7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 1/15

This lesson, Bossa Nova Bass, is an excerpt from the online course, Jazz Bass 2 at Stinnett Music

Online School .

Jim Stinnett is one of the world’s foremost instructors of both the electric bass as well as the upright. In

addition to his teaching duties for oer 2! "ears at Ber#lee $ollege of %usic in Boston &where he is a full

'rofessor(, Jim’s expertise in great pla"ing and great pedagog" draw large numbers of students from all

oer the world to the Stinnett %usic programs. In )ew *ampshire, Jim runs multiple sessions of Bass

+or#outs, as well as the allout )ew *ampshire Bass -est, annuall". +hat trul" ma#es Jim’s teaching

leaps and bounds better than an" other bass education program is his abilit" to ma#e an idea li#e this so

complete in one stream of thought, "et #eep it from being complex enough for the aerage pla"er to lose

interest in the topic. s "ou will see in this lesson, the art of the Bossa )oa bassline is bro#en down and

explained bit b" bit to build a firm, wellinformed, and most importantl", musical foundation on the sub/ect.

Please note that all notation files can be enlarged upon clicking on them.

Introduction

%usic from man" cultures are a ital part of the merican music scene toda". Bossa )oa is the most

popular of all these imported st"les. Bossa )oa is a uni0ue Brazilian st"le of music that became an

integral part of Jazz performance in the 13!s. If "ou are going to be prepared to wor# /azz gigs, "ou must

pla" Bossa )oa well.

I recentl" spent two wee#s in Brazil, pla"ing and teaching bass. I want to tell "ou, these gu"s are serious

about the bass down there. I hae neer seen as much importance placed on the bass in music. 4er"one

was grooing, soloing, and leading with the bass. +hile the" loed our straightahead /azz, the" went

craz" oer our Bossa )oa tunes. +e pla"ed simple bossa bass lines and #illed them with taste. I hae

listened to and pla"ed Bossa )oa tunes for man" "ears. I was alwa"s struc# b" the beaut" and power of

Bossa )oa bass.

The most prolific composer of Bossa )oa st"le was ntonio $arlos Jobim. %ost of Tom Jobim’s songs

hae become standards in our /azz repertoire. This lesson will use Jobim’s music to explore the beaut" of

Bossa )oa bass.

Rhythms & Pitches

The bossa bass line is simple. It’s beaut" l ies in its simplicit". That said, 544' IT SI%'64. Just li#e the

0uarternote rh"thm in a wal#ing bass line, the dotted0uarter eighthnote pattern in the bossa noa bass

line is might" powerful when pla"ed well. The characteristics of the bossa bass line are7 pitches 8 roots

and 9ths, rh"thms 8 dotted0uarter followed b" eighthnote.

*ere is a beautiful Jobim tune, Dindi . This bass line is simple and effectie. &Se0uenced trac# for

illustration(

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 2/15

00:00

00:00

Dindi  bassline transcription

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 3/15

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 4/15

Variations

There are numerous ariations to the basic Bossa )oa bass pattern. +e will loo# at a few popular ones.

  good rule of thumb is to use these ariations sparingl", sandwiched in between the basic grooe. In the

example below, the ariations moe awa" from the basic pattern.

00:00

00:00

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 5/15

In a Bossa )oa bass line, "our choice of which register to use when pla"ing the 9th of each chord is er"

important. There is a distinct difference in sound between the 9th aboe the root and the 9th below the

root. This difference is felt more strongl" with certain chord moement. *ere is a t"pical illustration found in

man" boo#s of how to pla" a Bossa bass line. )otice that all of the 9ths are located aboe the preceding

roots.

+hile the use of the 9th aboe is common place, in not the necessaril" the preferred motion. 6et’s loo# at

how pla"ing the lower 9th affects the oerall shape of our line. 'la"ing the lower in the first measure

creates a smooth stepwise motion to the root of :;. The < &9th( in the second measure is the same

octae &common tone( note as the root of <;. In measure three and four, the lower 9th is now the

common tone to the preceding :;.

