Pedro Navaja in B

Pedro Navaja in B

Rubén Blades compuso 'Pedro Navaja' en 1978 para el álbum 'Siembra' con Willie Colón, el disco de salsa más vendido de la historia. La crónica de un machetero y una prostituta que se matan mutuamente en un callejón neoyorquino — con el comentario irónico de un borracho al final — es literatura pura: Gabriel García Márquez la comparó con el mejor periodismo. La progresión Fm-Db-C7 sobre montuno es el pulso de la salsa narrativa.

Pedro Navaja in B

B major mixes barre and open elements. The B chord itself is a barre at fret 2, but E and A are comfortable open chords forming the IV and V. The open B string rings as the root, allowing creative drone-based arrangements. B is a intermediate-level key on guitar because the open B string rings as the root and the open E strings provide the 4th — useful for sus4 voicings and drone effects. This key mixes open and barre shapes, making it a good intermediate challenge that builds fretboard fluency.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through B to G (descending major third), G to F# (descending half step), F# to D (descending major third), D to A (descending 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 A to B by whole step.

Scales for Improvisation

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