Daily Beat #9: Bossa Nova

Bossa Nova was the Daily Beat for 4 October 2026: a two-bar Latin drum groove at 70 BPM, rebuilt by ear on a kick, snare and hi-hat grid. The grid itself is not shown here, so the puzzle is still worth playing.

What to listen for

Gentle and Brazilian. The kick rocks long-short; the rim plays a phrase over it. Light, even and understated. The cross-stick phrase leads; the kick should be felt more than heard. Find the snare first, then place the kick around it and count the hi-hat last.

Where to hear this feel

Records in this family include Antônio Carlos Jobim – The Girl from Ipanema and Stan Getz – Desafinado. They are listening suggestions for the feel, not transcriptions.

Practise the full groove

The Bossa Nova page has the full library version of this feel: how to count it, how to practise it and a play-along at any tempo. Or set the metronome to 70 BPM and play along with the groove.

Play today’s Daily Beat

A new two-bar drum groove arrives at midnight your time. Listen, rebuild it on the kick, snare and hi-hat grid, and check your guess. You have five guesses, and a hint about the feel unlocks after three.