could you explain a bossa to me?

[brake]

hmm?

[depalm]

You mean 'bossa nova'?

[Human Bass]

soft, calm, heavily influenced by jazz.

[slyfarmerjon]

A bossa nova (which is often referred to as "bossa" in short hand) is a jazz varient on a similar latin style which i can't remember the name of at the moment. Its very laid back but not necasasarily slow and oftentimes has a very syncopated feal.

One importantant thing to remember about bossa's is that they never play on the back end of the beat. even though the tempo may be down to the 90-100 range (though most bossa's hit around the 110-130 range) make sure to either stay in the pocket or on the front end of the beat, always keeping things moving forward.

When you build lines for a bossa, keep things simple, don't try to be too fancy. Also, stay away from 16th notes, they don't tend to fit very well. Instead, build lines off of eighth notes, eighth note triplets, and doted quarter notes.

The most basic and most common (and often most successful) bossa line uses roots and fifths and is built off of a doted quarter note followed by an eighth note. a good example would be:

| C - / - / - / - | C - / - / - / - |
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
| C - - G G - - C | C - - G G - - C |

You can also use a root-leading tone method to give the bossa more movement if it has a more intense section, which would look a lot like this:

| C - / - / - / - | C - / - / - / - |
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
| C - - F#G - - C#| C - - F#G - -C#|

If you have two changes per measure, it works the same way, you just use the next root instead of the fifth, so:

| C - / - B - / - | A - / - G - / - |
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
| C - - B B - - A | A - - G G - - C |

Also, be warry of any Diminished, half diminished, and augmented changes. On diminished and half diminished changes you lower the fifth a half step and on an augmented change, you raise it a half step.

If you have a jazz walking line that you're fond of, you can replace the four notes of this rythem with the four notes of your walking line and just use the rythem. While I'm not particularly fond of this method but you may end up really liking it, so to each his own.

Just remember, don't lay back on the beat, stay in the pocket or play on the front end. If you drag, it'll turn into a ballad, and if you rush it'll turn into a blues or rock tune, so stay in that tempo.

Hope that helps!

Peace

[DocBop]

Bossa is basic latin feel that consists of a dotted quarter note followed eighth note to another dotted quarter note to a eighth note. That is the fundamental rhythm for a measure. The dotted quarter should be played as a long note, and eighth should be short even staccato. The other variation is to play a ghost note for the eighth note. Also to sound more authentic the ghost note should be louder than the following note. That give the forward motion of the rhythm.

Note wise depends on the number of changes or tempo. A lot of Latin music is a 2 Feel so changes can go by fast. Playing all roots is acceptable, and roots and fifths are common. A lot of half-diminished chords in Bossa's so make sure you play a b5th or just octaves. The V chords are usually altered dominants 7b9 very common. Using the b9 in the bassline works nice. In general use roots and fifths and then scale tones to connect chords. The key is getting the feel especially the ghost note being louder than the note. That can be tricky at first.

After you master Bossa Nova's check out Mambo's. It is the other main Latin feel you hear. The tricky part of Mambo is you don't play on one. In fact the only downbeat is on four, everything else is off the beat.

[Jeff Moote]

Originally Posted by DocBop

Bossa is basic latin feel that consists of a dotted quarter note followed eighth note to another dotted quarter note to a eighth note. That is the fundamental rhythm for a measure. The dotted quarter should be played as a long note, and eighth should be short even staccato. The other variation is to play a ghost note for the eighth note. Also to sound more authentic the ghost note should be louder than the following note. That give the forward motion of the rhythm.

Note wise depends on the number of changes or tempo. A lot of Latin music is a 2 Feel so changes can go by fast. Playing all roots is acceptable, and roots and fifths are common. A lot of half-diminished chords in Bossa's so make sure you play a b5th or just octaves. The V chords are usually altered dominants 7b9 very common. Using the b9 in the bassline works nice. In general use roots and fifths and then scale tones to connect chords. The key is getting the feel especially the ghost note being louder than the note. That can be tricky at first.

