MPB

History and character

MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) names the trend in urban Brazilian music after bossa nova, born in the mid-1960s, which reworks samba, samba-canção, baião, frevo, toada and marcha with influences from jazz, rock, pop and art music, and with lyrics of high poetic value. The term caught on around 1965–1966 thanks to the televised song festivals (TV Excelsior, TV Record), which had an enormous impact in the 1960s: the start of MPB is often tied to Elis Regina's performance of "Arrastão" (Edu Lobo and Vinicius de Moraes) at the 1965 festival, whose single became the best-selling record in Brazilian music up to that point. Programs like O Fino da Bossa (Elis and Jair Rodrigues) and Jovem Guarda (Roberto Carlos's pop-rock) split the audience.

The festival generation includes Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Maria Bethânia, Milton Nascimento, Edu Lobo, Jorge Ben (Jor), Elis Regina, Nara Leão, and Geraldo Vandré. In 1967–1968 Tropicália (Caetano, Gil, Gal, Tom Zé, Os Mutantes, with the arranger Rogério Duprat; the collective album Tropicália ou Panis et Circencis, 1968) combined electric guitars, the avant-garde, psychedelia and popular culture, provoking the purists. During the military dictatorship (1964–1985) censorship hit the artists: Chico Buarque used metaphors, as in "Apesar de Você" (1970); Caetano and Gil went into exile in London (1969–1972). In the 1970s MPB gained prestige as listening music: the Clube da Esquina of Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges (Minas Gerais, 1972), the Novos Baianos (Acabou Chorare, 1972), Djavan, Ivan Lins, João Bosco and Aldir Blanc, Belchior, Fagner, Elis & Tom (1974, with "Águas de Março"); telenovela soundtracks brought it into people's homes. From the 1980s–'90s onward: Marisa Monte, Adriana Calcanhotto, Lenine, Seu Jorge, Maria Rita, up to Céu, Tim Bernardes, Liniker and Anavitória.

Characteristics: harmonic complexity (a legacy of bossa and jazz), elaborate lyrics tied to Brazilian poetry, folk themes and rhythms, a great variety of arrangements (from voice and guitar to orchestra, from electric rock to samba), and expressive, personal voices.

Scales and keys

Major (Ionian)

• Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 — W W H W W W H (semitones 2 2 1 2 2 2 1)
• Example in D: D E F# G A B C#
• Characteristic note: the 7 (leading tone) and the major 3: brightness and a strong V–I resolution
• Diatonic triads: D (I) – Em (ii) – F#m (iii) – G (IV) – A (V) – Bm (vi) – C#dim (vii°)
• Seventh chords: Dmaj7 (Imaj7) – Em7 (ii7) – F#m7 (iii7) – Gmaj7 (IVmaj7) – A7 (V7) – Bm7 (vi7) – C#m7b5 (viiø7)
• Use in the genre: the basis of much of the repertoire, with extended harmony (maj7, 9, 13) and modulations; wide, singable melodies with expressive leaps.
• Real-world example: Chico Buarque — A Banda (1966) and many festival songs in major with functional harmony.
• Common mistakes: poor harmonizations: MPB calls for chords with extensions and carefully crafted bass lines.

Dorian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 — W H W W W H W (semitones 2 1 2 2 2 1 2)
• Example in E: E F# G A B C# D
• Characteristic note: the major 6 over a minor base: an 'open' minor, less sad, which gives a major IV
• Diatonic triads: Em (i) – F#m (ii) – G (III) – A (IV) – Bm (v) – C#dim (vi°) – D (VII)
• Seventh chords: Em7 (i7) – F#m7 (ii7) – Gmaj7 (IIImaj7) – A7 (IV7) – Bm7 (v7) – C#m7b5 (viø7) – Dmaj7 (VIImaj7)
• Use in the genre: widely used in the Clube da Esquina and by Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges and Toninho Horta: minor chords with the major 6, i–IV vamps, modal suspensions.
• Real-world example: the harmonies of the Clube da Esquina (1972) and of Milton Nascimento are full of Dorian and Mixolydian modal colors.
• Common mistakes: always resolving tonally: many songs stay suspended.

