Dobalanso: A Samba Music Lesson

Introduction to Samba

Dobalanso is a piece in the samba style, one of my favorite genres of music and one of the great styles of electric and acoustic guitar of the 20th century. Samba originated in Brazil in the early 20th century, evolving from churrasco and chorinho-style piano music, as well as horn-based music by great flautists like Piscing and mandolin players such as Jacob do Bandolim. It's a beautiful style associated with artists like:

• Georgie
• Ben Gilberto
• Gilles
• Milton Nascimento
  and many other great singer-guitar players of the 20th century.

Guitar Styles and Techniques

The lead guitar sound mostly evolves from jazz. When I play a solo, you'll notice a jazz-like sound reminiscent of Wes Montgomery and Pat Metheny. Conversely, the rhythm playing is influenced predominantly by acoustic guitar and has a very rhythmic feel.

For example, in the bass solo of this piece, I go into full finger-picking mode, almost like I'm playing an acoustic nylon-string classical guitar. To achieve this acoustic percussive feeling, I hit the strings with a muted left hand, creating a drum-like sound that adds to the groove of the music.

Lead and Rhythm Playing

• The lead, on the other hand, is generally played with a plectrum. Improvising with a plectrum allows for an easier jazz sound.

• Octaves, however, are played with the thumb. For instance, when addressing letter B, C minor 7:

  • Mute the lower strings with your two free fingers.
  • Also, mute the B string, which lies between your two octaves.
  • Strum all six strings with your thumb for that warm, Wes Montgomery-like sound.

Switching Techniques

Switching between fingers and plectrum is a perennial challenge for guitarists. There are various methods to manage this, such as:

• Placing the plectrum in your mouth
• Developing a technique of holding the plectrum between your fingers to allow for quick transitions.

Simply take it out and move it to the space between your thumb and first finger like a pen.

Developing Solo Ideas

Now, let's discuss how to develop solo ideas over this piece. In terms of playing over changes, we have two key centers here: G minor and B flat minor.

There are two pentatonic scales, specifically minor pentatonics, corresponding to these tonalities:

• Start with the blues scale on G minor.
• Move it up three frets to reach B flat minor.

We have four bars on each chord, and this sequence repeats. The simplest method for soloing over this is to take the idea and shift it up three frets in parallel.

Melodically, you can execute simple things like moving up three frets. This creates melodies that are somewhat more vocal. For instance, utilizing small intervals, nothing greater than a third or a fourth, results in a stepwise vocalese sound to your solos. This approach allows listeners to sing along or quickly catch on to these melodies.

Handling Challenging Passages

Regarding other tricky passages in this piece, there are many. It's quite challenging! For example:

• Double stops happen throughout bars 14 and 15.
  • The best way to approach these is to identify the key, B flat minor in this case.
  • You'll need to slide between the first double stop on B flat and D flat up to C and E flat.
  • To place the final double stop, shift to the D flat and F by using your third and fourth fingers on fret six of the G and B strings.

When playing these double stops, you can either use your plectrum or the fingers, a technique known as hybrid picking.

Final Chord Consideration

One final thing to consider is the first chord of the whole piece, the D7 Sharp 9, famously associated with Jimi Hendrix in the key of E. This chord is an extension of E minor or major, containing both the major third and the minor third.

If we're in D, it can be either D minor or D major:

• Major third here
• Minor third at the top

It creates a bluesy, dissonant sound, which can be tricky to maneuver, especially since it shifts up and down parallel on the frets. To maintain clarity, I mute the top E string with my pinky and the low E string with my second finger, allowing freedom of movement.

Conclusion

In summary, this piece is in the samba style, employing typical features such as:

• Fingerstyle picking in the bass solo
• Octave melodies (notably in letter F)
• A jazz-inflected guitar solo, heavily influenced by Brazilian music in the 20th century

Explore Tropicalia and street samba styles for a fantastic, groovy experience. It's essential for modern guitarists to be aware of these styles, so don't hesitate to ask your teacher for listening recommendations and enjoy the piece!

Thank you!