To truly hear this feel, listen to:

While the feet and snare provide the structure, the ride cymbal or hi-hat provides the atmosphere. In bossa nova, the hand plays straight eighth notes.

Many drummers prefer using brushes or multi-rods (like Rutes) to achieve a softer, more organic texture.

The most recognizable is the “samba foot” — a steady, syncopated ostinato that mimics the surdo (a large bass drum played in Rio’s carnival samba schools). A common written example is:

To truly internalize the feel, listen to Milton Banana, the drummer who essentially invented the bossa nova drum style on the seminal Getz/Gilberto album. Common Variations