Alfonsina y el Mar in B
Alfonsina y el Mar in B
Ariel Ramírez compuso la música y Félix Luna la letra de 'Alfonsina y el Mar' en 1969, evocando el suicidio de la poeta argentina Alfonsina Storni en el mar de Mar del Plata en 1938. Mercedes Sosa la grabó ese mismo año y la convirtió en himno de la nueva canción latinoamericana. El Em oscila hacia Am y vuelve con la inevitabilidad del oleaje; el puente en G mayor —el relativo mayor— es el único instante de luz antes del regreso al mar.
Alfonsina y el Mar in B
B major mixes barre and open elements. The B chord itself is a barre at fret 2, but E and A are comfortable open chords forming the IV and V. The open B string rings as the root, allowing creative drone-based arrangements. B is a intermediate-level key on guitar because the open B string rings as the root and the open E strings provide the 4th — useful for sus4 voicings and drone effects. This key mixes open and barre shapes, making it a good intermediate challenge that builds fretboard fluency.
Voice Leading
The bass line moves through B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to F# (ascending whole step), F# to D (descending major third), D to A (descending perfect fourth). The root motion by larger intervals (fourths and fifths) gives each chord change a strong, decisive character. When the progression loops, the bass returns from A to B by whole step.
Scales for Improvisation
B major pentatonic works because every note is either a chord tone or a safe passing tone — there are no avoid notes. For soloing, this means you can play freely without clashing. Over dominant seventh chords, B Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.