Mixolydian

• Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 — W W H W W H W (semitones 2 2 1 2 2 1 2)
• Example in A: A B C# D E F# G
• Characteristic note: the b7 over a major base: an 'earthy,' festive major, with no leading tone
• Diatonic triads: A (I) – Bm (ii) – C#dim (iii°) – D (IV) – Em (v) – F#m (vi) – G (VII)
• Seventh chords: A7 (I7) – Bm7 (ii7) – C#m7b5 (iiiø7) – Dmaj7 (IVmaj7) – Em7 (v7) – F#m7 (vi7) – Gmaj7 (VIImaj7)
• Use in the genre: in Northeastern-inspired tracks (Gilberto Gil, Alceu Valença, Elba Ramalho) and in Jorge Ben's funk-samba vamps: the b7 as a tonic color.
• Real-world example: Jorge Ben — País Tropical (1969) and many Gilberto Gil tracks over dominant vamps.
• Common mistakes: treating the I7 as a dominant that has to resolve.

Lydian

• Formula: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 — W W W H W W H (semitones 2 2 2 1 2 2 1)
• Example in F: F G A B C D E
• Characteristic note: the #4: a suspended, dreamy, 'floating' major
• Diatonic triads: F (I) – G (II) – Am (iii) – Bdim (iv°) – C (V) – Dm (vi) – Em (vii)
• Seventh chords: Fmaj7 (Imaj7) – G7 (II7) – Am7 (iii7) – Bm7b5 (ivø7) – Cmaj7 (Vmaj7) – Dm7 (vi7) – Em7 (vii7)
• Use in the genre: a 'dreamy' color frequent in the harmonies of Milton Nascimento, Toninho Horta and Ivan Lins (maj7#11 chords).
• Real-world example: the open harmonies of Milton Nascimento and Toninho Horta often use maj7#11 and stacked fourths.
• Common mistakes: using the natural 4 over a maj7#11.

Melodic minor (jazz)

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 — W H W W W W H (semitones 2 1 2 2 2 2 1)
• Example in G: G A Bb C D E F#
• Characteristic note: major 6 and 7 over a minor third: an elegant, jazzy, ascending minor
• Diatonic triads: Gm (i) – Am (ii) – Bbaug (III+) – C (IV) – D (V) – Edim (vi°) – F#dim (vii°)
• Seventh chords: Gm(maj7) (i(maj7)) – Am7 (ii7) – Bbmaj7#5 (III+maj7) – C7 (IV7) – D7 (V7) – Em7b5 (viø7) – F#m7b5 (viiø7)
• Use in the genre: for sophisticated minor songs (Chico Buarque, Edu Lobo): i6, i(maj7), altered dominants.
• Real-world example: Chico Buarque — Construção (1971): minor harmony with cyclical progressions and an orchestral crescendo (Rogério Duprat).
• Common mistakes: using it without the right chord underneath (m6 or m(maj7)).

Choosing among the genre's scales

• Tonal singer-songwriter song → major and minor with extensions.
• Clube da Esquina / Minas → Dorian, Lydian, stacked fourths, pedals.
• Northeast, Jorge Ben, Tropicália groove → Mixolydian.
• Sophisticated minor song → melodic minor.
• MPB is an author's language: the scale depends on the artist and on the underlying rhythm (samba, baião, bossa, rock).

Harmony

Harmonic function

Eclectic but generally rich: functional harmony with extensions and substitutions (a bossa legacy), frequent modulations even to distant keys, modal colors (Dorian, Mixolydian, Lydian) in the Clube da Esquina, pedals and ostinatos (Construção), chromatic progressions, chords built on stacked fourths. In Tropicália and rock tracks, simpler harmony with electric guitars.

Elements

• Chromatic or diatonic descending bass lines under static chords.
• Slash chords (C/E, D/F#, Bb/C).
• Suspensions (sus2, sus4, add9) and fourths (Milton).
• Modulations by a third (Eb → G) and mode changes between verse and chorus.

