November 1998

BOSSA NOVA
and COMPING
in the BRAZILIAN
RHYTHM SECTION

all materials ©1998 Richard Boukas
except where indicated

November 1998

BOSSA NOVA and COMPING in the BRAZILIAN
RHYTHM SECTION
by Richard Boukas © 1998

It’s mid-August and I’ve just returned from six weeks in Brasil (São Paulo state and Rio). I had the honor of playing and teaching with some of the country’s greatest Jazz and Classical musicians, where stylistic barriers are few. In São Paulo there is an Orquestra Jazz Sinfonica; many daring chamber ensembles which perform cutting edge music and customarily improvise; killer chorinho groups led by great players like Henrique Cazes and Paulo Sergio Santos who are working hard to preserve and expand that rich tradition. All this music has a very universal quality, embracing a wide range of influences that give the term contemporary music real meaning.

There is also an amazingly rich solo classical guitar tradition, however, in general the availability of printed music for all indigenous styles of music is surprisingly limited in Brasil, residing in the hands of a dedicated few people like the reknown guitar historian Ronoel Simões.

One of the most moving highlights was an informal visit/jam with the legendary king of 7-string guitar (violão seite cordas), Dino "Sete Cordas". At the tender age of 80 Dino is playing better than ever, using the very same instrument with which he recorded all the chorinho classics (50’s-70s) with mandolin giant Jacob do Bandolim..

His axe is a kind of hybrid classical using nylon E & B strings, flatwound EADG strings and an orchestral ‘cello string for the low C 7th string. He uses a custom-made metal thumbpick for basslines and fingernails for voicing attacks. I found out afterwards that the 6-string classical I played on there was used by the brilliant virtuoso Rafael Rabello whenever he would come by to rehearse with Dino, his mentor since the age of 14 (Rabello died tragically in ‘95 at the age of 32). It was very heavy-- just like playing the axes that belonged to Wes or Django.

I want to warmly thank Dino’s son Dininho (a great bassist and fantastic guy) for making my visit with Dino possible and so unforgettable.

I also visited and interviewed 2 of Brasil’s great luthiers from São Paulo, Antonio Tessarin and João Batiste. Stunning in both sound and craftsmanship, their 6 & 7-string concert classicals and building philosophies deserve a separate luthier feature. João also builds traditional string instruments including bandolim, bandola, cavaquinho, 10-stringviola caipira andtenor guitar.

They have authorized me to share their contact info, but be sure to have your portuguese dictionary handy, these guys are the real thing.

Last column we covered Bossa Nova’s roots, seventh & extension voicings and comping patterns applied to basic progressions. Here we’ll explore the guitar’s role in a rhythm section, Jobim and the players in his visionary circle; more progressions for intros, stop-time figures and a brief original solo guitar tune which summarizes Bossa Nova techniques.

Bossa Nova & Jazz

Of all the styles of Brazilian music, BN is the one which has bitten the Jazz player hardest- due largely to its huge commercial success in the US. In the mid- ‘60’s (more than ten years into its history) BN exploded in Jazz and Pop circles, penetrating even the writing of Bacharach (listen to Dionne Warwick’s hit "I Say A Little Prayer"). It’s hard to believe that Jobim’s landmark Girl from Ipanema (cut in NY ‘63 with Astrud & João Gilberto and Stan Getz) was a big AM hit!

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The second reason for BN’s popularity among Jazzers is its musical accessibility. Because BN’s rhythmic groove emanated mainly from João Gilberto’s basic comping figure), Jazzers didn’t need to become expert in the complexities of Brazilian polyrhythms to play BN competently.

The third and final reason is shared vocabulary. The compositional forms and harmonic language of Jazz and BN are quite similar (AABA, 32-bar 1&2 ending), use of extensions, II-V’s and other staple progressions and the natural accomodation to soloing on the form. Early BN in the fifties had a definite West coast "Cool Jazz" influence (as in Gil Evans’/Miles’ Birth of the Cool ) with Brasilian artists like Johnny Alf and Dick Farney.

