Antonio Carlos Jobim - A Felicidade - Guitar Tab

The Wonderful World Of Antonio Carlos Jobim

1965 2:05

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About A Felicidade

Few songs reveal the quiet complexity of bossa nova guitar quite like "A Felicidade." Written by Antonio Carlos Jobim, this piece sits in C major at a relaxed 92 BPM, which sounds forgiving until you try to hold the rhythmic feel together. The bossa nova right-hand pattern is the real challenge: the thumb carries a steady bass note while the fingers pluck syncopated chord tones above it, all without a pick. Getting that independence clean takes real patience, and the Practice Toolbar is your best tool here, loop the pattern slowed down until your thumb and fingers stop fighting each other. On the left hand, expect rich extended chord voicings, major sevenths, ninths, and added sixths that sit comfortably in E Standard tuning but require careful fingering to voice cleanly. The feel needs to sit slightly behind the beat, loose but locked. Resist the urge to rush the syncopation, because the groove lives in the space between the notes. Jazz sensibility helps, but the Brazilian rhythmic language here is its own thing worth studying separately.

• The core challenge is the bossa nova fingerstyle pattern, where the thumb holds an independent bass line against syncopated chord plucks above.
• Extended chord voicings, including major sevenths and ninths, are central to the harmony and require precise left-hand fingering throughout.
• At 92 BPM in E Standard, the tempo feels relaxed, but maintaining consistent rhythmic subdivision without rushing the syncopation is genuinely demanding.