Bossa

POA

Bossa Nova is most commonly performed on the nylon-string classical guitar, played with the fingers rather than with a pick. Its purest form could be considered unaccompanied guitar with vocals, as exemplified by Joćo Gilberto. Even in larger jazz-like arrangements for groups, there is almost always a guitar that plays the underlying rhythm.

Though not as prominent as the guitar, the piano is another important instrument of bossa nova; Jobim wrote for the piano and performed on it for most of his own recordings. The piano has also served as a stylistic bridge between Bossa Nova and jazz, enabling a great deal of cross-pollination between the two.

Drums and percussion are not considered essential Bossa Nova instruments. Nonetheless, there is a distinctive Bossa Nova drumming style like that of Helcio Milito, characterized by continuous eighths on the high-hat (mimicking the samba tambourine) and tapping of the rim or "rim clicks" in a clave pattern. The bass drum usually mimics the string bass by playing on "1-&3-&1" as the string bass usually does.

Lush orchestral accompaniment is often associated with Bossa Nova's North American image as "elevator" or "lounge" music. It is present in much of Jobim's own recordings, and those of Astrud Gilberto.

Dusty Springfield would both feature and epitomize this element on her Philips (versus the Phil Ramone version she first recorded) recording of "The Look of Love" (written by Bacharach and David, the song is one of the most respected American pop interpretations of the genre).

The unique aural "texture" of Bossa strings, when used, is an important secondary characteristic of the genre. Bossa Nova is at heart a folk genre, and not all Bossa Nova records have strings, but the authentic ones that do have them feature them in a most distinct manner.