La Flor de la Canela in D

La Flor de la Canela in D

Chabuca Granda compuso 'La Flor de la Canela' en 1950 como homenaje a Lima y a Victoria Angulo, una señora negra del Rímac que cruzaba el Puente de Palo con garbo de reina. Es el vals criollo peruano más famoso del mundo y un monumento a la Lima mestiza del siglo XX. La combinación de 3/4 con armonía en Fa mayor y el arpa y la guitarra criolla crea uno de los sonidos más bellos de América del Sur.

La Flor de la Canela 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 A (descending perfect fourth), A to B (ascending whole step), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to G (ascending 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 G to D by perfect fourth.

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.