Customer Reviews

Mel Bay Bossa Nova and Samba for Guitar

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For about the last 5 years, I've been wanting to move from the music that I *can* play to the music that I *want* to play and sing - bossa nova and samba. I had several books on the subject but, after watching performances, I realized that the books - and I -were missing something. This Christmas I thought I'd try again with some different books, one of which was Mike Christiansen's.
With his, I got lucky!
This is the only book I've seen to explain the different system of chords used, essential to playing bossa nova. With the system, your accompaniment falls into place. Already I am able to play some easier songs such as "Agua de Beber" and "O Morro Nao Tem Vez." My portuguese teacher, who lived in Brazil for 30 years, was amazed how I now had "the brazilian sound."
If you want to play bossa nova and you are on your own or without a teacher who understands this system, you will need this book.
The instruction is well-paced - challenging but not impossible.
Muita Obrigada, Mike Christianson!

Gives a good grounding in this style. The rhythms and syncopation of this style of music are crucial in differentiating from just plain old chords and this book has good examples.

Moreover, the chords shapes used in this stle of music are explained and detailed, making it easier to interpret other tunes using this style (common chord shapes just don't work)

There are several nice tunes if you just want to learn some Bosa Nova to impress!