How does ‘One-Note Samba’ work?





So tell me:



3 thoughts on “How does ‘One-Note Samba’ work?

  1. Kathryn Fenner

    It’s not just on one note, of course. I think it is the contrast between the syncopated one note phrase and the even-spaced tag.
    Also, the B line/bridge is very varied in pitch and only syncopated at the end of the phrase.

  2. Scout

    The chord structure is changing under the one note. I think that’s what keeps it interesting along with the rhythm like Kathryn says. That one note has a completely different feel depending on it’s relation to the chord under it so you have sensation of movement even though the melody note isn’t changing.

    I’ve been trying to think of some other songs that do this. The main vocal on the verses of Help stay alot on the same note while the backing vocals and chords change behind and under it. Also There is Love by Peter Paul and Mary spends alot of time on one note with the chords changing behind. I think as long you’ve got the juxtaposition of something moving somewhere, it doesn’t get too monotonous.

  3. Phillip

    Kathryn and Scout both have it right. If you watch this how-to video, you can see that the bass line, the bottom note of the harmony, moves progressively down chromatically (meaning, by consecutive half-steps, D, D-flat, C, etc.) while the melody repeats the same pitch…so as Scout was saying, in each bar of the “melody” the pitch has a sort of different color, even though it’s not going anywhere. Everything is changing around it.

    But it’s the syncopation of the samba rhythm that is the most infectious thing, isn’t it? Almost every note of the “tune” of One-Note-Samba is NOT happening on a beat, just anticipates the beat very slightly. And then as Kathryn pointed out, the bridge is completly different, melody ranging up and down the scale before returning to the “one-note.” Jobim was a genius, a master of harmonic motion. A lot of his tunes have fairly static melodies if you think about it, at least until you get to the bridge…Corcovado (my favorite), Girl from Ipanema.


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