Brazilian Samba Groove
In this lesson, we will explore a simple Samba groove that will be effective for working with all kinds of Bossa Nova tunes, as well as more "straight ahead" Brazilian Samba styles.
Based on a 2/4 Beat
This simple groove is based on a 2/4 beat and you will notice that the left-hand part is not syncopated at all. The left-hand outlines the quarter beat and you have the flexibility to play root – 5th – octave based lines.
3 Groups Of 2 Notes
The right-hand part of the groove consists of three groups of 2 notes. You will notice that the notes are exactly the same distance apart in each group – an 8th note apart.
What changes is where they are placed on the beat.
Displacing The Rhythm
This is an efficient and effective way to create a groove. By placing the rhythm of different beats of the bar, we create a whole rainbow of rhythmic possibilities.
Related Lessons
251 progressions are essential components of the jazz language and so taking the time to memorise them will greatly benefit your playing.
Rootless voicings sound more professional than root based 7th chords and they voice lead much more smoothly in a 251 progression.
To play a rootless voicing we leave out the root of the chord and play one of the upper extensions to get a richer, more colourful sound.
Practice Tips
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As outlined in the video, you should isolate each section of the groove and practice it in isolation.
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The third note group is the most challenging because it happens in the 2nd bar.
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Remember that this is just a beginner groove, and we can add variations to it as per the examples demonstrated.
- Play with a metronome to build and develop a strong sense of groove.
