For Sephora - Gypsy Jazz Chord Chart | GypsyJazz.app

For Sephora is a gypsy jazz bossa by Stochelo Rosenberg, the Dutch guitarist and leader of the Rosenberg Trio. The title refers to his younger sister, Séphora. The first version, recorded by The Rosenberg Trio in March 1991 and released on Gipsy Summer that same year, is the first recording to listen to when working on the tune.

At a gypsy jazz jam, it lets you move away from swing pompe without putting down your pick. Be careful with the “bossa” label, though: the overall pulse suggests bossa nova, but the accents in gypsy jazz accompaniment do not exactly match those of fingerstyle Brazilian guitar. Bossa rhythm on gypsy jazz guitar calls for a light, sweeping strum. Choose a well-rounded, fairly worn pick to avoid overly aggressive attacks on the strings if you want to accompany properly. At 170 beats per minute, with the quarter note as the beat, work first on consistency and how long you hold the chords: overly busy accompaniment leaves little room for the melody. The little break in the accompaniment on B7 is always a nice touch before picking up part of the progression again.

In E minor, the first two sections follow a clear path: Em7–Am7–B7–Em7, or i–iv–V7–i. This is good ground for learning to bring out the dominant: over B7, aim for D-sharp, then its resolution to E. The D-sharp diminished arpeggio then lets you add the flat ninth of B7 without losing that movement. The B7 at the end of the phrase drives the music forward again: do not treat it as a point of arrival.

The Am7–D7–G passage opens up into the relative major. This is the shift to listen for: Am7, until then the fourth degree of E minor, becomes the start of a ii–V–I in G. Work on this transition with short phrases rather than mechanically changing scales or arpeggios. As for rhythmic placement when improvising, nothing beats working thoroughly on the melody, which already contains plenty of clues to help you find your way over this lilting groove.

The transcriptions of the melody and Stochelo’s solo let you compare these pointers with the phrasing. To keep working on accompaniment with a similar feel, move on to Bossa Dorado.