Vou Vivendo Tutorial
In this lesson we explore the classic choro piece, Vou Vivendo by Pixinguinha.
Pixinguinha is widely considered to be one of the greatest choro composers and was enormously influential as a composer of Brazilian instrumental music.
As well as writing hundreds of pieces he was a well-known arranger, conductor, and introduced the tenor saxophone into Brazilian music.
Form, Melody and Harmony
Vou Vivendo is in Rondo form, which is commonly used in choro and is typical of older choros such as this one.
The tune has three parts: the A section in F major, the B section in D minor and the C or trio section in Bb major.
If there is to be a section that is opened up for improvised solos, it is usually the C section. The “fork”, as discussed in previous lessons, is explicitly stated in the melody which, in turn, supports the accompaniment.
Related Lessons
In this lesson we explore the applications of the rhythmic concept of the “fork”, as well as common chord progressions and voicings.
In this lesson Jovino breaks down and demonstrates how to feel 2/4 time which is commonly played in Brazilian music and standards.
We start this course with a brief overview and history of Brazilian music and we distinguish the key differences between Samba & Bossa Nova.
Practice Tips
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Mastering the one-handed "fork" is important for creating a solo piano rendition of this tune.
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Try each section separately with the left hand alone and slowly build up tempo before you try to add the melody.
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Once you feel comfortable playing it on your own, try playing along with some recordings. This will help you become more familiar with the unique rhythmic feel of choro.
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Try improvising on the C section whilst maintaining the left hand accompaniment.
