Bossa Nova 251 Progressions
In this lesson we are going to learn how to play major and minor 251s in Bossa Nova style. If you haven’t watched the Introduction to Bossa Nova lesson I would recommend that you go and check that out now.
In that lesson, we cover the basics of Bossa Nova and deconstruct the bass lines, harmony and rhythm that’s used to create a Bossa Nova. We applied this over 1 chord type and then over 2 chord types. In this lesson we will take the application a step further and look at Bossa Nova in context of both major and minor 251 progressions.
We know that the 251 is the most important progression in jazz music and that most jazz standards you will come across will contain a 251 in some form. 251s are the DNA of jazz and so learning and memorizing them in all 12 keys is a very good idea.
In the same way, 251s feature heavily in Bossa Nova music and so it’s a good idea to learn to play both major and minor 251 progressions with a Bossa Nova groove.
Lesson Downloads
-
Bossa Nova Lesson Supplement File Type: pdf
Related Lessons
Minor harmony is much more complex than major harmony and so the minor 251 progression takes much more time and patience to master.
Rootless voicings sound more professional than root based 7th chords and they voice lead much more smoothly in a 251 progression.
To play a rootless voicing we leave out the root of the chord and play one of the upper extensions to get a richer, more colourful sound.
Practice Tips
-
Spend the time to memorise the major and minor 251 in C as demonstrated in the examples.
-
Before attempting the 251 drills, ensure that you are comfortable with playing rootless voicings in all 12 keys.
-
Download the iRealPro App and search for "251 practice exercises" in the iRealPro forum. This will give you a backing track in all 12 keys.
- Remember to change the 'Style' to 'Bossa Nova' in the iRealPro settings.
Great lessons. I grew up listening to Vince Guaraldi and still love his boss’s style . I’m really looking forward to upcoming tutorials. I definitely need to keep working on mastering 251s so this is nice way to mix up practice sessions
Thanks Michael. Yes I agree, it’s a great exercise to run over the same 251s but with Bossa rhythm… you are playing the exact same voicing shapes so you should already be able to find some (if not all 😉 of the voicings.
In the Bossa standard lessons we will learn that you don’t always have to play the full bass line and comping chords. In fact, much of the time is nicer to just hint at it – particularly when you are also juggling the melody in the right hand.
Just try to absorb these rhythms so you can tap it out and play it with your eyes closed.
Cheers,
Hayden
Agree with Michael on both levels. Love Vince Guaraldi and I need to work harder on mastering 251’s. I love the overlap with your lessons Hayden. I have a tendency to drift away from the critically important theory while I play around learning a new tune. I’ve had a few (too few!) penny’s dropped moments lately, but this lesson once again highlights the need to revisit my theory practice sessions. Working on the getting the timing right is going be interesting! Looking forward to Blue Bosa lesson. Cheers mate
Hi Eric,
Yes 251s are the foundation of jazz piano. It takes a long time to learn them and you will be always learning new ways to play them (so really, the learning never stops) but the rootless left hand variations are very important.
Don’t stress that you don’t get them straight away. It took me a few years to get them completely comfortable in all 12 keys, both positions, both hands and I still have moments where I revisit them.
It’s nice when you have been practicing them and then you see a 251 in a tune and your hands go straight for the voicings… I also find that when i apply them to a tune they sink in better and i retain the voicing shapes.
Perhaps spend 30 minutes per week doing exercises like this: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/rootless-251-practice-exercises/
The iRealPro app is a great tool for attacking all 12 keys 🙂
All the best mate,
Hayden
Cheers Hayden, i found your email very affirming. I realise 251’s are the building blocks, thefoundation if you like, of jazz. Believe it or not I’m enjoying the study of 251’s in all their multitude variations. I’m particularly enjoying minor 251’s and harmonisation of the melody etc. And I’m starting to recognise recurring patterns and shapes: The minor 11 2 chord with a major triad a whole step below the root in t he right hand; the altered dominant 5 chord upper structures; just two examples of minor structure I’m starting to make sense of. A long endless journey of experimentation and learning. Got a long way to go but I’m enjoying the journey mate. Thanks.
Hi Hayden, when you get time some coverage of other Latin rhythms, especially the rhumba, samba, and possibly the tango would be great. There are some great classic songbook Latin tunes,: ‘Smoke gets in your eyes’, ‘The coffee song’, ‘Adios’, ‘Brazil’, to name but a few.
Hi Greville,
Yes I am actively looking for a Latin pianist to strengthen this area of the website. I envisage all of these styles to be covered.
I’ve added your comments in the Latin forum thread to keep track of all student feedback: https://www.pianogroove.com/community/t/bossa-nova-vote-now/31/6
Expanding this side of PianoGroove is a key priority so stay tuned!
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Hayden, great lesson! Which practice drills in iReal Pro are you using here? Thanks! 🙂
Thanks James!
Check out the “Jazz Practice Exercises” folder here in the iRealPro forum: https://www.irealb.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?6-Jazz&s=9d362c4bb48863ed360d00f1685ba008
There are many exercises in there, search in the box for “251” and you will find lots to download. Download both major and minor 251 variations.
Then remember to change the “style” to Bossa!…
Style option at bottom:
Then select “Latin” >> “Bossa” …
If I can be of further assistance let me know 🙂
Cheers,
Hayden
Cheers Hayden – I managed to work out that setting the repeats to one only on a descending whole step drill and then transposing up a half-step to complete the whole 12 keys worked well too! Slow brain day yesterday for me! The bossa drills themselves are also pretty cool to do. Really have to say thanks for the tip about this app – it is so awesome, like having your own band!