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 6/15

Phrasing

 n important aspect of good Bossa bass pla"ing is phrasing. 'hrasing, when pla"ing a bass line, is

sometimes difficult to hear on the surface. There are a ariet" of elements that are used to create phrases

 = long notes s. short notes, rh"thms, pitches, d"namics, repetition, 0uestion and answer, and register.

This example shows the fourmeasure phrases bro#en into two distinct 2bar shapes. The repetition and

mixing and matching of the 2bar phrases, creates longer, interesting, eight and sixteenbar phrases.

)otice the characteristics of each 2measure phrase.

In the notation for this ideo, each twobar pattern is labeled so "ou can see the progression of

deelopment. )otice the arious combinations that ma#e up the fourbar phrases. $an "ou see how there

are three different sections that ma#e up the oerall tune>

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 7/15

Section 1 = measures 12?@ The first three fourbar phrases end with the pattern. The next three phrases

end with the B pattern.

Section 2 = measures 29?!@ four phrases that begin with pattern ? followed b" ariations on pattern $.

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 8/15

Section A = measures ?193@ 0uite a bit of ariation using elements of the preious patterns combined with

new shapes. There is a slight resolution of the song with the last phrase returning to a familiar pattern ?

and a $ pattern combination.

It has been m" obseration that man" students actuall" use far too man" shapes and patterns in their

pla"ing. This results in too little repetition and wea#ens the bass line. The goal is )CT to figure out

numerous cool patterns, but rather to create a flow and shape to the entire song. Your bass line should

be repetitive enough so the other musicians are comfortable knowing where you are going The"

can then build on "our foundation. Dou, in turn, can use ariation to moe the song along and shape it.

!reating Phrasing

*ere are eight different twobar phrases pla"ed oer the same chord changes. -ollow the process outlined

below to learn and hear the subtle beaut" of creating phrasing.

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 9/15

1( Begin using the pla"along that has each phrase performed ? times in a row. This is /ust to get the

sound in "our ear. +ith repetition, "ou will become comfortable with the hand position and shapes of each

phrase. 6isten to how the moement from one phrase to the next creates a formt"pe phrasing. This

phrasing leads "our ear.

00:00

00:00

2( )ow moe to the trac# that repeats each phrase twice. The oerall phrasing ta#es on an entirel" new

feel. +or# with this audio trac# and this moement until it feels natural. Because the phrase groups arenow ? bars long instead of E bars long, "ou will pla" through entire group of 2bar phrases twice.

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 10/15

00:00

00:00

A( The example has each 2bar phrase pla"ed onl" once through before moing on to the next. Dou will

pla" through the entire song ? times. This trac# is actuall" a er" good example of B< phrasing. I

normall" do not li#e to use examples of what )CT to pla", but in this case it is good to hear how 0uic#l" the

moement from phrase to phrase happens. This 0uic# progression totall" disrupts the flow of the song.

Fltimatel", "our ear will tell "ou when to moe from one grooe to the next.

00:00

00:00

 s "ou learn the sounds of the 2bar phrases and can recall each one from memor", "ou will find certain

ones that "our ear li#es to use to end a long phrase. Dou will choose combinations that ta#es "our line to a

different place, creating tension and resolution in "our longer lines. <o not underestimate the power of

repetition here. With directed repetition, these simple shapes can become a part of your vocabulary to use

at will.

?( The last pla"along trac# has )C bass. It is "our /ob to mix, match, and combine the twomeasurephrases to create longer phrases. +atch the preious ideo &A.E( again to get an idea of how to combine

the phrases.

00:00

00:00

Tr" these combinations@

 ( phrase 1 pla"ed two times 8 ? measures

B( phrase 1 pla"ed three times, followed b" phrase 2 pla"ed once 8 E measures

$( phrase 1 pla"ed once, followed b" phrase 2, then repeat 8 E measures

<( phrase A pla"ed one time, followed b" phrase 2 one time 8 ? measures

4( phrase 3, then phrase ?, followed b" phrase 3, ending with phrase ; 8 E measures

:et creatie with "our combinations, and listen to the resulting phrases. If "ou find this difficult, go bac#

and practice each pattern indiiduall".

