Ben's Basic Bossa and Samba Grooves

Ben Sher presents an organized approach to bossa nova and samba grooves on guitar — which groove fits which tempo, for both Brazilian tunes and the classic jazz standards usually played in a "Latin style." Having studied the music analytically during his time in Brazil, Ben breaks each pattern down beat by beat so non-Brazilian players can really understand how the grooves work.

What's covered

• The steady, insistent thumb bass — the foundation of every Brazilian groove, and the most common thing players get wrong
• Thinking in Brazilian 2/4 and reading 16th-note rhythms the way a Brazilian fake book writes them
• A set of carefully explained groove patterns, from a basic samba (perfect for locking in with a drummer on "Blue Bossa") to the classic bossa nova pattern
• Chord voicings suited to the style, like a Dm9 with the 5th in the bass that stays out of the bass player's way
• The real difference between samba and bossa nova — it's more than just tempo
• Rhythmic phrasing, including learning to leave space instead of filling every beat

Hear Ben play the grooves in context with assisting artist, drummer Steve Langone. Running time 32 minutes; a 2-page PDF handout of the patterns is included.