Have you ever played the tune Captain Marvel,” by Chick Corea? It’s a jazz samba, and it’s in The Real Book.
As with a lot of piano music, jazz sambas are interesting to play in that we need to play 3 different things, but with only 2 hands. There’s a bass line and a melody, and somehow we need to fit the chords in somewhere.
Since the bass line can be very active on a samba in order to create the proper rhythmic feel, I find that the best way to play all 3 parts is to fit the chords in with my right hand, while playing the melody mostly with my 4th and 5th fingers.
Watch me demonstrate it here, and then give it a try yourself, either on this tune or another samba of your choice.
Captain Marvel: Journey Through The Real Book #56
Once you get the feel of it, this style of latin jazz is very fun and exciting to play. Good luck!
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