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THE BRAZILIAN PIANO BOOK Progressive method Songs, grooves, piano solo and comping

TURI COLLURA

© Copyright 2019 Terra da Música. All rights reserved.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many thanks to my students and to everyone that followed the development of this work since the beginning. In particular, I would like to thank Léo de Paula, the percussionist who, with his vast knowledge about the Brazilian rhythms, influenced and inspired me in the making of this book. Also, I would like to thank Thiago Veríssimo, a friend, and Neusinha Escorel, my wife, for exhorting me, with their examples, into always giving my best. To my friend, Michael de Souza, for his dedication during the recordings. To the Terra da Música team for the video production and for this book.

SPECIFICATIONS Production assistant: Neusinha Escorel Cover art: Gustavo Binda Eletronic diagramming and finalization: Terra da Música English translation: João Victor Schmicheck, Fernanda Cristina Lopes Recordings and audio treatment: Michael de Souza Pandeiro and percussion instruments: Léo de Paula Flutes (unit 6): Weber Marely Guitar (unit 6): Giovanni Malini Filming and video processing: Terra da Música

Video and Audio files accompanying the book contain practice demonstrations and provide opportunities for the learner to play along. To download these files please go to www.terradamusica.com.br/mylibrary

Copyright © 2019 Terra da Música - Vitória (ES), Brazil. All rights reserved. No part of this book can be reproduced in any form or by any means without the publisher’s or author’s permission. www.thebrazilianpianobook.com

FOREWORD Listening to performances of pianists such as Ivan Lins, João Donato, Egberto Gismonti, André Mehmari, César Camargo Mariano, Tom Jobim, Tânia Maria, Hermeto Paschoal — some of the most known names — we can observe the rhythmic richness that characterizes the Brazilian music. However, when it comes to the study/learning of "Brazilianness" at the piano, we generally observe a certain lack of publications that aim to teach people "how to play" genres such as the baião, choro, frevo, samba, among others. Since the piano’s invention, at the end of the 17th century, piano studies have evolved regarding its technique, the practice of scales, the exercises for the development of speed and articulation. We may consider that European music has greatly evolved when it comes to harmony, yet it has given little emphasis on the rhythmic element. The highlight of this last element is a current issue. This book is a didactic proposal to work with Brazilian rhythms at the piano, using rhythmic studies, exercises and songs that present different complexity levels. The goal is encouraging pianists to play what we call the "Brazilian piano", helping to develop coordination, independence between hands and rhythmic awareness. In this method I present fifteen songs drawing the typical Brazilian grooves, illustrating their peculiarities with the help of videos, which are part of this work. This study is the result of broad research and work developed throughout the years with many students. The results led me to write a didactic proposal to present it to a wider audience. I hope that this can contribute to your musical growth and that it can open new doors that will allow new achievements! Have a nice reading and good studies!

INTRODUCTION I happily introduce the work The Brazilian piano book: progressive method. The book is intended for piano teachers and also for all of those who wish to study — or deepen the study — of Brazilian rhythms and popular repertoire, including the baião, frevo, marcha-rancho, choro, bossa nova, samba and partido-alto. Starting by the peculiar elements of each rhythm, the method helps the pianist to develop his skills studying songs, rhythmic patterns and coordination exercises. Through fifteen songs with different difficulty levels, we study rhythmic patterns, clichés, harmony and melody elements. We also learn comping techniques to play duo and piano solo. Piano teachers can use the method to play 3 or 4 hands with their students. They can also stimulate duo practice among students, that can learn to perform both the comping and the songs’ melodies (and, why not, have fun improvising). Play-along tracks are a great resource for both teachers and for those that want to study alone. The videos help to illustrate, in a practical way, how to perform the content — the examples, the exercises’ and songs’ realization. The rhythmic exercises shown can also be practiced far from the piano keyboard. It is interesting to learn to "beat" the rhythmic exercises and the grooves on any surface. I invite the reader to first "think" about the rhythmic drawings consciously to memorize them. Once that is done, go there and start beating! This way, you can study and develop your rhythmic skills even when you are away from your instrument. For the coordination development, independence between hands and rhythmic and pulsation consciousness, it is important to repeat many times each exercise, until the movements can flow freely. But remember, always respect your body when playing. Do not overload your muscles. This is a "tip" that holds true for all of us pianists. In unit 1 we give an overview on the chords’ types (triads and four note chords) and their respective chord symbols. This knowledge is a prerequisite for the popular music pianist. I propose some exercises for those who need it. Following the studies, in unit 2, we get to know the mother cell of Brazilian music and some other rhythmic cells typical of the genres that we study in this method. Also, we talk about the concept of polyrhythmia and the characteristics of Brazilian music’s melodies.

