Rhythm & Groove Dictionary

Visualizing the heart of Bossa Nova syncopation.

Brazilian

Bonfa

bonfa
4/4
8 Beats
1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
Fingers
●
●
●
●
Thumb
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Bossa Nova Clave

bossa-nova-clave
4/4
16 Beats

The Bossa Nova Clave rhythm pattern.

1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
3
e
+
a
4
e
+
a
Fingers
●
●
●
●
●
Thumb
●
●
●
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Choro

choro
2/4
8 Beats
1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
Fingers
●
●
●
●
Thumb
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●

Desafinado

desafinado
2/4
16 Beats
1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
Fingers
●
●
●
●
●
●
Thumb
●
●
●
●

Partido Alto Reversed

partido-alto-reversed
4/4
16 Beats
1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
3
e
+
a
4
e
+
a
Fingers
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Thumb

Gilberto Rhythm

gilberto-rhythm
2/4
8 Beats

João Gilberto shaped the modern Bossa Nova guitar style. He often played a simple rhythm, that he destilled from the more complex patterns of Samba music. His playing combines a steady bass pulse (thumb) with off-beat, syncopated chord plucks (fingers).

1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
Fingers
●
●
●
Thumb
●
●

Samba

samba
2/4
8 Beats

Traditional samba rhythm pattern

1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
Fingers
●
●
●
●
●
Thumb
●
●
●

Partido Alto

partido-alto
2/4
16 Beats

Syncopated samba variation

1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
Fingers
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Thumb

Baião

baiao
2/4
8 Beats

Northeastern Brazilian rhythm

1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
Fingers
●
●
●
●
●
Thumb
●
●

General

Insensatez

insensatez
2/4
16 Beats
1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
Fingers
●
●
●
●
●
●
Thumb

Son Clave

son-clave
4/4
16 Beats

Traditional Cuban Clave

1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
3
e
+
a
4
e
+
a
Fingers
●
●
●
●
●
Thumb

Waltz

waltz
3/4
6 Beats

3/4 waltz pattern - bass on 1, chords on 2 and 3

1
e
+
a
2
e
Fingers
●
●
Thumb
●

Jazz

Second Line

second-line
4/4
8 Beats

The Second Line rhythm coming from New Orleans is the adaption of the Tresillo for jazz marching bands.

1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
Fingers
●
●
●
Thumb

Jazz

Swing

swing
4/4
12 Beats

The basic swing rhythm.

1
e
+
a
2
e
+
a
3
e
+
a
Fingers
●
●
●
●
●
●
Thumb