| LearnJazzPiano.com archives: BOSSANOVA | |
| albetan -- 09/07/2004, 20:46:31 -- #7001 | |
| I invite all people interested in brasilian music to download file "How to play Bossa (2)" as a complement to file "How to play Bossanova" at Albetan's Area. | |
| albetan -- 09/10/2004, 07:00:24 -- #7068 | |
| "How to play Bossa (2)" was updated now. Very practical tips for performing this exciting rhythm. | |
| alfredo -- 09/10/2004, 08:48:54 -- #7069 | |
| The True Bossa Nova http://www.megatar.com/documents/newsletters/archive/MTN-200110.html#Article1 | |
| alfredo -- 09/10/2004, 08:53:01 -- #7070 | |
| Excerpt frpm "The True Bossa Nova" http://www.megatar.com/documents/newsletters/archive/MTN-200110.html#Article1 "What is the authentic Bossa rhythm? A: Aha! I grew up in Brazil, and spent half my life there, and I never heard a Brazilian drummer play bossa nova the way Americans usually hear it played. Let me write it down. Here's two measures of 'WRONG', and then there is a correct example. ['RIGHT.'](see link) Why is this one wrong and that one right? A: First, the Bossa Nova is not really a rhythm. The Bossa Nova is a period of time. The true Bossa Nova is music from that period. It's not just the rhythm. In my opinion, the American guys went to Brazil, and they brought it here -- Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd -- To play that true rhythm on the drums is very hard. So these musicians went out and they played some 'Latin stuff.' And the combination wasn't a happy one, you know what I'm saying? (laughs) They were playing root-root five-five, like in 'Ricky don't lose that number'. And I don't know anybody in Brazil who plays the bossa nova with the clave rhythm. In other words, this whole simplification that says you take the samba clave rhythm and you move the last beat one click later, and now you got your bossa nova, it's just not true. The clave - we don't have that instrument in Brazil. So the thing about the clave and Brazilian music, I don't know where it comes from. These claves, bongos, and so on, if you hear them in Brazilian music they are just enhancement. They are not part of the music. In Brazilian music, the harmony and melody dictate where the music is going. " | |
| Dr. Whack -- 09/10/2004, 09:15:47 -- #7071 | |
| nice article...reminds me of when I first heard real Cuban music played by real Cubans...I have yet to hear anyone around here even come close to those grooves...even if you transcribe it...the groove is in the heart, not on paper...same with swing or any other kind of music... I've never heard jazz musicans play good rock n roll either:) it aint in their heart | |
| albetan -- 09/10/2004, 13:03:34 -- #7084 | |
| Hi Alfredo: Your thoughts are welcome in this thread. Thanks for that good link about interview with Marcos Silva. Today i updated my file "How to play Bossanova". There i speak about the way that Bossa is written in Brasil in 2/4. Out of Brasil it is written in 4/4. Why? That's not a problem... that's a matter of musical maths. May be for no-Brasilian people is more easy to think in 4/4. I prefer speak about "wood-block figure" refering to bossa, but many people speak about clave bossa... They are not speaking of those two cuban sticks... "The clave - we don't have that instrument in Brazil." as you say. They are refering to that "wood-block figure". In my lessons about how to play latin rhythms i'm focused on guys who like to learn their first steps in latin music. So i'm not writting a specialized course for brasilian experts about one of most complex and rich rhythmic patterns. I'm not teaching how to play salsa to Cuban pianists, nor tango to Argentinian musicians, nor latin rock to Santana. I'm giving some basic principles for perfomance of those rhythms. Good luck, and thanks for your thoughts here. | |
| alfredo -- 09/10/2004, 13:41:18 -- #7088 | |
| Thank you, albertan. Your articles are very good and I like the Black Orpheus examples you gave. The text I posted were not my words, it was an excerpt from the interview with Brazilan piano great Marcos Silva. He does a two handed rhythmic thing when he is comping that looks like a funk player playing the clavinet. He plays a single note in the left hand and a voicing in the right hand. I think I have heard Chick Corea doing it on Sambas too. I wonder if it is the Partido Alto rhythm in the right hand and the left hand playing the clicks in between? RLRL RR LRLR LR RLRL Or maybe it's the bell pattern played by the left and right hand? LR LR LRR LR | |
| albetan -- 09/10/2004, 15:06:46 -- #7089 | |
| Alfredo: Please read the updated file... You will enjoy it. I'm not Brasilian, but i love all brasilian music, and i like to play bossa and samba. For me the greatest composer in Latin america is A C Jobim. | |
| alfredo -- 09/10/2004, 15:18:05 -- #7090 | |
| Yes, I already read the file. | |
| albetan -- 09/10/2004, 17:05:17 -- #7094 | |
| Last update is "how to play Bossa nova". I deleted precedent two versions. | |
| Barry -- 09/11/2004, 09:12:23 -- #7100 | |
| Whilst I think it's accepted that what you could call 'jazz' latin is not particularly authentic, it has evolved and developed into a style in its own right. In the same way that jazz came from and incorporated the blues, jazz latin has borrowed some rhythmic aspects and approximations of authentic latin sounds to create something in it's own right. I'm under no illusion that what I play on the bandstand is in any way true latin music and I am sure I wouldn't last five minutes in a true salsa band. Having said that, I'm sure there are plenty of pianists in Brazil who can play authentic latin music superbly but couldn't deal with 'All The Things You Are' in a straight-ahead swing setting. Jazz has always taken bits and bobs from all kind of musics and fused them into something original - for me it's part of its charm and in no way diminishes the value of the art form. As my esteemed colleauge Whacky might say: '...Just my thoughts' Barry | |
| Dr. Whack -- 09/12/2004, 07:39:36 -- #7117 | |
| Tthanks for the honorary mention Barry. I second your thoughts. Jazz has become a melting pot of worldwide influences... | |
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