Unit 3 is dedicated to the baião genre. We study three rhythmic comping patterns and how they are performed, several coordination exercises and three different songs. The songs "Baião da Fortuna" and "Salve Pernambuco", quite simple to play, are typical examples of this genre. The songs are presented in duo and piano solo versions. The song "Além Mar" presents a more stylized form of baião, in the line of Egberto Gismonti. More elaborate, this song requires more technical mastery. In unit 4, we learn frevo and marcha-rancho. We study three rhythmic patterns and two songs: "O abre alas" — considered the first Brazilian carnival march, from the songwriter Chiquinha Gonzaga — and "O sol de Olinda". The choro is the subject of unit 5. We explore the rhythmic patterns that can be conveniently performed at the piano. We learn to comp, to perform the so-called baixaria, which means the bass line playing some counterpoint lines, consisting in semi-improvised idiomatic phrases. We study three songs, in their solo piano and duo versions. The first song, "Lua Branca", is performed with a fairly simple arrangement. The song "Pelo Rio Antigo" is a more elaborate composition, built in the classic tripartite choro form. "Chorinho para Hermeto" is a modern example of a choro song. In unit 6 we study bossa nova, a very sophisticated musical genre, from an harmonic point of view. The piano solo is a good challenge for the pianist who must provide all the necessary elements for the performance. We will learn three techniques to comp and an innovative technique, which I call the "three-hands technique". The careful reader will know how to transfer the skills acquired here to other musical styles at a great advantage! In this unit we study five different compositions, putting into practice the rhythmic patterns and the common clichés presented. Unit 7 is dedicated to samba and partido-alto. Considered one of the main genres of Brazilian music, samba is known for its rich polyrhythmia, in which several instruments perform different rhythmic patterns. My experience as a teacher and as professional musician led me to draw a step-by-step learning path. The rhythmic patterns presented are applied into two different songs: "Com que roupa", by the composer Noel Rosa; and "Por outros sambas", in which we mix samba and partido-alto grooves. Usually, Brazilian music is written in 2/4. In this book, I maintain this practice. Online Access the www.thebrazilianpianobook.com website and stay updated. Download the videos and audios that are also part of this work.

INDEX Foreword Introduction Make the most out of this method

3 4-5 8

Unit 1: Harmony and its notation Triads Triads inversions Four note chords Four note chord and its notation The five main four note chords Four note chord inversions The diminished chord: a symmetric chord

9 9 10 11 12 14 14

Unit 2: The Brazilian rhythmic Base rhythmic cells Polyrhythmia Melody’s syncope

16 17 17

Unit 3: Baião Rhythmic pattern 1 Exercises from 3 to 6 Baião da fortuna - melody Baião da fortuna - comping Baião da fortuna - piano solo Exercises 7 and 8 Rhythmic pattern 2 Exercises from 9 to 11 Rhythmic pattern 3 Exercises 12 and 13 Salve Pernambuco - piano solo Salve Pernambuco - comping Além mar - piano solo

18 18-19 20 21-23 24-25 26-27 28 28-29 29 29 30-31 32-33 34-35

Unit 4: Frevo and marcha-rancho Rhythmic pattern 1 and Exercise 14 Rhythmic patterns 2 and 3 Exercises 15 and 16 O abre-alas - comping O sol de Olinda - comping

36 37 37 38-39 40-42

Unit 5: Choro Rhythmic patterns from 1 to 3 Exercises from 17 to 24 Bass lines in choro's comping Exercises 25 and 26 Lua branca - piano solo Exercises 27 and 28 Choro’s harmony, structural forms and modulations The baixaria: a characteristic comping in choro Exercises from 29 to 31 Lua branca - comping using the baixaria Pelo Rio antigo - melody Pelo Rio antigo - piano solo Pelo Rio antigo - piano solo 2

