Easy Steps to Bossa Nova Guitar

The distinctive sound of Brazilian bossa nova guitar has permeated the musical landscape for fifty years, influencing singers, instrumentalists and songwriters throughout the world. Based on a melding of jazz voicings and samba rhythms, this gently swinging fingerpicking-based style will bring new colors and rhythms to all your guitar accompaniments and solos.

Aaron Gilmartin builds your bossa nova guitar technique step-by-step, providing chordal exercises, melodic passages and syncopated picking along with invaluable guitar advice and musical knowledge. He opens the lesson with his original song, Hold the Place, based around a typical four-chord progression that will give your playing an instantly recognizable Brazilian sound while putting it into a present day singer/songwriter context.

Teaching in “little bites” so you can absorb each musical idea, Aaron carefully demonstrates the chord shapes, rhythms, turnarounds, and progressions that will allow you to work out arrangements for Girl from Ipanema, Black Orpheus, Desafinado and other international hits.

Note: Although it can be played on any type of guitar, this music is best played on nylon strings.