Phrasing "echni#ues

*ere is a list of techni0ues I commonl" use to create phrasing while pla"ing a bossa bass line.

I thin# of m" line with specific characteristics, one of the four listed below. I t"picall" start with the simpliest

sound. Dou can loo# bac# to the song <indi and see this. Then at a chosen point I moe to incorporate a

new set of characteristics. This gies the song an impetus, or directions. I can then go bac# to m" original

concept, to bring the feel bac# home.

)ow that m" song has two distinct areas of feel, I can now choose to spice up one the of sections b"

moing to using a new set of characteristics, or not. %ost great bassists do this sort of shaping naturall"

without een thin#ing about it. The" /ust let their ears guide them. s a student we need to practice this

phrase shaping to get the concept and sound in our ears.

*ere are four different sets of characteristics I commonl" use when pla"ing a Bossa )oa bass line@

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 11/15

1. low and simple,>roots onl",>repetitie rh"thm pattern

2. roots G 9ths, >2bar rh"thmic pattern, >alternating lower G higher 9th

A. add halfstep approaches, >rh"thmic ariet", >?bar phrasing

?. register shifts, >Ebar phrasing, >song form phrasing

+hile irtuall" none of these choices are consciousl" thought of while performing lie music, the" can, and

should be, practiced. B" drawing "our attention to these arious aspects and isolating them in "our

practice, "our ear will draw on them when "ou are pla"ing for real. +hen the pressure is on, we alwa"s

reert to default. $uring live playing conditions% we play those things we are comfortable playing To

allow new techni0ues and concepts into our default menu, we must wor# to ma#e these things comfortable

in our fingers and ears. +e do this b" focused repetition in practice. Students often as# me, H+hen will I

get this into m" pla"ing> It’s not a matter of time7 it’s a 0uestion of comfort leel. There is no seniorit" in

music. %an" things "ou would li#e to pla" don’t /ust soa# in oer time. Dou hae to ma#e them part of "our

ocabular" b" practicing them until the" are comfortable.

6isten for these form phrase characteristics in the music "ou hear. Transcribe the phrases "ou li#e, and

turn them into practice exercises. 4xercise patience pla"ing "our Bossa bass lines. Ta#e "our time to add

 /ust the small bit of ariation. Kemember, simple is alwa"s best. 'la" with taste.

4xcerpt from the boo#, Keading Bass 'arts Lol. 1

00:00

00:00

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 12/15

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 13/15

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 14/15

obim

Jobim’s music is eas" to pla" and eas" on the ears. The" are a bass pla"er’s dream because the more

simpl" "ou pla", the better the song sounds. I once heard someone sa", HIf Jobim’s tunes weren’t so

beautiful the" would be boring as hell. +ho said good had to be complicated>

There are man" recordings of Jobim’s music. The 0ualit" of the melod" and the harmonic moement is a

testament to wh" his songs hae been arranged for countless groups. Dou can hear Jobim’s music

performed as an instrumental /azz ersion, bigband /azz, pop st"le with strings, solo oice with guitar, etc.

+hat is it that ma#es Jobim’s music so popular, and able to traerse cultures> I cannot pretend to answer

this 0uestion definitiel", but to me, it is the simplicit" of melod", harmon", and rh"thm, and of course, the

h"pnotic bass grooe.

$hec# out these excerpts of some of m" faorite ersions of Jobim classics.

7/18/2019 Bossa - Tricks

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bossa-tricks 15/15

Muiet )ights = 'erformed b" Cscar 'eterson

00:00

00:00

*ow Insensitie = 'erformed b" <iana 5rall

00:00

00:00

)o %ore Blues = 'erformed b" Bia %estrin