Felicidade in A

Felicidade in A

Tom Jobim y Vinícius de Moraes compusieron 'Felicidade' para la película 'Orfeu Negro' (1959), ganadora de la Palma de Oro en Cannes. La letra paradójica — 'la felicidad es como una pluma que el viento lleva por el aire' — contrasta con la melodía luminosa del carnaval carioca. Es la cara alegre del mismo río donde navega 'Manhã de Carnaval': bossa nova y alegría pura.

Felicidade in A

A major is a rock and blues cornerstone. The open A string delivers a strong root, while both E strings ring as the fifth. Classic A-D-E progressions practically play themselves with open cowboy chords. The open high E is the fifth, reinforcing power. A is a beginner-level key on guitar because the open A string is the root and the open E strings provide the fifth above and below, creating a massive low-end anchor. Beginners will find this key approachable since most chords use open voicings with minimal stretching.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through A to E (descending perfect fourth), E to F# (ascending whole step), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to D (ascending minor third), D to C# (descending half step), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth). A half-step bass movement creates a strong leading-tone pull that demands resolution. 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 A by minor third.

Scales for Improvisation

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