| There are many different styles of guitar playing. They | | | | achieved by simply dropping the finger on the B string. |
| can be very distinctive and use special ways of | | | | For the A chord you add a G# and for the F chord |
| playing. For example, flamenco guitar playing employs | | | | you add an E note. This type of chord is used in other |
| some very unusual finger strumming methods that are | | | | styles of music but not to such a large degree as in |
| unique to flamenco guitar. Bossa nova music also has | | | | Bossa Nova. |
| its special methods and techniques. This style of music | | | | Bossa Nova Guitar Plucking |
| is very much main stream now and Latin music in | | | | There is a method of plucking and damping the guitar |
| general has structures that work in mainstream rock | | | | strings that is used extensively. This involves you |
| and pop songs. | | | | plucking 4 strings and damping them to provide the |
| Bossa Nova Guitar Chords | | | | rhythm. You can damp the strings early or late to add |
| There is a whole family of guitar chords that are very | | | | emphasis to the chord sequence. The thumb usually |
| much used in bossa nova music and they are called | | | | plucks one of the base strings and the three fingers |
| Major seventh chords. To start with a beginner should | | | | pluck the top three strings. They are all plucked and |
| learn just three of these chords. These are C major | | | | damped in unison. |
| seventh, F major seventh and A major seventh. The F | | | | Using a Nylon String Guitar in Bossa Nova Music |
| and A versions are useful shapes all the way up the | | | | You will find that nylon stringed guitars are used in |
| fretboard. When you strum them you can hear the | | | | bossa nova music to provide a softer feel to the |
| signature sound of these chords. The extra note to | | | | backing chords. The mixture of the nylon strings with |
| make the seventh chord is the 11th. For C major seven | | | | the plucking and damping described above will make |
| this means adding a B note to the C chord. This is | | | | your guitar playing sound authentically Latin in feel. |