43 44-46 46-47 47 48-49 50-51 52 53 53 54-55 56-57 58-61 62-63

Pelo Rio antigo - comping Chorinho para Hermeto - melody Chorinho para Hermeto - piano solo Chorinho para Hermeto - comping

64-65 66-67 68-69 70-72

Unit 6: Bossa nova Rhythmic patterns 1 and 2 Exercises from 32 to 36 Areia e mar (melody) and Exercise 37 Areia e mar - comping Lembrando de você (melody) and Exercise 38 Lembrando de você - comping First technique for piano solo comping Exercises from 39 to 41 Lembrando de você - piano solo Rhythmic patterns 3 and 4 Exercises from 42 to 44 A influência da bossa - comping Left hand comping in open position Exercises from 45 to 47 A influência da bossa - piano solo Enriching the first piano solo technique A influência da bossa - 2nd piano solo Copacabana 62 melody and Exercise 48 Rhythmic-harmonic cliche and exercises 49 e 50 Copacabana 62 - comping Rhythmic enrichment of the bass: exercises from 51 to 53 Second comping technique for piano solo Exercises from 54 to 56 Copacabana 62 - piano solo using the second technique Third comping technique for piano solo Exercises 58 and 59 Eu assim tão só - piano solo using the "three-hands technique" Lembrando de você - piano solo

73 73-75 76-77 77 78-79 80-81 82 82-83 84-85 86 86-87 88-89 90 90-91 92-93 94-95 96-97 98-99 100 100-101 102 103 104 105 106 106-107 108 110

Unit 7: Samba and partido-alto Rhythmic pattern 1 and Exercises from 60 to 65 Com que roupa - comping with rhythmic pattern 1 Exercise 66 Rhythmic pattern 2 and Exercises from 67 to 69 Rhythmic pattern 3 and Exercises 70 and 71 Com que roupa - comping Rhythmic pattern 4 and Exercise 72 Articulating the right hand in two parts and Exercise 73 Partido-alto: pandeiro grooves Rhythmic pattern 1 and Exercises 74 and 75 Rhythmic pattern 2 and Exercises 76 and 77 Rhythmic pattern 3 and Exercise 78 Por outros sambas - melody Por outros sambas - comping

111-113 114 116 117-118 118-119 120-122 123 123 124 125 126 127 128 129-131

Learning assessment and further development

132-133

References

134

About the author

135

MAKE THE MOST OUT OF THIS METHOD - Watch the videos that integrate this book, absorb each exercise, example and song. Try to play along. - Videos and audios are marked with the symbols

and

- Be patient during the learning process. You are working on new skills. - Try to understand each rhythm in a "conscious way". - Beat the rhythms you learn, even when you are away from the piano keyboard. - Repeat each exercise many times to activate your muscle memory. - Always play relaxed without any muscle tension; do not overload your body. - Take your time with the songs! Study them slowly, try to memorize them. - If you have the opportunity, play with other musicians. You can practice your comping skills by comping a melodic instrument. If you play with another pianist, you will both be able to alternate the melodies’ and comping’ performance and, maybe, you can even try some improvisations. - If you can, try to record your performances so you can listen them after. In this book we use a rhythmic writing, as shown in the image on the right. The accent marks on the top refer to the right hand, while the accent marks on the bottom refer to the left hand.

> >

> >

>

In my experience, this type of rhythmic writing allows us to concentrate on the movement of the hands, regardless of the notes that are being played at the piano. About the harmony, it is important to establish the concept of voicing: this term indicates a specific chord structure, that is, a particular disposition of the notes. Take, as an example, the voicing 6-2-b3-5 in three different tones:

5 b3 2 6

5 b3 2 6

5 b3 2 6

At the end of the book there is a section entitled learning assessment and further development. When you finish to study each unit, you can check this section to evaluate your learning development. You can also get new ideas to further your studies. (1) The Brazilian "pandeiro" is a very popular hand-frame drum.

