Granada in A#

Granada in A#

Agustín Lara compuso 'Granada' en 1932 sin haber visitado España; cuando llegó por primera vez en 1959, la ciudad le pareció exactamente como la había imaginado. Mario Lanza, Plácido Domingo, José Carreras y Frank Sinatra la grabaron. El Flaco de Oro creó la España más española sin salir de México. El Am-E7-Dm es la cadencia flamenca del pasodoble: la cadencia andaluza que conecta el México de Lara con el Albaicín que él nunca había pisado.

Granada in A#

A# (Bb) major requires barre chords rooted at fret 1 on the A string or fret 6 on the E string. Despite the barre demands, it is a common key in funk, New Orleans R&B, and brass band music. The open D string can ring as the major third for added color. A# is a intermediate-level key on guitar because the open D string is the major 3rd of Bb, adding a bright color if allowed to ring. Expect to rely on barre chords throughout, which builds hand strength and unlocks the entire fretboard.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through A# to F (descending perfect fourth), F to D# (descending whole step), D# to C# (descending whole step), C# to G# (descending perfect fourth), G# to F# (descending whole step). The predominantly stepwise bass motion creates smooth, connected voice leading. When the progression loops, the bass returns from F# to A# by major 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.