El Cantante in B

El Cantante in B

Rubén Blades escribió 'El Cantante' para Héctor Lavoe en 1978, una de las canciones más poderosas de la salsa brava. La letra sobre el cantante que sufre tras la máscara de alegría —una reflexión sobre la vida de Lavoe misma— adquirió dimensiones trágicas cuando Lavoe enfermó de SIDA. Marc Anthony la grabó para la película biográfica 'El Cantante' (2007), reviviendo el tema para nuevas generaciones.

El Cantante 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 E (ascending perfect fourth), E to F# (ascending whole step), F# to D (descending major third), D to A (descending perfect fourth), A to G (descending 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 G to B by major third.

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.