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Brazilian guitar styles, the most notable of which being Bossa Nova, draw their influences from different world cultures and genres alike. Samba, jazz, and classical music are some of the biggest players in this eclectic style, and lend to a musically interesting and rewarding repertoire.

In his TrueFire course, Brazilian Jazz Guitarra, Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo elucidates to us the magic of Brazilian style guitar playing.

Here are 3 free Brazilian jazz guitar lessons from the course. For the full course, check out Diego Figueiredo’s Brazilian Jazz Guitarra!

Chord Substitution Ideas


Download the tab & notation for this Brazilian jazz guitar lesson

Let’s talk now about chord substitutions and harmonic options that are available to you, and some different ways to use them.

The Bossa Nova & Jazz Connection


Download the tab & notation for this Brazilian jazz guitar lesson

It’s important to realize that bossa nova and jazz are very similar: the harmony, song compositions, and improvisational techniques can be carried over from one to the other. If you know jazz standards, it’s easy to adapt it in the bossa nova style.

Inside vs. Outside Melodies


Download the tab & notation for this Brazilian jazz guitar lesson

I’ll go over some ideas about going inside and outside of the scales that make up the chords we’re playing. Start out by using the major scale and going a half-step below or above, but make sure to resolve it back before too long — you don’t want to lose the listener’s ear.

Digging these free Brazilian jazz guitar lessons? Check out Brazilian Jazz Guitarra on TrueFire.