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Turi Collura - The Brazilian Piano Book

2. THE BRAZILIAN RHYTHMIC CHARACTERISTICS, RHYTHMIC BASE CELLS. POLYRHYTHMIA AND SYNCOPE.

In Brazilian music, we find some common rhythmic cells. The first of these is often called the mother cell (or also known as the fork). It appears in all genres that we study in this book:

>

>

>

Written in another way:

It's important to observe that the interpretation of this cell does not exactly correspond to its notation. Often, this cell is slightly "tripleted": Traditional triplet

Slightly ahead of the beat

Slightly behind the beat

Interpretation: Notation:

Another common rhythmic cell: >

>

>

>

Two important rhythmic combinations:

Writing in two different pitches refers, for instance, to the agogô sound, one of the oldest instruments used in samba.

We can find this cells in the northeastern rhythms such as baião, toada, maracatu, frevo, etc.

16

>

The Brazilian Piano Book - Unit 2

POLYRHYTHMIA A peculiar feature of Brazilian music is the polyrhythmia, which is the simultaneous use of two - or more - different rhythmic structures. See the following example:

MELODY'S SYNCOPE In general, syncopation is a traditional element of Brazilian music which directly influences melodies. In the following example, we can see how a simple rhythmic figure can progressively become more syncopated.

Rhythmic figure:

Melodic example:

a)

d)

e)

From the simpler to the most syncopated

b)

6 f)

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Turi Collura - The Brazilian Piano Book

3. BAIÃO

RHYTHMIC PATTERNS, EXERCISES AND DUO AND SOLO PIANO SONGS. Originally from sertão, Brazilian northeast countryside, the baião has some remarkable rhythmic characteristics. The main traditional instruments are the accordion, the rabeca (a Brazilian type of violin), the zabumba, the triangle and the voice; however, baião can also be instrumental only. Some of most well known exponents of this tradition are Luiz Gonzaga, João do Vale, Dominguinhos and Jackson do Pandeiro. Traditional instruments can be exchanged for others such as the bass, drums, guitar, piano, etc. Sometimes, the baião can be associated with instrumental compositions slightly influenced by the jazz language. We can observe this, for example, in compositions by Hermeto Paschoal, Egberto Gismonti, Sivuca, Tânia Maria, among others. See the most important rhythmic cell, typically found in baião:

Observe that the accents, within a 2/4 bar, are arranged in 3 + 3 + 2 3

>

3

>

2

>

Normally, this rhythmic pattern is ovarlaid to the regular pulse of two quarter notes, see below:

RHYTHMIC PATTERN 1 >

>

>

>

a)

>

b) >

>

>

>

>

In the two images above we find accents placed at the top and bottom. Similar to the pianistic writing, from now on, we assign the upper accents to the right hand and the lower accents to the left hand. For example, the rhythmic figure a) can be performed as it follows: EXERCISE 3 C7

1

The right hand performs the accents in 3 + 3 + 2 while the left hand plays the strong beat of each pulse.

18

The Brazilian Piano Book - Unit 3

The rhythmic figure b) of the pattern 1 can be performed as it follows: EXERCISE 4 C7

1

The left hand performs the accents in 3 + 3 + 2 while the right hand plays the strong beat of each pulse. This is a fairly common comping pattern.

In the image above, the bass begins with the chord’s root note, then plays the fifth and the seventh degree of the chord. This bass drawing (1-5-7) works very well with dominant chords. In other types of chords we can use these bass lines: EXERCISE 5 C7

1

In this example, the bass line starts with the chord’s root note, then plays the fifth and then the octave.

EXERCISE 6 C7

1

In this example, the bass line starts with the chord’s root note, plays the fifth degree, and then the fifth degree an octave below.

