How to Play "Girl From Ipanema" on Jazz Guitar

Now that you have learned and perfected various jazz-style guitar minor and major scales and keys, it is time to give an intermediate-level song a try. "Girl From Ipanema" is a very popular bossa nova-style song. Give the song a try using the tips below. It is an excellent tool used for learning to play various styles of music.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Get the sheet music for "Girl From Ipanema" if this helps you. It can be downloaded from the Internet for free at the website listed below.
2. Listen to the song if you're not familiar with it. This helps you to recreate the sound. Find the song at iTunes or find it for free at YouTube.
3. Begin with the first few measure of the song. If you practice this over and over, soon you can play the entire song. This tune is simple and repeated throughout the piece.
4. Play an F major 9 first, followed by a G13. Next, move onto a G minor 9, a G flat 9, an F major 9 before going back to a G flat 9.
5. Use these notes in a series of short eighth and sixteenth notes. With the bossa nova style of music, there is generally a little bit of alternating between bass and tenor within these melodies.
6. Pluck the strings with a style of finger picking called "Joe Bean style." Sometimes bossa nova style music is referred to as "Joe Bean" due to the quick plucking style of the finger picking used in this genre of music.