“Alegria na Mata” Tutorial
In this tutorial we explore Jovino’s composition “Alegria na Mata” which can be translated as “Happiness In The Woods”. This tune was composed by Jovino at a Brazilian music camp in California.
Harmony As The Primary Driver
The harmony of this tune has a falling series of chords which is achieved with back-to-back dominant chords.
If we take a closer look at the harmony we can see that the first 5 bars follow a 6251 progression constructed with dominant chords and a tritone substitution.
The rest of the form follows a similar pattern where common 251 cadences are constructed with dominant chords and embellished with tritone substitutes.
Related Lessons
In this lesson we will explore the tune “Agua De Beber” written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and the lyrics written by Vinicius de Moraes.
Using a simple 25 progression, we will demonstrate the key differences between improvising with a straight feel, and with a swing feel.
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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Change the quality of chords in common progressions such as 251s and 1625s. Experiment with dominant chord as Jovino demonstrate.
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This can create harmonic interest to an otherwise vanilla sequence of chords.
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Utilise the tritone substitutes to create step wise bass line movement and to add an interesting 'falling' quality to the harmony.