Voicing

• Guitar with open chords and open strings (Minas), jazz voicings (Djavan, João Bosco).
• Piano and Rhodes with extended chords; orchestras with strings and winds (arrangements by Rogério Duprat, Wagner Tiso, Eumir Deodato).

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

Feel

MPB has no single rhythm: it leans on Brazilian rhythms — samba, bossa, baião, xote, frevo, maracatu, ijexá, toada, marcha-rancho — or on rock, funk and pop. Many tracks mix them: a bossa verse, a samba chorus; a baião groove with rock guitars.

Typical elements

• Brazilian swing on the sixteenth notes (5–15%) when the base is samba or bossa.
• Ijexá (Afro-Bahian, Gilberto Gil, Caetano): agogô and atabaque figure.
• Baião (Gil, Alceu Valença): zabumba and triangle.
• Ballads in free 4/4 or in 6/8 (Milton Nascimento).

Drums

Concept

The drums (and percussion) serve the song: often a jazz/pop drum kit that stylizes a Brazilian rhythm, with added percussion (pandeiro, ganzá, agogô, congas, triangle).

Typical patterns

• Samba/bossa: kick in a surdo figure (1 and 2& in 2/4), cross-stick in the bossa clave, hi-hat or brushes in sixteenth notes.
• Baião: kick imitating the zabumba (1 and 1a, a muted hit on 2), hi-hat/triangle in sixteenth notes (see r-baiao).
• Ijexá: agogô in a syncopated figure, soft kick on 1 and 3&, toms for the atabaques.
• Ballad: kick on 1 and 3, light snare on 2 and 4, brushes or mallets.
• Rock/Tropicália: rock drums with Brazilian colors.

Dynamics

Highly variable: from the intimate (voice and guitar) to the orchestral crescendo (Construção).

Interaction with bass and vocals

The bass (often electric fretless or with melodic lines, e.g. Arthur Maia, Nico Assumpção) dialogues with the voice; the percussion stays as 'colors'.

Typical mistakes

• Using a pop loop that erases the underlying Brazilian rhythm.
• Percussion too loud in singer-songwriter tracks.

Bass

• Sound: electric bass (including fretless) or upright bass; warm, round tone; range E1–G3.
• Role: melodic and contrapuntal lines (much more than simple roots), descending lines under static chords, surdo figures in samba tracks, zabumba figures in baião.
• Notes: roots, thirds and sevenths for inversions, chromaticism.

Harmonic instruments

• Violão (nylon or steel) with open tunings in the Clube da Esquina.
• Piano and Rhodes (Elis, Ivan Lins, Djavan).
• Electric guitar (Tropicália, Os Mutantes, Novos Baianos with Pepeu Gomes).
• Strings and winds (arrangements by Rogério Duprat, Wagner Tiso, Eumir Deodato).
• Cavaquinho, sanfona (accordion), viola caipira in regional tracks.

Melody and vocals

Vocals

• Great variety: powerful, technically perfect voices (Elis Regina), intimate, spoken voices (Chico Buarque), falsettos and 'instrumental' voice (Milton Nascimento), bright voices (Gal Costa, Marisa Monte), scat and melisma (Djavan).
• Melodies are often wide (over an octave and a half), with expressive leaps and chromaticism.
• Poetic, political, metaphorical lyrics (censorship).

Backing vocals

Carefully crafted vocal harmonies (Clube da Esquina, MPB4, Quarteto em Cy), choirs building in crescendo at the endings.

