How to Play Bossa Nova the RIGHT way

Learn more about Brazilian Jazz Piano with Helio Alves - openstudiojazz.link/BJP
In this lesson, Helio Alves goes deep into brazilian bossa nova on the piano by dissecting Wave, by Antonio Carlos Jobim.

[@juansecar2]

One thing that bossa has, and even when Jobim was a pianist, is that the music was meant to be played with a violao or spanish guitar. That so popular bossa comping, was meant for guitars. Then in the late 60s and 70s you have some examples of that rhythmic pattern being played by pianists or keyboardists, but, 95% of the times that was and should be done by the guitarist. And so unless you are doing it solo piano, it's much better and customary to let the guitar do it, while the piano or keyboard should stay a lot more as a harmonic matress or background, like he says, doing more legato things and giving harmonic support, with very subtle, scarce and slight rhythmic movement, but keeping that guitar comping pattern in mind at all times, however, so that these small rhythmic contributions are always inside the groove. When you hear a pianist playing that comping pattern all the time, through every song, that's when you will know that that cat still needs to study the music in depth, conceptually, study the language, and listen to the way the architects of this style used to do it. Cheers, great lesson dude.

[@danielvega71]

Great lesson!! Hi, I'm going to comp a guitar player/singer and I would like to learn typical, idiomatic piano voicings for bossa nova, samba, pagode, MPB... I play some tango already and found out that the chords are not very different, but my comping chords still sound... well, "tangueros". I see you tend to use more closed voicings, and sometimes my rhythm is still a bit too "marcato". In occasions it sounds great to my ears, but I'm Argentine and I'm afraid it won't exactly please a Brazilian audience... The idea is to play different kinds of Latin American music, including tangos of course, but I have to improve my Brazilian side or have to become famous to propose kind of a "bossa-tango" fusion 😂😂(just joking) Muito obrigado!!!

[@hansheld467]

His time is rock solid!

[@brownriceprod]

i think this is the most bottom-heavy steinway i've ever heard. maybe mix or mics but something don't sound right to me. nothing wrong with the playing though

[@nylophone5730]

Would you play this way with a bassist, or only as a solo pianist? Anyone out here have any thoughts?

[@chachaman4980]

Can the score to these 1 bar patterns be shared by posting them?

[@peacegroove7854]

Beautiful and simple (but not easy to make it really groove)....great stuff! Thanks!

[@ModeDorian]

Really very good 👍🏾

[@aldebaran.carrasco.martinez]

Brilliant player. Thank you for the music. Greetings from Mexico.

[@maryannmcardle6081]

Thank you so much for sharing your invaluable knowledge of this beautiful music! You are a gift to all pianists aspiring to play bossa nova well!

[@andrepechio]

00:05:14

[@reneandrade7637]

Hélio, the very "soul" is think on the violão (spanish guitar) and, obviously hearing João Gilberto as much as possible.

[@reacionario2026]

Awesome lesson

[@mattdudek5727]

Wow, nice! playing and lesson

[@Abmin7]

Awesome lesson keep em coming

[@jarbasgoulartdecastro9104]

Maravilha , Hélio!

[@user-sg5jg6eh9c]

Thanks a lot

[@josean_piano]

GREAT

[@felixhoezen3935]

❤️❤️