Bossa nova backing track for bass:
C, 130 BPM

A bossa nova backing track without bass, in C, at 130 BPM: the drums and the band play, you lay down the line. The chart, the scales to use and bass line ideas are below the video.

Length: 3:46 · Tempo: 130 BPM · Key: C · watch on YouTube

The chart

The 8-bar chart loops 15 times, on screen.

Bass line ideas

The basic pattern is the root as a dotted quarter, then the fifth as an eighth, twice per bar; keep it soft and steady, and on D7 the F♯ brings all the colour.

In bossa nova, the bass plays soft and steady, often root and fifth, with no hard attack. The D7 (II7) has a Lydian dominant color: its F♯ is the note to bring out.

Scales to use

• The major scale
• The Lydian dominant scale
• The Mixolydian mode

Played with UnitBasse

This backing track is played by BackTrack, the backing band of UnitBasse 2.0 for Mac: real recorded drums, keys, guitar and horns. In the app, you can change the tempo, the key or the style of the chart, and add the bass if you want to hear it first.

Frequently asked questions