August 22

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Bossa Nova Left-Hand Crash Course for Solo Piano — 3-Part Video Series

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By Thomas Gunther

August 22, 2026

Bossa Nova Samba

What You’ll Find in This Post

This post brings together

  • Free companion PDF containing the patterns from the series and helpful practice tips
  • Three-part Bossa Nova Left-Hand Crash Course video series
  • Bossa nova rhythm playbacks for practicing

In order to get the free Bossa Nova Left-Hand Crash Course for Solo Piano Video Companion PDF, first subscribe to our newsletter by entering your email address below and clicking the Subscribe & Get Free PDF button.

Please check your email inbox and follow the confirmation instructions. After your subscription is confirmed, you will receive a separate email containing the link to your free PDF. Please allow up to 10 minutes for the entire process to complete.

About This Video Series

Playing solo piano in a bossa nova style can be quite challenging. We want to play the melody or improvise with our right hand while replacing an entire rhythm section with our left hand.

I have spent years studying bossa nova patterns, beginning with João Gilberto’s guitar rhythms and exploring how they can be transferred to the pianist’s left hand. This is not an easy task, but once you understand how it works, it is tremendous fun—and it can make you sound like a bossa nova guru!

In this three-part video series, I will introduce you to practical one- and two-bar bossa nova patterns for the left hand based on the famous guitar rhythms created by the original pioneers of the style. I will then show you how you can apply these patterns to the II–V–I jazz cadence.


The lessons are designed so that beginners can follow them step by step, while more advanced players can use the patterns, variations, and practice concepts to expand their bossa nova playing.

You will also learn how to adapt the patterns to different keys and chord progressions on your own. As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Rather than giving you every pattern in every key, I want to give you the tools to create and apply your own variations.

Bossa Nova Percussion Practice Tracks

The two videos below are not meant for viewing—they contain the percussion practice tracks for you to play along with. The first track is at 110 BPM, and the second is at 130 BPM.

Use them to practice the left-hand patterns from the video series and develop a steady bossa nova groove.

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Thomas Gunther

About the author

PopJazzKeys.com founder Thomas Gunther is a highly versatile Chicago-based jazz pianist, keyboardist, music producer, and educator. He was born and raised in Germany, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Performing Jazz and Popular Music from the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart.

After relocating to Chicago, Thomas quickly became the principal pianist for the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, which was directed by the esteemed music arranger and composer William Russo (arranger for the Stan Kenton Orchestra). In this role, he had the opportunity to collaborate with renowned artists such as Randy Brecker, Body DiFranco, Archie Shepp, Jon Faddis, Cassandra Wilson, and Orbert Davis.

Today, Thomas is an integral part of the Chicago music scene, performing solo and with various groups both as a sideman and as a leader. In addition to his performance career, he has produced, arranged, and recorded a substantial body of work, serving both in leadership roles and as a collaborator.

Thomas also provides music arranging and orchestration services for ensembles of all sizes, including contributions to the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. As an educator, he shares his expertise as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia College Chicago. For more information about Thomas, visit https://www.ThomasGunther.com.

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