Bossa Nova · Ab Minor · 135 BPM

Bossa Nova Backing Track in Ab Minor

4-bar Imaj7–ii7–V7–Imaj7 form, at 135 BPM. Chord chart, scale positions and practice drills for Ab minor (also written G# Minor).

Open in the app · Ab · 135 BPM

Hear the bossa nova feel: “Ipanema Style” · F major · 135 BPM

This recording is the original “Ipanema Style” demo in F major at 135 BPM. It is not transposed: it lets you hear the bossa nova feel. The app generates your track in Ab minor.

4-bar chord chart in Ab Minor

4-bar Imaj7–ii7–V7–Imaj7 form. Count four beats per bar; each card shows where the chord starts.

  1. Bar 1 Abm7 i7 · 4 beats
  2. Bar 2 Bbm7b5 iiø7 · 4 beats
  3. Bar 3 Eb7 V7 · 4 beats
  4. Bar 4 Abm7 i7 · 4 beats
Open in the app: Bossa Nova, Ab, 135 BPM Open the original demo (F major)

The app opens with the style, key, tempo and this chart filled in; press Generate to create your track (it counts toward your daily generations). The original demo opens the recorded arrangement without a generation.

More about “Ipanema Style”

Chord chart and notes for “Ipanema Style”.

Imaj7–ii7–V7–Imaj7 in Ab Minor

Minor bossa with the half-diminished ii. Beautiful for ballads.

I
Abm7
II
Bbm7b5
V
Eb7
I
Abm7
Generate a backing track over these changes →

Scales to solo in Ab Minor

Three scales that sit well over bossa nova in Ab minor. Each one gives the line a different color — try them all and notice what changes.

Scale
Ab Dorian
Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb
Scale
Ab Natural Minor
Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb
Scale
Ab Harmonic Minor
Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb G

Where to play in Ab Minor

Five-fret windows in standard tuning, anchored on Ab on the low E string. Highlighted notes are the root.

Ab Dorian
Stringfret 3fret 4fret 5fret 6fret 7
e Ab Bb Cb
B Eb F Gb
G Bb Cb Db
D F Gb Ab
A Db Eb
E Ab Bb Cb
Notes: Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb. Root on the 6th string at fret 4, on the 5th string at fret 11.
Ab Natural Minor
Stringfret 3fret 4fret 5fret 6fret 7
e Ab Bb Cb
B Eb Fb Gb
G Bb Cb Db
D Gb Ab
A Db Eb Fb
E Ab Bb Cb
Notes: Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb. Root on the 6th string at fret 4, on the 5th string at fret 11.

Practice drills

  1. 1. Find the changes in Ab Minor

    Play only the root on the first beat of each change: Ab (bar 1, Abm7), Bb (bar 2, Bbm7b5), Eb (bar 3, Eb7), Ab (bar 4, Abm7). Keep counting through every bar that holds the same chord; the form resolves back to Ab.

  2. 2. Target the guide tones

    When each chord arrives, land on its third and hold it for a beat: Cb over Abm7, Db over Bbm7b5, G over Eb7. Then repeat with the seventh (see the table) to hear how the line leads into the next chord.

  3. 3. Ab Dorian in position

    Play Ab Dorian (Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb) up and down in frets 3–7, one note per beat at 135 BPM. Start and finish on Ab: 6th string fret 4, or 5th string fret 11 for the next position up.

Guide tones for every chord in the chart
ChordRoot3rd7th / 6th
Abm7AbCbGb (b7)
Bbm7b5BbDbAb (b7)
Eb7EbGDb (b7)

Keep practicing

Try Bossa Nova in another key

Chord chart, scale positions and practice drills in the keys bossa nova is most often played in.

F Major C Major G Major Bb Major
← Back to all bossa nova tracks

Play Bossa Nova in Ab Minor

Open the app with Bossa Nova, Ab, 135 BPM and this chart pre-filled. Press Generate when you are ready.

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