Garota de Ipanema (original title) is one of the most iconic bossa nova songs, composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim (music) and Vinicius de Moraes (Portuguese lyrics) in 1962. It has since become a jazz standard and one of the most recorded songs of all time.
In this lesson, you’ll learn the authentic guitar chords and bossa nova strumming patterns of The Girl From Ipanema, demonstrated on acoustic guitar with a backing track so you can practice along.
There’s often confusion about the original key. Here’s a short recording timeline to clarify:
- 1963: First official recording by Os Cariocas (key: F)
- 1963: Versions released by Pery Ribeiro and Tamba Trio (key: G)
- 1964: The famous Getz/Gilberto album is released. João Gilberto sings the Portuguese vocal, Astrud Gilberto sings the English vocal (lyrics by Norman Gimbel, key: Db).
This became the internationally known version and the one transcribed below. - 1967: Release of another famous version, by Frank Sinatra and Jobim on the album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim (key: F).
The Real Book charts the tune in F, even though it cites the Getz/Gilberto recording, which is in Db.
Recommended Listening:
- João Gilberto and Stan Getz – Getz/Gilberto (1964)
- Charlie Byrd – Dreamsville (1966)
- Frank Sinatra and Antônio Carlos Jobim – Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim (1967)
- Barney Kessel – Live at Sometime (1977)
- Zoot Sims & Bucky Pizzarelli – Elegiac (1980)
Download the PDF, GP files, and backing tracks with JGO+ (click here to join)
The Girl from Ipanema Video
The Girl From Ipanema Chords & Guitar Tabs
Here are the guitar tabs and chord diagrams of the original Getz/Gilberto version of The Girl from Ipanema (in the key of Db).
The rhythm patterns and chord shapes are quite straightforward.
Notice that many chords use the 5th in the bass, a common approach in bossa nova and Latin jazz comping.
The first A-section has a chromatic movement starting at bar 5: Ebm9 → D9 → Db6/9
In the following A-sections, this chord progression is replaced with: Ab13sus4 → Ab13 → Db6/9
Backing Track
Listen & Play-Along
Some trivia about The Girl from Ipanema:
- The song was inspired by Helô Pinheiro, a young woman who often walked past the Veloso bar in Ipanema, where Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes spent time writing. She later said in an interview she passed by to buy cigarettes for her mother. She also claims to be the first woman on the beach to wear a two-piece swimsuit.
- In 2001, Helô Pinheiro was sued by the heirs of the composers for using the title “Garota de Ipanema” as the name of her boutique in São Paulo. She won the case.
- Astrud Gilberto was not originally intended to sing The Girl From Ipanema. The composers first had Sarah Vaughan in mind, but they eventually convinced Gilberto’s wife, Astrud Gilberto, to do the vocals. Astrud had never sung professionally, but her first recording became part of one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time.
- The Rio de Janeiro district called Ipanema was not a well-known area back then. The tune helped turn it into one of the most famous beaches in the world. The street where the Veloso bar was located is now named Vinicius de Moraes Street.
- Helô Pinheiro later modeled and appeared twice in Brazilian Playboy (1987 and 2003).
- On the 1967 Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim album, Sinatra insisted on his full formal name being used. He reportedly did this so that Jobim’s name would not appear longer than his on the cover.
Download the PDF, GP files, and backing tracks with JGO+ (click here to join)
Have you heard Jeff Beck’s cover ?
I loved it to read that Sinatra’s full name was written (at his demand) on the record’s cover as to match the length of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s one !! (good try, but his talent never quite matched, in my opinion !). Such a big ego – I didn’t even notice he ever recorded the song – 🤗
How did Stan Getz do it ? Stanislas ‘Getz’ Gayetsky I ?? (picked up his girl instead I heard) 🙄
Nope, it was Joao Gilberto’s…
No brasil tocamos sempre bossa nova com violao de cordas de nylon. nunca de aço.
Enjoy seeing the rhythmic patters written out with the subtle variations. One question, i was taught to always anticipate the chord, that is the and of 4, you are playing the next chord if that’s in the rhythm you want. For example on bar 36, you play Absus on the and of beat 4 (anticipating) and same for bar 40 , play the Db69 on the and of 4. It also gives you a bit more time to make the chord change. Thoughts?
