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26 Berklee today WOODSHED THE Harmonic Analysis of a Classic Brazilian Tune Of all the diverse and beautiful popu- lar song traditions worldwide, I believe that of Brazil stands head and shoulders above the rest. The amazing variety, sub- tlety, and depth of the music are evident in all aspects of the repertoire: harmonic, melodic, rhythmic, and lyric. At its best, the music transcends its commercial con- text and rises to the level of art song. I have happily taught "The Harmony of Brazilian Song" for over 15 years, a course that surveys and analyzes the best of Brazilian popular music from 1920 to the present day. I am indebted to Matthew Nicholl for his extensive work in creating the conceptual framework and repertoire collection of the original course, including the transcription of the song "A Mais Bonita" shown on page 27. I will use harmonic analysis of the tune to point out some techniques that are widely used by Brazilian songwriters. Rhythmic and melodic analysis would re- veal similar creativity and innovation. We can identify three very broad his- torical and stylistic categories for Brazilian popular songs: classic samba, bossa nova, and "MPB" (musica popular Brasilieira or Brazilian popular music). It's as diverse and inclusive as referring to "American Popular Music" from the 1960s to the present. In both countries from the mid-sixties on- ward, there was an explosion of stylistic di- versity and a hunger for experimentation. "A Mais Bonita" was penned by perhaps the greatest songwriter of the MPB era: Francisco Buarque de Holanda, popularly known as "Chico" Buarque. Like all the great MPB songwriters, Chico had roots firmly in the samba and bossa nova traditions. He and his contem- poraries extended this vocabulary con- siderably. He is a master at creating long, colorful progressions linked by linear bass lines, deceptive resolutions, and common tones in a way that often obscures tradi- tional tonic, subdominant, and dominant functions. "A Mais Bonita" is just one ex- ample of his harmonic skills. The song is divided into two parts: the introductory verse and the chorus, or main body of the song. The tune is nominally in the key of B-flat, but the tonic chord ap- pears just four times in 37 bars, for a total of only 10 beats! Chico uses a wide variety of harmonic strategies to create a harmonic narrative that stretches the limits of the to- nality, yet still sounds natural and flowing. B b maj7 in bar one immediately gives way to V7/IV that resolves not to the ex- pected E b maj7, but to E b -6 and A b 7 instead. These are common cadential modal-inter- change chords that typically return to the I chord. Here they "dissolve" gradually to G7: E b -6 and A b 7 both share a tritone with D7 (V7/VI), so all three of those chords direct the listener to the G7 goal. Along the way, D-7 b 5 is interpolated as a subdominant partner to the G7sus4/G7. The effect of these cumulative resolutions and suspen- sions in several voices is unpredictable, but subtle. They set the stage for continuing unexpected outcomes. The chromatic bass line continues in bars 6 through 8. G-7 appears to be an in- terpolated "dual function" chord: tonic function in B b , but acting locally as a re- lated II-7 (subdominant preparation) of C7. However, the secondary dominant poten- tial of C7 (V7/V) is not fulfilled, so G-7 finally acts as IV-7 of the D- /A in bar 7. B b -6 and A7 also share a common tritone, and resolve directly to D-. After the restless opening bars, its relatively stable tonic function is underlined by its duration of a full mea- sure. It immediately evolves into D-7 b 5, the related II of G7, V/II in bar 8. The G7 does not resolve per se, but is still followed by the alternate subdominant IV chord in bar 9. Just as in the prior phrase, G- sets up A7, but this time, F in bar 11 is substituted for the D- that was heard in bar 7. At this point, I abandon Roman nu- merals temporarily until bar 17. The lack of dominant resolution and other tonicizing factors give this region a sense of transi- tional, overlapping tonalities. Multiple im- plied key centers are an important stylistic feature of Chico's music. The tonal ambi- guity is part of the appeal of his songs. As the V of the key, the F chord in bar 11 would usually have strong dominant function, but the inverted triadic voicing, and parallel phrase position and duration with the earlier D- obscure the typical har- monic imperative. Instead, it progresses to the bIII of the key of B b , a darkly colorful tonic modal interchange. With a chro- by Joe Mulholland matic alteration, D b becomes the related II chord of G7, which again progresses to the "other" subdominant: IV instead of II In bar 12. Raising the fifth of the E b chord in bar 13 sets the stage for the appearance of A b maj7 in the next bar. The A b maj7, A b 7, and A-7 in measures 14 through 16 make a fascinating six-beat root pattern across three bars: A b , A b ; A, A b ; A b , A. The three chords have strong functional identities in G major, but the melody implies otherwise. The bass motion ends back on A natural, the leading tone of B b , underpinning a V chord, which finally resolves as expected to Imaj7 in bar 17, the start of the chorus. The melody in the verse is vintage Chico; severely restricted in scope. The first half of each line is a lightly decorated workout on a single pitch (see bars 1, 5, 9, and 13.) Taken in sequence, they also form a pattern: 5 – 3 – 6 – 4. The chorus melody, by contrast, is sweepingly lyrical. The relentless half-note harmonic rhythm continues, starting in bar 17 with a chord progression similar to that of the song's opening two bars. The phrase structure is unusual here. Starting in bar 17, the melodic phrases are in groups of three, two, two, and then one bar. Measure 24 serves as a pickup measure to the next phrase, (bars 25-27) which is a modified re- statement of measures 17-19. In bars 25 through 28, we hear a pat- tern of whole step bass motion: E-F # , E b -F, G-A and B b A b . Using the bassline as a pow- erful organizing force is found in other tunes Chico has written. He creates pro- gressions that have clear forward motion, but transcend typical functional patterns. In this phrase, I suggest that he touches on G minor and D b as briefly implied tonali- ties. Other interpretations are possible, but there is a subtle suggestion of symmetrical organization of tonic keys (G/B b /D b , with E being absent). Chico and other Brazilian writers often exploit parallel and relative relationships to great effect. From bar 31 onward, the harmony be- comes more familiar and less searchingly ambiguous. It's a fitting way to bring clarity and closure to an astonishing popular song. Seek out the recording and listen repeat- edly. Different facets of beauty emerge with every listening. Joe Mulholland, a professor in the Harmony Department, is a pianist, composer, and recording artist. He coauthored The Berklee Book of Jazz Harmony with fellow faculty member Tom Hojnacki.