10 Brazilian Jazz Tunes

During my time living in Brazil, I performed Brazilian jazz tunes with many guitarists, vocalists, and samba ensembles. 

When jamming, these players called tunes that I’d learned back home, such as Corcovado, Meditation, and How Insensitive.

And…

They also played many songs that hadn’t been in my Real Book or called on gigs back home in North America. 

After returning home from living in Belo Horizonte, I’ve kept those tunes in my set list as they are fun to play and have that cool Brazilian jazz sound. 

To help you explore these songs, I’ve put together a list of 10 songs that are often called on jazz gigs in Brazil.  

While they’re not as popular outside of Brazil as other standards, they’re full of engaging melodies, challenging progressions, and infections Brazilian grooves. 

Oh, and they’re just plain fun to jam on guitar. 

So Danco Samba

For jazz guitarists, this is the perfect Brazilian song to learn first, as it’s built with a very similar form and progression to Duke Ellington’s Take the A Train. 

If you know A Train, this tune gives you a new look at that classic progression with a syncopated melody and samba groove. 

This is an excellent tune to learn if you enjoy playing “Take the A Train” and are looking to add variety to your jazz set list. 

Berimbau

This is a fun tune to learn if you enjoy playing modal jazz. 

The first part of the tune is a Dm7 vamp followed by tonal changes in the last section. 

This form gives you plenty of space to let loose over the Dm7 chord before moving things into a melodic realm over the tonal section. 

Whenever I’ve played Berimbau at a concert, the Brazilian musicians played both sections during the melody then solo over a Dm7 vamp. 

Then, the tonal section is used as a bridge between soloists to break up the static one-chord vamp. 

Berimbau has a memorable melody and exciting groove to blow over with different form options that make it a Brazilian jam favorite. 

O Barquinho

This is a fun tune to blow over for guitarists that like playing traditional jazz progressions with a twist. 

The chords area series of ii-V’s resolving in unexpected ways. 

This forces you to navigate your ii-V material in new and creative ways as you comp and solo over the progression.  

The melody fits nicely on the neck and is perfect for a chord melody arrangement. 

If you’re working on a chord melody, you will want to check the key first. 

Some lead sheets have it in Bb, which is tougher to build a chord melody due to the range of the melody. 

When I played O Barquinho in Brazil, it was in the key of F. 

Which is much easier when arranging a chord melody, as the melody sits on the top two strings the whole time. 

Because of its 16-bar form, this tune is easier and quicker to learn than other tunes on this list. 

Crevo e Canella

This is one of my favorite tunes on this list because it’s a samba in 3/4 time. 

Crevo e Canella comes from MPB, Brazilian popular music, and the chords are more pop than jazz.

If you want to explore Brazilian artists beyond Jobim and company, check out Milton Nascimento and this album, “Clube da Esquina.” 

The album is full of creative jazz, pop songs that are both fun to listen to and enjoyable to jam on guitar. 

O Morro Nao Tem Vez

I loved to play this tune, because different musicians that I played with used different forms of the song, keeping me on my toes on the band stand. 

Some bands played AAB, while others played AABA for the form on this tune. 

No matter what form you use, the melody and chords to O Morro push you in new creative directions as you explore this tune on guitar. 

Canto De Ossanha

This is another tune that has a modal first section followed by a tonal second section. 

Canto de Ossanha is also like Berimbau, as we’d often perform the full form for the melody, then solo over the modal section only. 

This tune has everything that makes Brazilian music enjoyable, syncopation, memorable melody line, fun chord changes, and an infectious groove. 

O Pato

If you’re into bebop, then you’ll dig O Pato. 

It has a fast-paced melody that’s not only challenging to get down, it’s also a blast to play once you have it under your fingers. 

The A section chords are like “Take the A Train,” giving it a familiar vibe alongside new and exciting chord changes. 

If you’re looking for a showstopper to close a set, playing O Pato at 200 bpm or higher always gets the crowd up on their feet dancing and cheering. 

Samba de Verao

One of the most popular tunes outside of Brazil on this list, Samba de Verao is always a crowd favorite when added to any setlist. 

“Summer Samba,” as it’s known in English, works well with a piano-style chord melody, where you punch in guide tones between phrases.  

As well, the chord changes move in unexpected directions, pushing you to explore new harmonic direction in your soloing and comping. 

Deixa

One of my favorite Brazilian melody lines, this song always stuck in my ears for hours after playing it on a gig. 

The chord changes are fun to solo over. And…

It’s the melody line that really draws me to this tune. 

Oh, and I could listen to Baden Powell play this tune all day, he absolutely kills it, every time. 

Influencia Do Jazz

The last tune on the list is one of my favorites to play, because it’s played with a samba groove during the first half and a swing feel in the second half. 

With engaging chords and rhythmic punches, Influencia do jazz is a creative way to bring Brazilian and jazz grooves together in your set list. 

Click here to listen to a playlist of all 10 Brazilian standards.