El Cuarto de Tula in B

El Cuarto de Tula in B

Carlos Puebla compuso 'El Cuarto de Tula' y la Compay Segundo y el Trío Matamoros la interpretaron; fue el Buena Vista Social Club (1997) quien la lanzó al mundo. Compay Segundo tocó los acordes de esta picaresca narrativa con la tranquilidad de quien ha vivido todo: el cuarto de Tula se incendió, y el coro pregunta con doble sentido qué fue lo que pasó. El ciclo C-E7-Am-A7-Dm7-G7 es el son cubano con dominantes secundarios encadenados: sofisticado pero lleno de swing.

El Cuarto de Tula 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 D# (ascending major third), D# to G# (ascending perfect fourth), G# to G# (ascending unison), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to E (descending whole step), E to E (ascending unison), E to C# (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 C# 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.