// Bossa nova guitar pack. Grips verified by note-spelling against: jazzguitar.be // (Ipanema chords), jenslarsen.nl (bossa patterns, 5 levels), thejazzpianosite.com // (rhythm layers), Nelson Faria "The Brazilian Guitar Book" (canonical grip source), // mdecksmusic.com (Ipanema analysis), jazz-circle.com (Blue Bossa, Black Orpheus). // // Construction: thumb takes the root on string 6 or 5; fingers take 3-4 notes on // D-G-B(-e). Every grip movable. Two plays per progression = the two root-string // sets, because that's how bossa voice-leads: adjacent chords trade root strings // so inner voices move by one fret ("two fingers move, the chord transforms"). // Root on the low E string (thumb). const M7_6 = { rootStr: 6, offsets: [0, 'x', 0, 0, 0, 'x'], fingers: [1, 0, 2, 3, 4, 0] } // R-♭7-♭3-5 const MAJ7_6 = { rootStr: 6, offsets: [0, 'x', 1, 1, 0, 'x'], fingers: [1, 0, 3, 4, 2, 0] } // R-7-3-5 const DOM7_6 = { rootStr: 6, offsets: [0, 'x', 0, 1, 0, 'x'], fingers: [1, 0, 2, 3, 4, 0] } // R-♭7-3-5 const DOM13_6 = { rootStr: 6, offsets: [0, 'x', 0, 1, 2, 'x'], fingers: [1, 0, 2, 3, 4, 0] } // R-♭7-3-13 const DOM7B9_6 = { rootStr: 6, offsets: [0, 'x', 0, 1, 0, 1], fingers: [1, 0, 2, 3, 1, 4] } // R-♭7-3-5-♭9 const M7B5_6 = { rootStr: 6, offsets: [0, 'x', 0, 0, -1, 'x'], fingers: [2, 0, 3, 4, 1, 0] } // R-♭7-♭3-♭5 const M6_6 = { rootStr: 6, offsets: [0, 'x', -1, 0, 0, 'x'], fingers: [2, 0, 1, 3, 4, 0] } // R-6-♭3-5 const DIM7_6 = { rootStr: 6, offsets: [0, 'x', -1, 0, -1, 'x'], fingers: [2, 0, 1, 3, 1, 0] } // R-♭♭7-♭3-♭5 const DOM7S11_6 = { rootStr: 6, offsets: [0, 'x', 0, 1, -1, 'x'], fingers: [2, 0, 3, 4, 1, 0] } // R-♭7-3-♯11 (the tritone-sub grip) // Root on the A string (thumb). const M7_5 = { rootStr: 5, offsets: ['x', 0, 2, 0, 1, 'x'], fingers: [0, 1, 3, 2, 4, 0] } // R-5-♭7-♭3 const M7_5C = { rootStr: 5, offsets: ['x', 0, -2, 0, 1, 'x'], fingers: [0, 2, 1, 3, 4, 0] } // R-♭3-♭7-♭3 compact grab const MAJ9_5 = { rootStr: 5, offsets: ['x', 0, -1, 1, 0, 'x'], fingers: [0, 2, 1, 4, 3, 0] } // R-3-7-9 const DOM9_5 = { rootStr: 5, offsets: ['x', 0, -1, 0, 0, 'x'], fingers: [0, 2, 1, 3, 4, 0] } // R-3-♭7-9 const DOM7B9_5 = { rootStr: 5, offsets: ['x', 0, -1, 0, -1, 'x'], fingers: [0, 3, 1, 4, 2, 0] } // R-3-♭7-♭9 const M7B5_5 = { rootStr: 5, offsets: ['x', 0, 1, 0, 1, 'x'], fingers: [0, 1, 3, 2, 4, 0] } // R-♭5-♭7-♭3 const M6_5 = { rootStr: 5, offsets: ['x', 0, -2, -1, -2, 'x'], fingers: [0, 4, 1, 3, 2, 0] } // R-♭3-6-R const DIM7_5 = { rootStr: 5, offsets: ['x', 0, 1, -1, 1, 'x'], fingers: [0, 2, 3, 1, 4, 0] } // R-♭5-♭♭7-♭3 export default { styleIntro: 'The bossa guitarist is the whole rhythm section: thumb plays the surdo drum (root on 1, fifth on 3, never syncopated), fingers play the chord block on the anticipations. Quiet is louder — the genre was invented at apartment volume, and intensity comes from rhythmic placement and harmonic colour, never from strumming harder.', comping: [ { label: 'Thumb bass (the surdo)', rhythm: 'B . . . B . . . — root on 1, fifth on 3', description: 'Metronomic, soft, every bar, under everything. The one layer that is never syncopated. With a bassist: drop it entirely and play only the upper notes.', }, { label: 'One-bar starter pattern', rhythm: 'X . . X . . X . — hits on 1, and-of-2, 4', description: 'The training-wheels comp: chord block on 1, the and-of-2, and 4 over the steady thumb. Master this before the two-bar pattern.', }, { label: 'Two-bar João Gilberto pattern', rhythm: 'X . . X . . . X~ | . . . X . . X . — the 4& ties over the barline', description: 'Bar 2 has no downbeat chord — the tied and-of-4 carries across. The anticipation is the hardest and most essential bossa skill. Gilberto drifted between patterns freely; treat it as a motif, not a loop.', }, { label: 'Partido alto (the samba cousin — for contrast)', rhythm: '. X . X X . . X — lands HARD on beat 3', description: 