El Brindis in E

El Brindis in E

Pedro Junco Jr., el compositor de 'Nosotros', escribió 'Soy como quise ser' —conocida también como 'El Brindis'— en 1945, poco antes de morir de tuberculosis a los 24 años. La Sonora Santanera y Roberto Ledesma la popularizaron. La imagen del hombre que brinda por su amor perdido sabiendo que no lo tendrá más tiene una autenticidad trágica que le da al bolero su peso emocional característico.

El Brindis in E

E major is arguably guitar's most powerful key. The open low E and high E strings ring sympathetically as the root, while the open B provides the fifth. This triple reinforcement gives E-based riffs and chords unmatched depth and volume. E is a beginner-level key on guitar because both the low E and high E strings ring as the root, and the open B is the fifth — three open strings reinforce the tonic chord. Beginners will find this key approachable since most chords use open voicings with minimal stretching.

Voice Leading

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

Scales for Improvisation

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