These are the most common bass lines for pianist's left hand comping. We can write these bass lines in this way:

1 - 5 1 - 5 1 - 5 -

b7 8 5

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Turi Collura - The Brazilian Piano Book

Baião da fortuna (melody)

1

"Baião da fortuna" has a melody based on a recurrent rhythmic cell (see the image on the right side). Let's learn it: Turi Collura

C7

F

Dm

C/E

G7

C7

C7

C7

C7

C7

C7

20

Da Capo

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Baião da fortuna (piano solo)

3

3

Turi Collura

C7

1 3 5

C7 2

4

3

1

2 5

C7 1

2

1

F

C/E

4

1

Dm

G7

C7

C7 1

3

1

24

3

5

The Brazilian Piano Book - Unit 3

C7 4

3

2

3

2

4

2

4

2

C7 4

1

3

5

C7 4

3

2

4

2

C7 4

3

2

4

2

Da Capo

25

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The Brazilian Piano Book - Unit 5

5. CHORO

RHYTHMIC PATTERNS, PIANO DUO AND SOLO SONGS.

Born in Rio de Janeiro during the second half of the nineteenth century, the choro came from the influence of styles such as polka, schottisches and other European waltzes, and successively from the maxixe and other Afro-Brazilian elements. During the course of time and until our current days, the choro has undergone some modifications. The typical group consists basically of the flute, cavaquinho, guitar and seven-string guitar. Other instruments such as the pandeiro, mandolin, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, etc. can be added. Two pioneers who played the choro on the piano were Chiquinha Gonzaga and Ernesto Nazareth. The genre had other important figures like the composers Pixinguinha, Jacob do Bandolim, K-Ximbinho, Radamés Gnattali, Altamiro Carrilho, Garoto, João Pernambuco, among many others. More recently, songwriters such as Tom Jobim, Hermeto Paschoal, Paulo Moura, Hamilton de Holanda, Guinga, and Egberto Gismonti, have helped to elaborate the choro, each of them in his own way. Main Choro’s rhythMiC patterns The following rhythmic patterns are the most used: RHYTHMIC PATTERN 1

RHYTHMIC PATTERN 2

RHYTHMIC PATTERN 3

(We find the pattern 3 in Ernesto Nazareth and Chiquinha Gonzaga's compositions. It's a maxixe pattern).

43

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Turi Collura - The Brazilian Piano Book

Lua branca (piano solo)

12

20

Chiquinha Gonzaga

Gm

Intro

E7

48

A7

Em7b5

A7/C#

C7/E

C7

Dm

Dm

Dm/F

Dm

Am7b5/Eb

A7/C#

D7

A7

Gm

Dm

Gm/F

The Brazilian Piano Book - Unit 5

C7

Em7b5

C7/E

F

Dm

Am7b5/Eb

A7/C#

D7

A7

Gm

Gm/F

Dm

Gm

Dm/F

E7

A7

Dm

Gm

Dm/F

E7

A7

Dm

D7/F#

49

Turi Collura - The Brazilian Piano Book

COORDINATION EXERCISES Let's practice two exercises that help us to train the coordination between melody and comping. We will use in the left hand the rhythmic pattern 2. EXERCISE 27 Hanon 1 with choro comping (chords in closed position):

C

G

Bdim

Em

Dm

21

Em

F

Bdim

Am

Am

C

G

Dm

F

C

As we have previously noted, we can adapt the exercises from Charles Hanon’s book "The Virtuoso Pianist" to practice the Brazilian rhythms with the left hand. If you like, try to adapt some other exercises from that book.

50

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Turi Collura - The Brazilian Piano Book

Chorinho para Hermeto (comping)

19

Turi Collura

Use the audio track 20 to play along with the melody:

F7,9

F6

D7(9)

70

Bb7,9

Eb7,9 D7#9

D7(b9)

Eb7,9

G

GMaj7

Ab7,9

Db7,9

E7

Am7

Bbº

C7,9

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Turi Collura - The Brazilian Piano Book

THIRD COMPING TECHNIQUE FOR PIANO SOLO: THE “THREE-HANDS TECHNIQUE” We will now study something very special that I call the "three-hands technique". It is extremely useful to understand and practice this technique, when it comes to piano solo. The idea comes from the pianist's need to perform the bass, harmony and melody at the same time, while maintaining the harmony in the central region of the piano, where it sounds the best. In the "three-hands technique", the fifth finger of the left hand plays the bass; the fifth finger of the right hand (possibly helped by the fourth and third finger) plays the melody. The comping (both rhythmic and harmonic) is performed by the two hands' other fingers, which are in charge of the central part of the keyboard.

