En Mi Viejo San Juan in E

Noel Estrada(1943)boleroVals-bolero boricua
Do Re MiC D E
E
Instrument
GuitarUkuleleBassPiano
A
A
B
A
E
C♯m
F♯m
B7
E
C♯m
F♯m
B7
E
C♯m
F♯m
B7
E
C♯m
F♯m
B7
E7
A
F♯m7
B7
E
C♯m
F♯m
B7
E
C♯m
F♯m
B7
E
C♯m
F♯m
B7

Chord Diagrams — En Mi Viejo San Juan in E (Guitar)

En Mi Viejo San Juan in E

Noel Estrada compuso 'En Mi Viejo San Juan' en 1943 desde Nueva York, añorando Puerto Rico. Es el himno sentimental del pueblo puertorriqueño en la diáspora: cada boricua que ha salido de la isla la lleva en el corazón. Marc Anthony, Gilberto Monroig y Lola Flores la interpretaron; hoy es el vals-bolero que define la identidad puertorriqueña tanto en la isla como en el continente.

En Mi Viejo San Juan 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 C# (descending minor third), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to F# (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 F# 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.

bolero3/4 · 32 bars · Form: AABA

Chords: E, C♯m, F♯m, B7, E7, A, F♯m7.