"Samba de uma nota so," by Antonio Carlos Jobim (Tom Jobim)

English title: One Note Samba



These chords are based upon my own transcription of this Jobim song, from listening to various recordings. Other arrangements of the chords are of course possible, and would be in the spirit of the music and are therefore "recommended."

Bossa features harmonic structures reminiscent of American jazz over Samba rhythms with an independent and often chromatic melody on top. See the Jobim song, "Desafindo," for an example of a chromatic melody with almost wild melodic leaps.

In the chords below, the F is the top note. The Bb is the top note in the second phrase. It is a feature of harmony that the note you put on top of a chord will generally be perceived by the listener as melody.

The chords on the first eight bars are similar to the French Samba 'Samba de Mon Coeur Qui Bat.'



Dmin7 C#7 Cmin7(11) B7(b5)
This is just a little samba, built upon a single note
Eis aqui uma sambinha, feito numa nota so...

Dmin7 C#7 Cmin7(11) B7(b5)
Other notes are bound to follow but the root is still . . .
Outras notas vai a entrar, mas a base é uma so

Fmin7(11) Emin7(b5) Eb7 Ab7(9 on top)
Now this new one is the consequence, of the one we've . . .
Esta outra é consequencia, do que acabo de dizer. . .

Dmin7 C#7 Cmin7(11) B7(b5) BbMa6
As I'm bound to be the unavoidable con----se-----quence of you.

Bridge:

Ebm7 Ab7 DbMa7
There's so many people who can talk and talk and talk . . .

DbMa6
Or nearly nothing

Dbmin7 Gb7 BMa7
I have used up all the scale I know, and at the end I've come to nothin

A7 (b13)
Or nearly no--thing.

Dmin7 C#7 Cmin7(11) B7(b5)
So I come back to my first note, as I must . . .

Dmin7 C#7 Cmin7(11) B7(b5)
I will pour into that one note,all the love I feel for you

Fmin7(11) Emin7(b5) Eb7 Ab7(9 on top)
Anyone who wants the whole show, Re mi fa sol la si do,

Dmin7 C#7 Cmin7(11) B7(b5) BbMa6
He will find himself with no show, better play the note you know!

Chords used in "Samba de uma nota so"

Dmin7
E A D G B E
------------
x 5 7 5 6 x

C#7
E A D G B E
---------------
x 4 6 4 6 x


Cm7(11)
E A D G B E
-----------
8 x 8 8 6 x


B7(b5)
E A D G B E
-----------
7 x 7 8 6 x

The chords above have the note F on the top (fret = 6). The F is the "uma nota so" so the plan is to put it on top, while the chords change underneath it. Below, the Bb is on top.

Fmin11
E A D G B E
-----------
x x 3 5 4 6

Emin7(b5)
E A D G B E
-----------
x 7 x 7 8 6
Eb7
E A D G B E
-----------
x 6 8 6 7 6

Ab7(9)
E A D G B E
-----------
4 x 4 5 x 6

BbMa
E A D G B E
-----------
6 8 8 7 6 6
------------------------------------------------------------

Bridge

Ebmin7
E A D G B E
-----------
x 6 8 6 7 6

Ab7
E A D G B E
-----------
4 x 4 5 4 x

DbMa7
E A D G B E
-----------
x 4 6 5 6 4(optional high note)

Dbm7
E A D G B E
-----------
x 4 6 4 5 x

Gb7
E A D G B E
-----------
2 x 2 3 2 x (this is Ab7 'down' two frets)

BMa7
E A D G B E
-----------
x 2 4 3 4 2 (high note optional)

A7(b13)
E A D G B E
-----------
5 x 5 6 6 x

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