Also, Jobim’s classical composition studies with Kohlrutter exposed him to the rich world of Chopin, Debussy and Ravel- already recognized for their own profound impact on Jazz harmony as defined by piano legends Art Tatum, Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock.

The Bossa Nova
Rhythm Section & Mindset

Unlike the percussive complexity of samba, the virtuosic melodic lines of chôro or blistering tempo of frêvo, BN is a style which emphasizes nuance and restraint. Introspective and clever poetic images ride on floating, legato melodies framed by rich Jazz-like harmonies. Tapping into the subtlety of this style requires a lot of careful listening and musical sensitivity in performance. Knowing the lyrics to tunes and their meaning is just as essential as knowing the lyrics to standards in order to become a better Jazz ballad player (in performance, Dexter Gordon always recited the lyrics to a ballad before playing it).

A BN rhythm section is an elegant vehicle for song accompaniment- less is more. It is never heavy-handed or self-indulgent. Each player assumes a very distinct function, most often dictated by the composer/arranger directing the group.

As illustrated beautifully by pianists Cesar Camargo Mariano (Elis Regina) & Amilton Godoy (Zimbo Trio) this premeditated artistic control along with a keen sense of nuance in articulation permits a real clarity and breathing space between instruments despite the considerable rhythmic cross-talk. Variations in each instrument’s role are achieved within fairly narrow limits but remain fertile opportunities for the imaginative, disciplined player.

In classic BN the nylon string guitar (violão ) is the primary accompaniment instrument. Electric guitar (guitarra ) is used occasionally as a secondary upper layer (listen to greats Helio Delmiro and Heraldo do Monte with
Elis Regina ).

Piano (if present) plays airy, sustained voicings or sparse melodic fills at resting points between vocal phrases. Electric bass anchors the groove, playing mostly quarter-note pulses that match the bass note of the guitar voicings. The drums function more as subtle percussive color than having to "lay down" the time. These instruments join as a rhythmic canvas for the lead vocal and other obbligato instruments (ex. flutes) which lace expressive conversational lines around it.

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The Role of the Guitar

A guitarist’s choices of comping register, voicings, rhythmic density & figures, articulation, voiceleading, etc. can really shape the whole mood of the cozinha ("kitchen", slang for rhythm section). The most common BN comping style is illustrated by the João Gilberto transcription of "Girl from Ipanema" (Fig 4 in JJG Feb 98 article). This is characterized by a two-attack rhythmic figure (played fingerstyle i,m,a on strings 432) balanced by downbeat bassnote pulses. Together these two elements form a "drop 3" voicing type (6X432). Refer back to the first article for basic voicings and progressions.

This voicing style works better with electric bass than the acoustic. The 6th string bassnote can crowd the timbre of the acoustic bass especially if your low-band EQ is set too fat.

The ethereal, evocative poetry of Vinicius de Moraes and Aldir Blanc meld elegance in musical gesture with lyrics of great subtlety and expression.

Setting the Groove:
Intros & Comp Figures

Intros are of two basic types: normal time (Fig 1 & 2) and stoptime in all instruments (Fig 3 & 4). Depending on the effect desired, either type of intro can begin with guitar alone (Fig 1,4) or with the whole rhythm section (Fig 2,3).

Brief commentary on each intro follows. All tunes are by Jobim.

Fig 1: Helio Delmiro "Aguas de Marco"

This intro (a nice right-hand independence exercise) is played very legato on electric guitar with a clean but full sound. The Bb/Ab chord is a very special sound in this epic tune, whose many inversions and array of poetic images give the piece a seamless, circular quality. If you listen on, note that the syncopated bassline in m. 2 & 4 is not used for the tune’s body, which uses quarter-notes in the acoustic bass.

Fig 2: Oscar Castro-Neves "Favela"

Played on classical, this I->Vminor intro uses all root position voicings including uncommon 5th string bassnote for the Dmi7 chord and positional shifting. Note the articulation marks (sustain slash and staccato dot). Lift your left hand after attacking the voicing to control/shorten duration of the attack.

