bossa nova guitar tutorial

How to solo over Girl From Ipanema

In video we will explore the scales the you can use over The Girl From Ipanema. Improvising blends your knowledge of harmony, scales, voice leading and technique. The scales that I use here are only one option but I think they work well in a Latin Jazz context. I have included a backing track for […]

One Note Samba Guitar Tutorial

Title: One Note Samba Key : C#minor Time : 4/4 Style: Bossa Composer: Antonio Carlos Jobim (1927-1994) Writen by famous Brasilian song wirter and composer Carlos Jobim, this sog rose to fame in the 1960s. It has an unusual chromatic descending bass line and very simple (one note) melody. Played with the open E this […]

Manha De Carnaval Bossa Nova Guitar Tutorial

Title: Black Orpheus (Manhã De Carnaval) Key : A minor Time : 4/4 Style: Bossa Nova Composer: Luis Bonfa (1922-2001) was a celebrated Brasilian guitarist famous for this particular song Manha De Carnaval which was featured in the production of Orfeu da Conceição also known as Black Orpheus. Bonfa worked alongside the likes of Jobim, […]

Retrato Brasileiro by Baden Powell

Baden Powell was a leading Brasilian guitarist and composer. He wrote in many styles including Bossa Nova and Samba, Popular Brasilian and Latin Jazz. He toured internationally for many years especially Europe and collaborated with many well-known artists including Vinicius de Moraes, Billy Blanco and Paulo Cesar Pinheiro. Here is one of Baden Powell’s slower pieces, it […]

Flamenco Rumba

The flamenco Rumba is one of the most popular forms and also one of the simplest. Though many of the flamenco styles os palos are based on counting to 12m the Rumba is in 4/4. We count 1-2-3 1-2-3 1-2 with the 1 being accented. The first beta usually is accented with a golpe, the 4th beat […]

Malaguena Guitar Solo

The Malagueña is a Spanish dance that originated in the Spanish city of Malaga. It features a 3/4 feel and a familiar bass arpeggio that returns throughout. There are many versions of this dance and it is found in both Spanish classical and flamenco as well. This version offers some fun and challenge for intermediate […]

Noches De Bohemia Guitar Solo

This song was released by the Spanish pop group Navajita Plateá. It has a nice melody which I wanted to capture on the first string so I transposed it to G and I am using a drop D and drop G tuning. The sheet music/Tab is available below or in the sheet music page  

Sons De Carrilhoes Guitar Tutorial

This is quite a well known piece in the classical guitar repertoire written by Joao Pernambuco. It translates to “sounds of bells”. Pernambuco was a respected and successful Brasilian guitarist and composer. The piece has the following features: drop D tuning in 2/4 time some tricky bar chords and scale passages It is in the […]