“How Insensitive” is a bossa nova composed by Brazilian musician Antônio Carlos Jobim. The lyrics were written in Portuguese by Vinícius de Moraes and in English by Norman Gimbel.
In this lesson we start by listening to the Jobim’s version to get the original chords. We then do the harmonic and melodic analysis. We learn about the correct bossa nova rhythm and how to interpret the melody. We study the bass line, chords scales and arpeggios. I give a great rhythmic exercise, a piano arrangement and a guitar arrangement.
Video lessons:
Playlist
Lessons
Playlist
Lyrics:
How insensitive
I must have seemed
When he told me that he loved me
How unmoved and cold
I must have seemed
When he told me so sincerely
Why he must have asked
Did I just turn and stare in icy silence
What was I to say
What can you say
When a love affair is over
Now he’s gone away
And I’m alone
With a memory of his last look
Vague and drawn and sad
I see it still
All his heartbreak in his last look
Why, he must have asked
Could I just turn and stare in icy silence
What was I to do
What can one do
When a love affair is over
Lessons
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27 comments on “How Insensitive”
great job Gloria! here are a few remarks, mainly try to be a little more rhythmical and more percussive in your attack. Your left hand is doing great 🙂
Thank you so much, Alex. It helps me a lot. I will focus on the attack and short phrases! It’s amazing that we are able to see them Hands, I can get some more ideas, thank you. I played it in B minor because I sang it just for fun and it was easier in this key.
And yes, your are right, I sometimes see the Ireal Pro Chart. I lernt the harmony by heart but I think I see it because I get lost sometimes with the metric 😅. I will put it aside.
See you tomorrow
Studying How Insensitive
yes Dulce! great stuff 🙂 gotta try to make these sixteenth notes phrases though!
Ok Alex, thank you for the feedback. I’ll try with the sixteenth notes soon. In fact, I have always had issues with fast tempos and phrases:/ I can’t think so fast.
Thanks his such a helpful feedback. Yes I really need to work on basics instead of being carried away with with the songs in my head. I can’t make the live session as I have a meeting booked at the same time but will try and get the recording, thanks again
Hi. This is my attempt at How insensitive. i tried to do it from memory but had to keep checking the charts hence odd eyeline . There are plenty of bum notes there and probably not enough phrasing but would welcome constructive comments.
Hi Kati Whitaker!
Kati Whitaker
Alex Terrier Thanks so much Alex. i am away till next Saturday so havent been logging in very much and only just seen this,. i realise my problem,. i didnt realise there were a set of other lessons in the play list next to the original lesson. So I will now be able to follow those. thanks too for your advice on where to start with your lessons. This will be really useful when i get back
Here’s one more version with Charlie Byrd on guitar and (I think, based on what I could find on the internet) Bud Shank on alto.
Pedro this is wonderful;.fantastic laid back feel. Incredible movie too
I started to study the lessons on How Insensitive and remembered I collaborated with Danilo, a friend of mine, in a video clip of that song. Danilo is a professional photographer and does beautiful movies. We met in a sax students group. We are both very amateurs in playing sax. And he invited his russian friend to play the piano and sing. It’s a very long video. My solo starts at 4:30, mainly doing the arpeggios. I just chose the notes that seemed right, because I’ve listened to this song so many times…I find it amazing that he did everything using just an iphone (mixing the audio, the images, etc). So, it’s a “video” about How Insensitive, with an attempt to play it… LOL
Here,s a beautiful version with Roy Hargrove with strings (as I think !) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuNJ1mi37VU
Guy DAMEZ the video is not available on my end 🙁 maybe some geographic restrictions…
Beautiful. Lyrical. Hargrove is a master. RIP
Hi. I have found this version by Art Farmer…
Ciao
Matteo
Thanks Matteo, very cool version, I added it to the playlist 🙂
Here’s a nice up-tempo live version live by Harold Mabern with Eric Alexander.and others.
Burning!
Hi Alex, great lesson and also thanks for the Bass Video, it was really interesting. I don’t know if it’s possible, but do you think we could be able to see also the keyboard while you play?
Would be interesting and helpful to see how you arrange between the hands and the voicings.
Thank you and see you on Saturday
Hello Alex, can you tell me why the original version is not the real book version? the harmonic path of the original seems more in tune with the melancholy of the melody and the lyrics. Thank you for these very interesting videos.
Very, very bien interesting boss’s bass. Bravo Alex…,
This video (bossa nova styles with Hamilton Pinheiro.) is absolutely stunning. The meeting of two Americas ! thank you for sharing.
Very interesting video about brazilian bass line, thanks Pierre Gros for this link 🙂
A vey interesting and important class on the differences of approaches to bossa nova and brazilian genres in general. Thumbs up!