Fig 3: Oscar Castro-Neves
"Brigas Nunca Mais"

This is a great stoptime intro which carries over into the first 8 bars of the tune before relaxing into a normal rhythm section groove.To show how beautifully Cesar’s piano voicings fit together with Oscar’s, I’ve transcribed both just for the intro figure.

For clean stoptime playing, bassnotes are not used in these guitar voicings. They are commonly played on the top four strings and their register is much higher than the normal "Gilberto" style. The timbre is very bright, using a right-hand attack near the bridge with lots of nail. Notice how Jazz-like the extensions and voiceleading are.

RIGHT HAND

• overall dynamic level and relative accents
• quality of attack (sharp, soft, nail, no nail),
• timbre (tone color closer to bridge or soundhole),
• hand position angle relative to strings
• distribution of comping polyrhythms in the fingers
• time feel (phrasing in relation to the beat)

LEFT HAND

• controlling duration of attacks using finger pressure
• slides, pulloffs onto fretted notes or open strings
• vibrato (less common in comping than melody)
• voicing choices, register and voiceleading channels

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Fig 4: Rhythm Section for "Triste"

Fig 4: (second half)

This is a full intro transcription of Helio, Oscar, César, Luizão and Paulo Braga, transcription, beginning with 4 bars of stoptime and followed by the bass and drums. There’s much to study here, but the main points to observe are:

• how voicings are distributed in two guitars & piano
• the great bassline entry using b5 substitutions
• rhythmic distribution of parts in the drum kit.
• Oscar’s two-note voicings using "ghost" attacks on open strings (indicated by an "X" above the note).

Technical Tips: Articulation & Timbre

Since all Brasilian rhythm section players adapt patterns from original percussion instruments, the guitarist must comp with the rhythmic confidence and sensitivity of a percussionist. Each hand is an articulation painter responsible for many subtle phrasing aspects as follows:

Non-Technical Subtleties

• Good voiceleading will use a specific series of chord inversions to make stepwise resolutions along each string or voice channel.

Voice resolutions are usually descending, but ascending ones can be very effective in creating harmonic tension, contrary voice movement and some very nice extension colors.

Harmonically speaking, in BN you can treat most voiceleading issues as you would comping on a Jazz standard or Blues.

• Harmonic shadings of the same basic 7th chord quality are good ways of creating variety in progressions. For ex., a dominant chord lasting two bars can use a 13th for one bar and a #5 for the next before resolving- but take care to know the melody of the tune to avoid any half-step clashes in extensions.

• Rhythmic anticipation is very idiomatic to comping patterns using eighth or sixteenth-note syncopation. The next harmony is anticipated by attaching the voicing to the very last rhythmic attack before the downbeat of the new measure. This presents some LH technical issues, but nothing terribly difficult.

• Traditional Notation for most Brasilian rhythms (Bossa Nova, samba, baião ) uses 2/4 and not 4/4 as many Jazz players choose to write. Feeling the "bigger pulse" expressed by the Brasilian quarter-note is essential to playing the music with swing and authenticity.

As Jazz players, we are used to reading eighth notes in 4/4. When Brasilian rhythms are written in 4/4, we are tempted to phrase with accents on each Jazz quarter-note. This translates to an unwanted stress on the Brasilian upbeat eighth-note, and this kills the groove of feeling the music "in 2".

Write your Brasilian tunes and arrangements in 2/4 and get used to reading charts in 2/4 with 16th notes, not 4/4 with eighths. The difference is subtle but major.

Fig 5: Richard Boukas
"Lembrando Zona Sul"

Our final example is an original solo guitar piece that summarizes many techniques we’ve discussed in the two articles devoted to BN. Using mainly 6X432 voicings, it is a comping piece with a melodic top voice, frequent harmonic anticipations, voicings which alternate two i-m-a right-hand groupings of three notes (432 and 321), chromatic bassline movement and chromatic passing diminished 7th chords which are very idiomatic for BN. The excerpt ends with gentle arpeggiations which are used for tapering comping at the ends of phrases, sections, or entire tunes.

