Summer Samba Tutorial (Samba de Verão)
In this lesson we explore the harmony and melody of the tune “Samba de Verão”, also known as “Summer Samba”.
The song was written by the great Marcos Valle with lyrics written by his brother Paulo Sérgio Valle.
Chromaticism
This tune is characterised by the chromaticism which appears throughout the melody. The chromaticism has a somewhat bluesy character that can be emphasised during improvisation.
Substitutions
Holding the bass note over a ii-V progression is a characteristic substitution used in Brazilian music and particularly when playing songs in the Bossa Nova style.
This turns the V7 chord into a ii-6 chord and it is one of the characteristic elements of Jobim’s music. Jovino demonstrates with a 25 in Bb using a C bass for both chord.
Lesson Downloads
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“Summer Samba” – Transcription File Type: pdf -
“Summer Samba” – Chord Chart File Type: pdf
Related Lessons
The title is interesting as it combines the word “Samba” and “Bolero”. “Sambolero” is a term that was used in Brazil back in the 1950s.
“Wave” is a song that Jobim composed whilst in the USA. According to Jobim, the song was written as a ‘love letter’ to his hometown of Rio de Janiero.
Jobim and his musical partner Vinícius de Moraes wrote this song about a beautiful girl who walked past them on her way to the beach every day.
Practice Tips
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Learn the original changes and then experiment with reharmonisations that Jovino presents.
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Practice the accompaniment for the tune using left hand bass line and right hand rootless voicings.
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Study the demonstrations by Jovino showing the minimal role of the piano in the Bossa Nova groove.