Instruments

• Violão (nylon and steel), electric guitar, viola caipira, cavaquinho
• Piano, Rhodes, organ, synths (1980s)
• Electric/fretless bass, upright bass
• Drums, pandeiro, ganzá, agogô, congas, triangle, zabumba, atabaques
• Strings, winds, sanfona
• Lead vocals, backing vocals

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Stage-73 V — 1970s MPB Rhodes: Extended chords of Ivan Lins, Djavan, Elis Regina: light tremolo.
• Piano V — Singer-songwriter piano: Grand piano for ballads and orchestral songs.
• Augmented Strings — Rogério Duprat / Wagner Tiso-style strings: Orchestral strings for crescendos and ballads.
• Mini V — 1970s synth leads and basses: For the synthetic colors of the Clube da Esquina and of 1970s–'80s MPB.
• Jup-8 V — 1980s pads: Pads for 1980s pop MPB (Djavan, Marina Lima).
• Mellotron V — Tropicália flutes and strings: For the psychedelic colors of Tropicália.

Song structure

Typical forms (≈ 3:00–5:00)

• Verse–chorus with a bridge; AABA; 'singer-songwriter' forms with free sections, crescendos and modulations.

Arrangement

It depends on the artist: from voice and guitar (Chico, acoustic Caetano) to the cyclical orchestral crescendo (Construção), to the band groove (Jorge Ben, Novos Baianos).

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Singer-songwriter song: vocal in the center and very intelligible (the lyrics are fundamental), arrangement in service of the voice, natural and warm sound; in 1970s productions analog warmth, in the 1980s digital brightness. References: Elis & Tom (1974), Clube da Esquina (1972), Chico Buarque — Construção (1971), Marisa Monte, Djavan.

Vocal

• EQ: HP 70–90 Hz, −2 dB at 250–300 Hz, +2 dB at 2–4 kHz (intelligibility), air +1/+2 dB at 10–12 kHz.
• Opto compression 3:1 (3–4 dB) + light FET if needed; de-esser.
• Space: plate/hall 1.5–2.2 s, pre-delay 30–50 ms, at 12–20%.

Guitars

• Nylon: HP 70 Hz, −2 dB at 200 Hz, +1 dB at 5 kHz. Steel: HP 90 Hz, −2 dB at 250 Hz, +2 dB at 8 kHz. Panning ±20–40.

Piano / Rhodes

• Piano: HP 50 Hz, −2 dB at 300 Hz; natural stereo. Rhodes: HP 70 Hz, +1 dB at 1.5 kHz, tremolo.

Bass

• HP 35 Hz, +1/+2 dB at 80 Hz, presence at 800 Hz for melodic lines; 3:1 compression (3 dB). Center.

Drums and percussion

• Natural drums (overheads + room), kick HP 40 Hz, snare with a short plate; percussion spread ±30–60, −8/−12 dB.

Strings and winds

• Strings: HP 120 Hz, −2 dB at 2–4 kHz, hall 2–2.5 s, 100% width. Winds: HP 120 Hz, presence at 2–3 kHz, plate 1.5 s.

Backing vocals

HP 150 Hz, panning ±50–80, shared reverb.

Buses and groups

Light rhythm bus, strings bus, vocal bus; moderate mix compression (1–2 dB).

Sidechain

None; dynamic EQ on the harmonic instruments triggered by the voice if necessary.

Master

• Chain: EQ → compression 1.5:1–2:1 (1–2 dB) → limiter −1 dBTP.
• Target: −14/−11 LUFS integrated (modern pop productions −10/−9), true peak ≤ −1 dBTP; PLR 11–14 dB.

Common mistakes

• Vocal not intelligible enough: in MPB the lyric is the heart.
• A 'full' arrangement that covers the guitar harmonies.
• Master too compressed.

Reference tracks for the mix

• Elis Regina & Tom Jobim — Águas de Março (1974)
• Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges — Clube da Esquina (1972, album)
• Chico Buarque — Construção (1971)
• Jorge Ben — País Tropical (1969)
• Marisa Monte — Ainda Bem (2011)

Reference listening

• Elis Regina — Arrastão (1965)
• Chico Buarque — A Banda (1966)
• Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil e altri — Tropicália ou Panis et Circencis (1968, album)
• Jorge Ben — País Tropical (1969)
• Chico Buarque — Construção (1971)
• Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges — Clube da Esquina (1972, album)
• Elis Regina & Tom Jobim — Águas de Março (1974)
• Djavan — Oceano (1989)