La Vida Es Bella (Feeling Good) in D

Anthony Newley / Leslie Bricusse(1964)latin-jazzSlow bossa-jazz
Do Re MiC D E
D
Instrument
GuitarUkuleleBassPiano
A
A
B
A
Dm
Dm
Gm
Gm
Dm
A7
Dm
A7
Dm
Dm
Gm
Gm
Dm
A7
Dm
A7
F
F
A♯
C7
F
Dm
A7
Dm
Dm
Dm
Gm
Gm
Dm
A7
Dm
A7

Chord Diagrams — La Vida Es Bella (Feeling Good) in D (Guitar)

La Vida Es Bella (Feeling Good) in D

Compuesta por Anthony Newley y Leslie Bricusse en 1964 para el musical 'The Roar of the Greasepaint', 'Feeling Good' alcanzó su cima con Nina Simone. En arranque de bossa-jazz, sobre Re menor, la canción cobra una urgencia melancólica perfecta para la improvisación latina. Michael Bublé, Muse y decenas de artistas la han reinterpretado: un standard que cruza fronteras de género.

La Vida Es Bella (Feeling Good) in D

D major is one of guitar's most resonant keys. The open D string acts as a droning root, and the open A string provides the fifth. This gives D-based strumming a wide, ringing quality that flatpicks and fingerpicks love. D is a beginner-level key on guitar because the open D and A strings provide a powerful bass foundation, and the open high E is the 2nd scale degree adding brightness. Beginners will find this key approachable since most chords use open voicings with minimal stretching.

Voice Leading

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

Scales for Improvisation

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

latin-jazz4/4 · 32 bars · Form: AABA

Chords: Dm, Gm, A7, F, A♯, C7.