1-2-3 Bossa Nova

Muddle some cachaca with lime and sugar, add crushed ice and take your Caipirinha to your favorite spot on Rio de Janeiro's famous Copacabana beach for the sunset. Bare feet wiggling in the sand, you watch the pretty people stroll aimlessly to the sounds of live bossa nova, itself a muddled blend of samba and jazz. The long tanned legs and bikinis are captivating but you play guitar and would much rather find the band and cop the guitarist's rhythm patterns and chord voicings. Stay right where you are mi amigo - Fareed Haque has you covered with 1-2-3 Bossa Nova.

In this accelerated introduction to bossa nova rhythm guitar for intermediate players and beyond, Fareed shows you the authentic bossa nova rhythms and chord voicings used by the Brazilian greats including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto, Luis Bonfa, Baden Powell and many others. Fareed breaks the style down into one versatile rhythm pattern that underlies almost every bossa nova tune and then shows you the classic chord voicings used by most bossa nova guitarists. You'll put that all to work as you learn and play along to six etudes, each of which follows an essential chord progression found in many famous bossa nova tunes.

In the first section, Fareed drills down on the right-hand technique by dissecting and teaching it in three parts. All of the essential principles are covered including fingerings, hand and arm positions and use of the nails. Once you get a grip on the right-hand technique, Fareed reveals the key to the bossa nova rhythm pattern and steps you through several play-alongs until you nail it.

The second section is all about the essential chord voicings and moveable forms that you'll need to take on the bossa nova songbook. You'll learn the 6/9, minor 6th, minor 9th, dominant 13th, dominant 9th, half-diminished and diminished forms. Fareed also shows you embellishments for these forms - critical for bossa nova accompaniment.

You're now equipped to dig in to the third section and start building a repertoire of bossa nova progressions and tunes. Fareed prepared six etudes to kickstart your progress; Gilberto's Jam, Orphiana, No Note Samba, Mountain Bossa, Tall & Tan and Surf Samba all feature progressions commonly found in hundreds of bossa nova tunes.

So back to your Caipirinha and people watching for now. When you're done for the night, head to the shed with 1-2-3 Bossa Nova and prepare yourself for that gig on the beach.