the scale from
each note, beginning on the & of 1 in each bar.

If you want to extend this pattern, combine it with the ascending version as you play both
versions together.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 35

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Moving on, you now play three ascending notes ( first inversion triads) before descending the
scale from there.

Each pattern is a full bar long, and you repeat it from each note in the scale before hitting the
lower root note on the 6th string.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 36

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In this variation of the full-octave descending pattern, you bring rhythmic syncopation into the
mix.

Make sure to rest on beat 2, not just hold the first note over, as this brings the Brazilian swing
into this pattern and your single-note solos.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 37

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This pattern is a four-note grouping that descends the entire scale.

You can also add one or three pickup notes, such as B or GAB, to add variations in your guitar
practicing.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 38

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Here’s another syncopated pattern that you can practice and add to your soloing lines.

Again, play the first note short in each bar, which accents that note and highlights the rests in
your playing.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 39

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The next pattern uses ties to keep the pattern on the upbeats as you progress up the scale.

This pattern is also referred to as a diatonic enclosure, as you play one note above, then one
note below, before landing on your target scale note.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 40

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The final scale pattern runs diatonic triads through the fingering as you descend the scale
pattern.

As well, you play the root-3-5-root notes in a typical Brazilian style.

This triad pattern is also popular in jazz improvisation, and so it makes a strong addition to
your vocabulary.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 41

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Brazilian Jazz Guitar Licks
To finish your study of Brazilian soloing, here are 10 licks that come from the Brazilian jazz
tradition.

Each lick is played over a popular chord progression, and uses common techniques by
Brazilian jazz guitarists.

After learning any of these Brazilian jazz guitar licks, take it to other keys, as well as use it in
your solos.

The first lick uses arpeggios to outline the first two chords in a ii V I in F.

From there, notice the b9 intervals over C7, which are brought out by using a Dbdim7 arpeggio
in that bar.

The last bar features a typical choro approach note pattern to highlight the root and 6 th of the
Fmaj7 chord.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 42

In this short minor ii V I line, you see a typical rhythm used over the A7alt chord in the second
half of the first bar.

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Mixing 8th and 16 th notes is typical in Brazilian jazz, and is something you can study further in
your technical and improvisational practice routine .

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 43

This ii V I lick begins with a typical Brazilian scale pattern, followed octave displacement in the
second bar of the line.

Here, you see the note E jump up to a D on the third beat of the second bar.

This is called “octave displacement,” as you continue down the scale, E to D, but the D is an
octave higher to avoid running out of room on the guitar.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 44

This next Brazilian jazz lick is in the style of Hermeto Pascoal, and a similar line can be found
in his song Chorinho Pra Ele.

This line uses a dominant cycle sub to create tension over the first three bars of the phrase.

This tension is then resolved to the tonic note F in the last bar.

Dominant cycles are common subs in all genres of jazz, and so they’re important to study in
your soloing practice routine.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 45

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Another Hermeto Pascoal influenced lick, this phrase uses the maj7 interval over Gm7, F#, as
well as a full descending C Mixolydian scale in the second bar.

While in jazz you’re often told to avoid running full scales, in Brazilian jazz this approach is
commonly used, as you can see in this example.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 46

Here’s a highly syncopated minor ii V I lick that you can add to your soloing vocabulary.

Though the notes are straightforward, getting the syncopation under your fingers takes
practice.

Feel free to count this line out in your practicing at first, then play it by hearing the rhythms
when that approach is comfortable.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 47

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In this arpeggio-based lick, you see a D9 chord used as a secondary dominant sub in bar one.

Whenever you have iim7-V7 chords, you can always play II7-V7 as the II7 is the V7 of V7 in this
case.

Using secondary dominant subs is common in Brazilian jazz, and all styles of jazz guitar.

Because of it’s popularity, working this sub in your studies is essential practicing for any jazz
guitarist.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 48

Here’s a descending Brazilian jazz guitar lick that uses the C whole tone scale to outline the
iim7-V7 chords.

Creating tension over iim7-V7 chords is popular in Brazilian jazz, and whole tone is a great way
to accomplish this in your playing.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 49

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This arpeggio-based minor ii V I uses the Edim7 arpeggio to bring out the A7b9 sound in the
second half of the first bar.

Playing iim7b5-iidim7 over minor ii V progression is an important way to outline minor key
chord progressions.

This concept is commonly used in Brazilian jazz, and other jazz styles, and should be practiced
further in your studies.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 50

In this final Brazilian guitar lick, inspired by the great guitarist Bola Sete , you use minor
arpeggios to create a sense of tension and resolution.

Moving arpeggios around in this manner, such as the Bbm7-Am7 shapes, is a great way to
create tension and resolution in your solos.

Click to hear brazilian jazz guitar 51

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