Much of jazz plays a little “in front of the beat,” so going to the next chord on the “& of 4” is a common thing, but not essential in Brazilian music. This technique does help jazz in general by providing a certain “propulsion” to the time feel.
Every time I see you have posted a new song I get excited because your versions are always THE BEST! Im not a good enough guitar player to be able to play jazz but I love to try anyway. And now you have my favorite song! Whoopee and thank you!
You’re welcome Joyce, thanks for the kind feedback!
Beautiful transcription, thank you for that. I don’t think however the song would have made it if its title would have been ‘The Bloke From Ikapella’. 😎
😂
Wow, the ego of Frank Sinatra!! “oh, his name is longer than mine!” Never mind I’m the bigger artist but my ego is limitless.
IMO, his phrasing is tops, but he is very pitchy – which is very annoying.
When I’m playing a gig and I hear someone call out “The Girl” I usually decline to play it because it’s always played in the Real Book key and it just doesn’t sound the same. It loses all the magic and turns it into an easy listening tune.
The problem is no one knows the Db version.
The key should not matter. And when a singer is involved, the key must chosen according to the singer’s range and discretion. I think all accomplished musicians know this.
Hello.
Amazing sounding song. I’ve been wondering which order to play the song in as I am assuming the song gets repeated somewhere but I’m not sure where or how.
Hi Jean
The bars of the intro aren’t numbered so it loops from bar 1 to end of bar 40
( that bar is marked || at the end )
I’m going for intro, go round twice then do the end bit, maybe tweak it a bit in the second pass : )
It’s an A-A-B-A form. This is the most common form there is. I suggest looking for the repeat, then find the bridge (the ‘B’ section,) then notice the single A section that finishes the form. Then the entire form repeats.
Wow, finally the chords sound right to this song. I’ve always been playing the A section using standard A-Train chords, which works, but isn’t quite right. Many thanks!
Although “Take the ‘A’ Train” and “The Girl from Ipanema” both contain dominant +11 (b5) chords, the chord progressions are very different. The key doesn’t matter, but listen to your self and choose chords and voicings that sound right to you with the melody. Fake books or other notation may not get it right.
Hi Dirk,
many thanks you show simply that song is a part of life. Excellent quality and gentle music.
Tomasz
Thank you for this authentic sounding version. Have loved this song since 1965 in 8th grade when my older brother, Alex, sent me a U.S. Army songbook (from where he was stationed in Korea). Of course it was in the key of F and just had chord names above the lyrics—no diagrams. A great learning experience and across all these years I have played that no-quite-right version. Until now. Your transcription has the right sound, the correct chords and inversions. Never would have “heard” it well enough to learn without the diagrams.
Thank you for another wonderful lesson Dirk. This one especially being one of the loveliest tunes ever written. Great job my friend! Kindest Regards, Martin
This is one of my all-time favorites. I can’t thank you enough Dirk.
Thanks
Ray
I have met Heloisa in Sau Paulo, Brasil. Her jewelry shop makes beautiful pieces, but my favorite is a gold necklace with Helo’s silhouette with waves below her feet. Help also wrote a book about her life experiences, touring with Jobim for a while. She gratefully autographed her book for me, and wrote a nice note.
great voicings on the acoustic
Nice chords and analysis. I gig with a Latin Jazz group and look forward to trying out these chord forms. I’ve also been to the bar you refer to here. Fun place.
My guess is Fmaj7, ie, a chord with F, A, C, and E in it — if you write Fj7, then you can also write Fm7 for a chord with F, Ab, C and Eb . . . (which people do anyway!). It’s not very logical, and I may be wrong, but it does save you two letters in chords’ names, which can get quite long.
I have been slaving over this song for years, there’s an entire school of study of this song. It is mesmerizing… I know now that I will never get there, and that some will get farther than me, but I will keep climbing the wall to try and get to the top so I can see over to the promised land of Brazilian Jazz. So grateful for you!
Wonderful chord diagrams. I am seventy years old and just starting to learn Bossa Nova chords. I learned this song years ago by ear and trial and error because it was one of my favorites and am now trying to find the true chords that were played. Thank you so much for your wonderful transcription. Without your help I would never have figured it out.
Hi Frank, glad I can help!
There’s no such thing as “bossa nova chords.”
Your site rocks man!
I like these chords. Sounds authentic. Bossa sound. Thanks.