'Percussive, chopped, with muted ghost-strums — the opposite aesthetic. Bossa never accents beat 3: that beat belongs to the bass register (the surdo). Hammering it squares the lilt into a polka.', }, ], plays: { 'bossa-ipanema': [ { label: 'Low-E roots (the João position)', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: MAJ7_6, note: 'Imaj7' }, { shape: DOM13_6, extensions: ['13'], note: 'II7(13) — the Lydian ♭7 colour' }, { shape: M7_6, note: 'ii7' }, { shape: DOM7S11_6, extensions: ['#11'], note: '♭II7(♯11) — tritone sub of V' }, { shape: MAJ7_6, note: 'home' }, { shape: DOM7S11_6, extensions: ['#11'], note: 'and the ♭II7 again — Jobim never quite lets go' }, ], tips: 'The whole A-section lives in a four-fret window: each change moves the thumb a fret or two and one or two fingers inside the grip. If a finger jumps more than two frets, you took a wrong turn.', }, { label: 'A-string roots, colour-tone set', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: MAJ9_5, extensions: ['9'], note: 'Imaj9' }, { shape: DOM9_5, extensions: ['9'], note: 'II9' }, { shape: M7_5, note: 'ii7' }, { shape: DOM9_5, extensions: ['9'], note: '♭II9' }, { shape: MAJ9_5, extensions: ['9'], note: '' }, { shape: DOM9_5, extensions: ['9'], note: '' }, ], tips: 'Same progression, one string set higher and sweeter — 9ths everywhere. Use this set when another guitarist or pianist already owns the low-E register. (If the band plays a plain major tonic, the 6/9 grab — drop the 7th for the 6 — is the classic bossa colour.)', }, ], 'bossa-minor-251': [ { label: 'Low-E roots with the ♭9', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: M7_6, note: 'i7' }, { shape: M7B5_6, note: 'iiø7 — the ♭5 on the B string is the saudade note' }, { shape: DOM7B9_6, extensions: ['b9'], note: 'V7♭9 — the ♭5 you just played, reinterpreted' }, { shape: M6_6, note: 'i6 — resolve to the sixth, not the seventh' }, ], tips: 'One pitch threads the middle of the progression: the iiø7\'s ♭5 IS the V7\'s ♭9. Find it, hold it, let the thumb do the moving.', }, { label: 'A-string roots, compact grabs', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: M7_5C, note: 'compact i7 — no 5th, pure bossa economy' }, { shape: M7B5_5, note: 'iiø7' }, { shape: DOM7B9_5, extensions: ['b9'], note: 'V7♭9' }, { shape: M6_5, note: 'i6' }, ], tips: 'Black Orpheus oscillates between this cell and the relative major\'s ii–V–I — learn both as one hand pattern and the whole tune is two moves.', }, ], 'bossa-blue': [ { label: 'Thumb-bass through the form', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: M7_6, note: 'i7' }, { shape: M7_6, note: '' }, { shape: M7_5, note: 'iv7 — A-string root, same fret region' }, { shape: M7_5, note: '' }, { shape: M7B5_5, note: 'iiø7' }, { shape: DOM7B9_6, extensions: ['b9'], note: 'V7♭9' }, { shape: M7_6, note: '' }, { shape: M7_6, note: '' }, { shape: M7_6, note: '♭iii7 — the excursion begins' }, { shape: DOM9_5, extensions: ['9'], note: '♭VI9' }, { shape: MAJ9_5, extensions: ['9'], note: '♭IImaj9 — a major-key vacation' }, { shape: MAJ9_5, extensions: ['9'], note: '' }, { shape: M7B5_5, note: 'iiø7 — back to reality' }, { shape: DOM7B9_6, extensions: ['b9'], note: 'V7♭9' }, { shape: M7_6, note: '' }, { shape: M7_6, note: '' }, ], tips: 'i and iv sit on adjacent root strings in one position, like a blues. The bars 9–12 excursion is a normal major ii–V–I — play it sweeter, then darken again for the iiø7.', }, { label: 'Colour set (9ths and the 6/9 cadence)', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: M7_5C, note: '' }, { shape: M7_5C, note: '' }, { shape: M7_6, note: 'iv7 low' }, { shape: M7_6, note: '' }, { shape: M7B5_6, note: '' }, { shape: DOM7B9_5, extensions: ['b9'], note: '' }, { shape: M7_5C, note: '' }, { shape: M7_5C, note: '' }, { shape: M7_5C, note: '' }, { shape: DOM13_6, extensions: ['13'], note: '♭VI13' }, { shape: