El Gran Varón in E

El Gran Varón in E

Willie Colón y Rubén Blades compusieron 'El Gran Varón' en 1989 como crónica social sobre un padre que rechaza a su hijo gay y lo pierde para siempre. Fue la primera canción de salsa en abordar el tema del SIDA y la homosexualidad con humanidad y sin sensacionalismo. Causó controversia y fue censurada en varios países, pero se convirtió en un hito de la salsa comprometida: música que enseña y duele.

El Gran Varón 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 A (ascending perfect fourth), A to B (ascending whole step), B to G (descending major third), G to D (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 D to E by whole step.

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.