Didn’t know about the sweet story of this fascinating and almost best known bossa all over the world. Thanks buddy 🙂
Dear Dirk
I just saw this lesson recently, having been in hospital after fracturing my hip!!
Congratulations on your take on this wonderful bossa standard
Best wishes
Max Willow
Thanks Max, and I wish you a swift recovery!
Thanks for the fascinating history behind this beautiful bossa song.
Most other sources indicate that this song is in the key of F…
Hi, The Girl From Ipanema has been played in many different keys, usually to accommodate the singer’s vocal range. This is the key of the original recording. Cheers!
Hi Rodrigo, did they ever record a version in F? According to Wikipedia, most Brazilian recordings are in the key of Db, while most American recordings are in the key of F.
This is correct.
Hi Dirk, I’m new to many of these up neck Jazz chords so I’m a little confused and let me explain. I’ve been using guitar pro to start learning this wonderful tune and the only one I could find in my song book was an arrangement in the key of Ab, but all the referenced chords are the same as what you’ve posted in Db? Maybe a weak theory understanding on my end? or are these same chords by different names? Please clarify if you get time. Thank you! Mark
It is common for a composer to provide harmony that ventures a bit out of the key. This makes it a little tricky when indicating the correct key signature. The person who wrote the same progression but notated the key of A-flat was probably thrown off by the Eb dominant chords (they could imply the key of A-flat.) But this is incorrect. This version is written in the key of D-flat, and there is nothing wrong with using an Eb dominant chord in that key. The best way to determine a key (although not 100% fool proof) is to examine the final chord. This version is in D-flat (5 flats.)
Dear Dirk
This is a great chord tab for me as a beginner jazz guitar player. As my son plays the alto sax I would like to play this tune with him.
Denise
Wonderfull,many thanks 😀
This entire site makes me happy 🙂
Yes – this is exactly what i’ve been looking for – a million thanks!!
Thanks a lot for tabs and for the history! Its very interesting! Joy!
Dirk,
thank you for providing standard chord (grid) diagrams above the TAB lines. This makes all the difference for me; (and I’m sure for quite a few others out there as well).
I’ll second that. Really useful, especially when starting out. I find trying to visualize the chord from the notation quite difficult when learning the song.
When I plug in the first chord in a chord finder app, it says B Flat 7sus and the root of the chord is A flat, why does the notation say D flat 6/9?
Hi Jon, that chord is the second inversion of Db 6/9, so Db 6/9 with the 5th in the bass. Chords with the 5th in the bass are used often in bossa nova.
What does the red dot mean on the chord diagrams?
Hi Jon, the red dot is the root (the 1) of the chord.
Thank you!
Dank für die schönen akkorde
Excellent lesson! I hope you could cover lead/melody part. Thank you!
This is the BEST song page I’ve ever found on the internet!! GREAT transcription, great info from the readers, wow I learned so much!! Thanks Dirk!
Thanks so much – brilliant – sounds just right.
Thank you, I’m really enjoying getting these beautiful chord changes under my fingers. This is a very pleasant introduction to bossa nova for me, as it has been to the wonderful world of jazz also through your posts! I appreciate your sharing, fantastic! 🙂
Great! it’s a fine idea to include chords on the sheet! Many thanks.
I got your email this morning, and it really made my day. I wanted to learn to play this song for so long.
She was certainly a lovely piece of spice in her day, I can see why the boys were moved to write such a great encapsulating song… lovely. Thanks for posting!
EXCELLENT. Where? can we find more or be able to purchase a sheet music book with the original chords and bossa nova guitar patterns of Antonio Carlos Jobim songs, especially: Wave, Waters of March, Slightly Out of Tune (Desafinado), Meditation, Quiet Nights and Quiet Stars(Corcovado), One Note Samba, Dindi, Summer Samba.
We have several different versions of bossa nova music, but this is the best. With it we can play The Girl of Ipanema against the original recordings and they sound just great. Bossa Nova music is just great. Great melody, great harmony, great feelings.
Love
Hi everybody. “Garota de Ipanema” made its debut in August 1962 at a club in Copacabana called “Au Bon Gourmet”. In this concert, the original starting chord is F7M, as Joe Z pointed out. The chords used in this lesson are similar to the version of Astrud Gilberto, João Gilberto and Stan Getz, recorded in 1963, as Steve Martin wrote.
