Blue Bossa
Blue Bossa is a beginner-friendly bossa nova standard composed by Kenny Dorham in 1963. This 16-bar tune is an excellent introduction to jazz harmony, featuring a clear ii-V-i progression in the home key and a beautiful modulation to the relative major (Db) in the bridge. The straightforward harmonic structure and moderate tempo make it ideal for developing jazz vocabulary in minor keys while exploring the characteristic bossa nova rhythm.
Notation
Section Analysis
Summary
Classic ii-V-i progression in C minor with extended tonic chords. The A section establishes the home key through a clear minor ii-V-i cadence.
Harmonic Insight
The form begins with two bars of tonic (Cm7), creating space and anticipation before moving to the subdominant Fm7. Bars 5-7 present the essential ii-V-i cadence (Dm7b5-G7-Cm7) that defines the key. The extended tonic at the end (bars 7-8) provides stability before the bridge modulation.
Scale Guide
- Cm7: C Dorian (C D Eb F G A Bb)
- Fm7: F Dorian (F G Ab Bb C D Eb)
- Dm7b5: D Locrian (D Eb F G Ab Bb C)
- G7: G Mixolydian b9 b13 (G Ab Bb B D Eb F) or G Altered (G Ab Bb B Db Eb F)
Practice Tips
- Practice the ii-V-i progression (bars 5-7) slowly, connecting each chord smoothly with voice leading.
- Over the Cm7 tonic, experiment with both C Dorian and C minor pentatonic scales to develop melodic ideas.
- The G7 in bar 6 is the key tension point—try altered scale tensions (b9, #9, b13) to create forward motion to Cm7.