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Be sure to practice all the voicing fingerings first before working on the RH comping figures with the metronome. The key to getting all the harmonic anticipations clean is thinking ahead for LH fingering changes and keeping a rock-solid sense of downbeat pulse in the thumb of the right hand.

Remember, listen, listen, listen and play with people who already have a good handle on how this music is supposed to sound and feel. Don’t be shy to approach a knowledgeable Brasilian musician and ask some questions. They have a beautiful attitude about this-music, like any other important part of life, is a thing to be shared and celebrated, not coveted. I found that they embrace anyone who shows a sincere interest in their music and culture. It is a personal and artistic bridge easily crossed if one is willing to learn the language and accept a very different way of life from our own. Muito obrigado, meus amigos !

all materials by Richard Boukas © 1998

A.C. Jobim & Elis Regina, Verve 8244182
(Fig 1,3,4)
A.C. Jobim, Verve 8432732
(Fig 1,2,4, Feb ‘98 Fig 4)

Books about Bossa Nova:

Although there are a few very decent books written in English (see suggestions in previous article) reading in its original language and through the eyes of its own culture offers very special insights into the beauty of this musical era and the gifted artists who made it all happen.

Castro, Ruy, Chega de Saudade,
CIA das Letras, 1996

Jobim, Helena,Um Homem Illuminado, Editoria Nova Fronteira, 1996 (written by Jobim’s sister)

Cabral, Sergio, A.C. Jobim: Uma Biografia Lumiar Editora 1997
(biographies of Tom Jobim)

Chediak, Almir, Bossa Nova Songbooks
6 vol. Lumiar Editora (lead sheets/lyrics)

Order from: Luso-Brazilian Books
800/727-LUSO in NY: 718/624-4000

Top Brazilian Luthiers in São Paulo:
João Batista: fax 011/55/819-0500
Antonio Tessarin: email: atess@uol.com.br
(write them em portugues)

Brazilian Radio programs in NYC Area:

WKCR-FM Soms do Brasil 89.9 FM Weds 11pm-1am
Hosts: Jassvan de Lima, Eduardo Delgado

WBGO-FM Brasil Com "S" 88.3 FM
Sat nights 9 pm - midnight Host: Judith King

For comments, questions, info on concerts, workshops, recordings, publications and other activities, please contact me at:

Richard Boukas
Artist Residency Programs
PO Box 670126
Kew Gardens Hills NY 11367-0126

(718) 441-4455
(917) 217-3157 cell

boukmusik@earthlink.net

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Musical Examples for this issue are available in Adobe Acrobat Reader (pdf) format, version 3.0 or later.

To open, just click on the hypertext below or on the hypertext examples within the article itself.

JJG11/98 (Fig 1-2)

JJG11/98 (Fig 3-4 start)

JJG11/98 (Fig 4 concl)

JJG11/98 (Fig 5 Boukas)

This music was engraved by sinclairmusic

Should you encounter any problems opening up these examples, be sure that you have on your hard drive at least version 3.0 of Acrobat Reader.You can download the application for free from www.adobe.com

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The Brazilian Connection

exploring Brazilian Fingerstyle Guitar, music and culture
by Richard Boukas

as originally published in
Just Jazz Guitar

all materials ©1998 Richard Boukas
except where indicated

click for info on Richard Boukas' CD Amazôna and other artist recordings.

ENJOY READING THESE OTHER BRAZILIAN CONNECTION ARTICLES

MALANDRO: NEW HORIZONS IN
BRAZILIAN JAZZ GUITAR

O CHORO: A PERENNIAL TRADITION IN BRAZILIAN MUSIC, part one

O CHORO: A PERENNIAL TRADITION IN BRAZILIAN MUSIC, part two