After you master Bossa Nova's check out Mambo's. It is the other main Latin feel you hear. The tricky part of Mambo is you don't play on one. In fact the only downbeat is on four, everything else is off the beat.

Very good, comprehensive post. The use of root, 5 and 9 (and the occasional 3) is pretty much all you need, except when the changes are repetitive and you want to mix it up.

The other latin feel you'll encounter, IME more than Mambo, is Samba. True (Brazilian) Samba is very difficult to master, but a jazz-samba will often be played as a faster bossa (>120-150 bpm) with a more driving feel, and a strong pulse on 3. At these tempos the hardest part is often the changes going by 2 per bar at 200 bpm! Just keep it simple and try to keep the pocket happening

[depalm]

hi guys,

Bossa-Nova is a variation of Samba (traditional Brazilian beat ).
The Bossa beat was created by (guitarist) Joao Gilberto in the late 50s.

It become worldwide famous in the early 60s due the huge success of the album made by "Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto". Featuring songs like "The Girl from Ipanema" and "Desafinado" by Tom Jobim it became one of the best selling albums ever.

Its has nothing to see with Mambo which is a different caribbean beat.

To play Bossa nova you should listen to Joao Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim albums. Both are the masters of Bossa in Brazil.

2 / 4 with a little accent on the second beat. Bassists in general go with the root/fifths pattern.

[aceshigh]

Good summary everybody. In a nutshell: Bossa Nova = Jazz + Samba. Mainly mid tempo jazzy tunes with a slow samba feel.

I'd like to emphasize the importance of the accent of the 2nd beat. The origin of this is the percussion used to play Samba. Brazillian Samba players use a 'Surdo' drum (it looks like a very large floor tom) to mark the accent. They play a loud 2nd beat and soft or nothing at all on the 4th beat.

[depalm]

Originally Posted by aceshigh

Good summary everybody. In a nutshell: Bossa Nova = Jazz + Samba. Mainly mid tempo jazzy tunes with a slow samba feel.

I'd like to emphasize the importance of the accent of the 2nd beat. The origin of this is the percussion used to play Samba. Brazillian Samba players use a 'Surdo' drum (it looks like a very large floor tom) to mark the accent. They play a loud 2nd beat and soft or nothing at all on the 4th beat.

Yeah, but Samba has a stronger accent while in Bossa it's very subtle.
In fact Bossa Beat is originated from another samba percussion instrument: the Tamborim.

Joao Gilberto simulate the Tamborim beat on the Nylon-guitar.

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by Jeff Moote

Very good, comprehensive post. The use of root, 5 and 9 (and the occasional 3) is pretty much all you need, except when the changes are repetitive and you want to mix it up.

The other latin feel you'll encounter, IME more than Mambo, is Samba. True (Brazilian) Samba is very difficult to master, but a jazz-samba will often be played as a faster bossa (>120-150 bpm) with a more driving feel, and a strong pulse on 3. At these tempos the hardest part is often the changes going by 2 per bar at 200 bpm! Just keep it simple and try to keep the pocket happening

The way the Latin stuff was explain to me is the Bossa/Samba family are feels that hit on the one. The Mambo is from the Afro-Cuban family that doesn't hit on one. I'm with you I love Samba's and Brazilian music in general. Amazing rhythms and beautiful harmony in the music.

[Snarf]

Bossa is boring. It's all down beat, it feels like it doesn't go anywhere. To me, anyway. Give me a salsa or mambo or montuno any day.

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by Snarf

Bossa is boring. It's all down beat, it feels like it doesn't go anywhere. To me, anyway. Give me a salsa or mambo or montuno any day.

Bossa is simple, but not all downbeats. It's basic feel is dotted quarter and eigth note. Those eights are on the And's of two and four. Bossa's and Samba's are the training ground you need to learn to play right first then moving to other Latin feels is easier. But you want fun then play 3/4 Bossa's. The Funky Latin feel I like is Partido Alto.

[iplaybassguitar]

know how to play a fifth