MAJ9_5, extensions: ['9'], note: '♭IImaj9' }, { shape: MAJ9_5, extensions: ['9'], note: '' }, { shape: M7B5_6, note: '' }, { shape: DOM7B9_5, extensions: ['b9'], note: '' }, { shape: M7_5C, note: '' }, { shape: M7_5C, note: '' }, ], tips: 'Blue Bossa\'s tonic is a true m7 — save the m6 colour for tunes that ask for it (see the minor ii–V–i cell). Keep all of it at whisper volume.', }, ], 'bossa-one-note': [ { label: 'Two grips falling by half-steps (A-string roots)', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: M7_5, note: 'iii7' }, { shape: DOM9_5, extensions: ['9'], note: '♭III9 — same fret region, one finger reshapes' }, { shape: M7_5, note: 'ii7 — whole grip slides down' }, { shape: DOM9_5, extensions: ['9'], note: '♭II9' }, ], tips: 'The entire progression is two grips alternating while the thumb walks down chromatically. Hold one melody note on top if you can reach it — that\'s the whole point of the tune.', }, { label: 'Low-E roots with 13s', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: M7_6, note: '' }, { shape: DOM13_6, extensions: ['13'], note: '♭III13' }, { shape: M7_6, note: '' }, { shape: DOM13_6, extensions: ['13'], note: '♭II13' }, ], tips: 'The 13 on top of each dominant descends in parallel with the bass — two chromatic lines moving in lockstep, which is why this progression sounds inevitable.', }, ], 'bossa-corcovado': [ { label: 'Chromatic staircase, low-E roots', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: M6_6, note: 'iii6' }, { shape: DIM7_6, note: 'passing °7 — one fret down' }, { shape: M7_6, note: 'ii7 — one more' }, { shape: DOM7S11_6, extensions: ['#11'], note: '♭II7(♯11) — tritone sub' }, { shape: MAJ7_6, note: 'Imaj7 — arrival' }, ], tips: 'The low E string walks down one fret per bar — let that bassline sing through the grips. This is the same passing-diminished device as How Insensitive; learn it once, hear it everywhere in Jobim.', }, { label: 'A-string set with the 6/9 landing', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: M6_5, note: 'iii6' }, { shape: DIM7_5, note: '°7' }, { shape: M7_5C, note: 'ii7' }, { shape: DOM7B9_5, extensions: ['b9'], note: '♭II7(♭9)' }, { shape: MAJ9_5, extensions: ['9'], note: 'Imaj9 — arrival' }, ], tips: 'When the singer holds the tonic, swap the maj9 for a 6/9 grab (7th down to the 6) — no leading tone to fight them. Over a detected maj7, stay with the maj9.', }, ], }, improv: { scales: [ { over: 'ii7 / i7 / iv7', scale: 'dorian', why: 'All the minor 7ths take Dorian — bossa is jazz harmony in a swimsuit.' }, { over: 'V7 → major I', scale: 'mixolydian', why: 'Plain Mixolydian when resolving to major; add the 13 — it\'s the genre\'s favourite colour.' }, { over: 'II7 / ♭II7 (tritone subs)', scale: 'lydian', why: 'Lydian dominant (melodic minor from the 5th) — the ♯11 is already in the chord grip.' }, { over: 'V7♭9 → minor i', scale: 'phrygian', why: 'Phrygian dominant (harmonic minor from the V) for the ♭9; the altered scale if you want more trouble.' }, { over: 'iiø7', scale: 'locrian', why: 'Locrian, or raise the 2 (melodic-minor mode 6) for a smoother colour.' }, ], targetNotes: 'Bossa solos are melody-first: hold or repeat a small cell and let the CHORDS recontextualise it — One Note Samba is the method stated as a song title. Target the colour tones (9, 13, ♯11) and the 3rd/7th guide-tone line; avoid sitting on roots. Phrase behind the beat and leave bar-length gaps.', licks: [ { over: 'bossa-ipanema', description: 'The Ipanema opening cell: the melody sits on the 9th and major 7th of the Imaj7 — never the root. The identical two notes work over the II7 bars, where they become root and 13.', tab: 'e|--3--------------3-----------\nB|------5--5--3--------5--5----\n G E E D G E E\n (9) (7)(7)(6) (9) (7)(7) over Fmaj7', source: '"Garota de Ipanema" — Jobim/de Moraes (Real Book lead sheet; mDecks harmonic analysis)', }, ], }, }