By the time that this song was created, Helô Pinheiro was know by her former name, Heloísa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto. I can not remember when she changed her name.
Wonderful work!
Thanks for this lesson. I’ve been using these chords except for the variations in the B part. Always enjoy alternate voicings! Also on the seventh chords I’ve been using a barre so may try to use the fingering you show. Don’t know why that fingering is preferred as it seems like more work to me. Thanks for your clear lessons.
Rick
Great lesson and so nice to get these chords out!
My first post, but long time subscriber. Thanks for the time and effort you put into these lessons, books and web site. Like many others, I play this one in F, but I will transpose and apply some of these shapes for variety! I also wanted to say thanks for the history of the song and Helo Pinheiro. All these years of wondering who she was. That’s some great conversational info for a gig!
Best wishes!
Thanks for this. Very useful. Any chance of exploring the rhythmn patterns for accompanying bossa nova? I’m looking at A Felicidia by Viniscius and Toqinho at the moment and finding it difficult to figure out what patterns Toquinho uses. I love his understated guitar style.
Dear Dirk,
thank you so much for the chords to this greatest of all songs (in its own way). I’ve had similar ones from the internet, but yours are better. Was looking for them, too, because I can also sing this piece, so was looking for some easy way to accompany on guitar. Easy, but elegant, mind you 🙂 And here comes yours, which is just that. It’ll be easier now for me to compose some small solo for this one, too. I imagine a good jazz song MUST include some small, but effective solo of a sort.
Thanks, how about Mas Que Nada? I love that one too!
Thank you I was just trying to learn this song you made it easier!
Old time bossa nova jazz standard that all jazz guitarists gotta know, simply because everyone knows it and it always gets called out as a request or called out by other players just b/c it’s fun to groove with. Glad you did it as I never get tired of learning new keys to play it in. WTG!
Fun, fun, and more fun. It’s all in the rhythm. Thanks!
Having found my way to jazz through those easy campfire fingerings and natural rhythms of bossa nova, I am really happy to find you covering the granddaddy of them all. I learned it in the key of F through the Almir Chediak transcriptions, but Dirk’s transcription is that of the most popular version made popular on the album with Joao and Getz. Much thanks! In addition to newcomers to bossa nova, ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ is one of the few whose English translation lays well in the groove. Most of the translations of early songs sound perfectly awful in English and sound better even in faux-Portuguese. Many of you may know that ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ is the second most covered popular song of all time, topped only by by Paul McCartney’s ‘Yesterday’. But what a lot of people don’t know is the huge number of ethereally haunting melodies that came from Jobim’s pen and never made it into English translations for the market outside of Brazil. Three albums I would recommend are ‘Tom and Elis’, ‘Passarim’, and the more recent, HIGHLY recommended “Morelenbaum 2/Sakamoto: Casa” … they can pretty much be found on Youtube, along with the early classic instrumental recordings of Tom’s music … Wave, Tide, and Stone Flower.
Thanks much Dirk … for pointing to a sultry musical introduction to the coming summer months!
Thanks. That’s one beautiful song to play on the guitar.
I came across your splendid tutorials a year or so ago and since then you’ve taught me so much. I’ve wanted to learn to play jazz for many, many years (I’m at the ripe old age of 66 now) and it was your lessons that finally gave me the breakthrough I needed: those combined with picking up a rather fine old Hofner 477 – as well as a ‘few’ other vintage Hofners and a couple of other very nice old German archtops (Rod Hoyer, Klira and Tellson). It’s certainly right what they say about ‘having the right tools for the job.’
‘Ipanema’ is one of those tunes I’ve wanted to learn for donkey’s years, but never quite got round to it. A while back I picked up a lovely Brazilian-made Giannini classical guitar and for some reason(!) it just wanted to play Bossa Nova tunes…! I found a couple of decent tabs online and managed to put together a more than satisfactory version of it – as well as finding a couple of other melodies that I have always liked (‘Insensatez’ and ‘Manha de Carnaval’). So it was really nice to receive your latest offering today: couldn’t be more topical for me.
I still have a long way to go towards really understanding the mechanics of jazz guitar, although many years of playing blues has been a tremendous advantage I think. So thanks again to both of you for giving me so much more to play and to think about. Who said you couldn’t teach an old dog a few new tricks…!