This is where most students struggle. The magic of the Bossa Nova rhythm lies in the dampening and the articulation.
Most guitarists fail at Bossa Nova because they try to play it fast. Here is your 10-minute daily practice routine:
Minute 1-3: Mute the strings. Lay your left hand across the fretboard to mute everything. Play only the thumb pattern: 1... (& of 2)... 1... (& of 2). Get the bass drum/snare relationship in your blood.
Minute 4-6: Add one finger. Keep your thumb going. Add only your middle finger plucking the B string on the "& of 1" and the "a of 2." Do not add the G or high E yet.
Minute 7-9: Full pattern at 60 BPM. Set a metronome to click on beats 2 and 4 (Brazilian style). Play the full pattern. If you mess up, stop, breathe, and start again on beat 1. bossa nova guitar rhythm pattern pdf
Minute 10: Apply to two chords. Play Cmaj7 for 4 bars. Switch to Dm7 for 4 bars. Maintain the thumb movement during the chord change.
The most distinct rhythmic pattern in Bossa Nova is a 2-bar phrase.
The Standard Pattern (Conceptual):
If you were to tap this on a table, it sounds like: Da-da... Da... Da... Da-da... Da... This is where most students struggle
When searching for your file, look for these qualities to avoid poorly transcribed versions:
Listen to The Girl from Ipanema. Hear that little "chk" sound before the chord changes? That is a percussive mute. After your thumb plays the bass note on beat 1, quickly lift your left hand pressure (without lifting your fingers off the strings) and brush the high strings with your right hand fingers. That "chk" is the sound of a shaker. Add this, and you instantly sound like a professional.
Standard Pattern in Am (ii-V-I)
Chord: Bm7b5 (The ii)
Chord: E7#9 (The V)
Chord: Am7 (The i)
(Apply Pattern 1 rhythm to this progression)
Here’s an interesting, informative text about Bossa Nova guitar rhythm patterns, written in a style that could accompany or introduce a PDF guide on the topic. The Standard Pattern (Conceptual):
João Gilberto, the father of Bossa Nova, used a pattern that mimics a shaker. It is incredibly dense:
1 (bass) - & (chord) - 2 (chord) - & (muted strum) - 3 (bass) - & (chord) - 4 (chord) - & (chord)
