This is a complete guitar lesson on how to play “The Girl From Ipanema” by Antonio Carlos Jobim featuring Joao Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto and the great Stan Getz. This is the version in D flat starting with the lyrics in Portuguese. This is my favorite version. In my opinion better than the Americanized version. In this lesson I take you through the head / melody, teach you how to play a Bossa Nova rhythm and chords. Then I do harmonic breakdown and teach you how to improvise through the tune. The PDF is 18 pages and pretty comprehensive and the jam track is a great tool to practice with. These videos take me a lot of time and your support is greatly appreciated! Thanks so much for checking out my video.
About
“The Girl from Ipanema” (“Garota de Ipanema”) is one of the most iconic and well-known bossa nova songs, written by Antônio Carlos Jobim (music) and Vinícius de Moraes (lyrics). It was originally written in Portuguese in 1962 and became an international hit after being recorded in 1964 by Stan Getz and João Gilberto, featuring the Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto.
The song was inspired by a young woman named Heloísa Pinheiro, who lived in the Ipanema neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. She would walk by the Veloso bar, which was where Jobim and his friends often gathered, and her beauty caught their attention. Her walk and the way she moved became the central inspiration for the song’s lyrics, with the song expressing the feeling of longing and admiration for a beautiful woman who passes by.
Key Features of the Song:
- Bossa Nova Style: The song is a classic example of bossa nova, a genre that blends samba rhythms with jazz influences, creating a smooth, relaxed, and cool sound.
- Lyrics: The lyrics reflect the narrator’s admiration for the girl from Ipanema, with a sense of yearning and wistfulness. In the English version, the lyrics were adapted by Norman Gimbel, capturing the same feeling of admiration but in a way that could connect with global audiences.
- Melody and Harmony: The melody is catchy and smooth, with a distinctive chord progression that has become instantly recognizable. The harmony and instrumentation in the classic versions, particularly the Stan Getz & João Gilberto recording, emphasize a cool, laid-back atmosphere.
- Cultural Impact: “The Girl from Ipanema” was instrumental in bringing bossa nova to the international stage. It helped popularize Brazilian music around the world, especially in the United States and Europe. The song became a massive crossover hit, winning a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1965.
Famous Versions:
- Stan Getz, João Gilberto, and Astrud Gilberto (1964): This is the version most people are familiar with. It features the smooth saxophone of Stan Getz and the cool, understated vocals of João Gilberto and his wife Astrud.
- Frank Sinatra: Sinatra’s version with Jobim, recorded in 1967, brought a more classic American jazz interpretation to the song, and it became one of his major hits.
- Other renditions: The song has been covered by numerous artists across genres, from Sergio Mendes to Amy Winehouse, showcasing its timeless appeal.
Overall, “The Girl from Ipanema” remains one of the most beloved songs in the jazz and bossa nova repertoire and continues to be a symbol of the Brazilian music genre worldwide. It’s a beautiful, elegant piece that captures the charm of Ipanema itself.