“Carmel” Composition Breakdown
In this lesson Jovino explains the creative process behind his composition “Carmel” which is a Baião in the key of Bb Major and was composed in the city of Camel in California.
The Baião Bass Line & Melody
A characteristic feature of the Baião is the distinctive left hand bass line. The entire A Part of the tune is a pedal point over a Bb bass.
The melody of the A Part is composed in the key of D Minor which is the relative minor of Bb Major. One of the characteristic notes of Jovino’s melody is the E Natural which is the #11 of the Bb bass note.
Lesson Downloads
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“Carmel” Lead Sheet File Type: pdf -
Brazilian Piano Styles Workbook File Type: pdf
Related Lessons
In this lesson we create an arrangement for the tune “Insensatez” by Antonio Carlos Jobim. This tune is also known as “How Insensitive”.
Using a simple 25 progression, we will demonstrate the key differences between improvising with a straight feel, and with a swing feel.
We examine the components of both the right and left hand and explore the interplay between the drums, the bass lines, and harmony.
Practice Tips
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An important element of creating melody is to avoid non-redundancy by not repeating the bass note. This ensures a colourful melody which builds upon the foundation of the bass line.
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Jovino composed a modal framework for the A Part which revolves around a single chord colour - Bb Lydian.
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The B Part then introduces a more complex chord colours and changes which creates 2 different 'playing fields' for soloing and improvisation.
