Angelitos Negros in C

Manuel Álvarez Maciste(1940)boleroBolero lento
Do Re MiC D E
C
Instrument
GuitarUkuleleBassPiano
A
A
B
A
C
Am
Dm
G7
C
A7
Dm
G7
C
Am
Dm
G7
C
A7
Dm
G7
F
Fm
C
A7
Dm7
G7
C
G7
C
Am
Dm
G7
C
A7
Dm
G7

Chord Diagrams — Angelitos Negros in C (Guitar)

Angelitos Negros in C

Manuel Álvarez Maciste, poeta venezolano, escribió 'Angelitos Negros' en 1940 sobre un poema de Andrés Eloy Blanco. Pedro Infante la grabó y la convirtió en un clásico irrepetible; Toña la Negra, Rita Moreno y Celia Cruz también la cantaron. La letra — un reclamo al pintor por no pintar ángeles negros entre los blancos — es una denuncia velada del racismo. El bVI-bVIm en el puente en Mi bemol mayor es la sombra harmónica perfecta para una canción de tal hondura.

Angelitos Negros in C

With no sharps or flats, C major is the theoretical home base on guitar. The open G, B, and high E strings all belong to the C major chord, creating natural sustain. C is a beginner-level key on guitar because the open B and high E strings ring within the scale, and every basic chord uses familiar open shapes. Beginners will find this key approachable since most chords use open voicings with minimal stretching.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through C to A (descending minor third), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to A (ascending whole step), A to F (descending major third), F to F (ascending unison), F to D (descending minor third). 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 D to C by whole step.

Scales for Improvisation

C 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, C Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.

bolero4/4 · 32 bars · Form: AABA

Chords: C, Am, Dm, G7, A7, F, Fm, Dm7.