Middle C Harmony region

6

6

Bass

Melody Rhythm and harmony

Imagine a central "third hand" which performs the rhythm and harmony according to the needs of the musical excerpt. It is important to emphasize that we can use all three techniques described in these pages throughout a song. Consider them as three different tools for performing in piano solo. Your choice will depend mainly on the pitch of the melody. Following, there is an exercise to practice the “three-hands technique”. Observe the highlighted area that indicates the rhythm-harmony central area: EXERCISE 58

58

GMaj7

Central area: rhythm-harmony comping

106

GMaj7

Central area: rhythm-harmony comping

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The Brazilian Piano Book - Unit 7

7. SAMBA E PARTIDO-ALTO RHYTHMIC PATTERNS, EXERCISES AND DUO SONGS.

Considered to be one of Brazilian main rhythms, the samba is characterized by a rich polyrhythmia, in which several instruments perform different rhythmic designs. We can play very interesting rhythmic figures in the piano. RHYTHMIC PATTERN 1 In this comping pattern, we perform a rhythm in countertime with the right hand. In the left hand, the first tempo note is played in staccato, while the second is louder and tenuto. We will perform all samba comping like this with the left hand. See the image below.

>

>

>

>

>

>

This note in staccato is lighter

This note is strong and tenuto

Usually, the bass plays the root of the chord on the first beat, while the louder note is, in many cases, the fifth or the lower octave. Here is an exercise that uses the fifth.

EXERCISE 60

62

Dm

Chord's notes:

1

5

1

5

In the exercise above, the left hand plays only on the downbeats. It's common to add other notes to them, as we will study.

111

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THE AUTHOR Pianist, composer and arranger, Turi Collura has an extensive career as an instrumentalist and musical educator. He graduated in Italy, majoring in Music with emphasis on musical education (University of Bologna) and at the Civica Scuola di Jazz (Milan). Turi has an extensive presence throughout several institutions in Brazil (Souza Lima Conservatory-SP, Music Conservatory of São João del Rei-MG, TKT Musical-SP, UFES-Federal University of Espírito Santo, CAEM-SP, Márcia Couto Music Institute in Maringá-PR, Intermezzo in São Paulo-SP, Rafael Bastos Music School in Florianópolis-SC, Souza & Muzir Musical Institute, in Serra-ES, UFMA (Federal University of Maranhão), FAMES (Faculty of Music of the State of Espírito Santo), Festivals (Curitiba Music Festival, International Winter Festival in Domingos Martins-ES) and other foreign institutions (Civic Jazz School in Milan, Scenario Pubblico-Catania, Campbellsville University in Kentucky, USA) among many others. In 2003, he founded the Department of Popular Music at the Faculty of Music of Espírito Santo (FAMES), in Vitória, which he coordinated until 2012. Throughout this period, he ministered subjects such as Harmony, Improvisation, Popular Piano, Group Practice, Jazz Aesthetics. Turi is the author of the two-volume method "Improvisação: práticas criativas para a composição melódica na música popular", published by Irmãos Vitale, nowadays considered a true best seller and also a bibliographical reference in several institutions and universities. In 2009, he published the method "Rítmica e levadas brasileiras para o piano", in book and DVD. He holds a Master's degree from the Federal University of Espírito Santo - UFES (2011) and a postgraduate degree from the same institution (2007). Active as a pianist and a composer, in 2007 he recorded his first CD "Interferências" in Rio de Janeiro with Nelson Faria, Ney Conceição, Daniel Garcia, Rafael Barata, Daniel Dias, Guilherme Dias Gomes and João Schmidt. In 2013, Interferências got a Japanese edition by the label Disque Dessinee. In 2011, he recorded his second CD, "Conversa na Vila", a tribute to composer Noel Rosa. Conversa na Vila had the group Arranco de Varsóvia as a special guest. In 2013, he published the work "Piano bossa nova: progressive method" consisting of book + DVD. In 2015, he was invited to give a workshop on Brazilian rhythms at the University of Campbellsville, Massachusetts (USA). He created, in 2015, the website Terra da Música (www.terradamusica.com.br) with online music courses where he currently teaches alongside with a team in constant development. 135