Volver a los 17 in A
Volver a los 17 in A
Violeta Parra compuso 'Volver a los 17' en 1966, pocos meses antes de suicidarse en febrero de 1967. Es su testamento más luminoso: una meditación sobre el amor tardío que rejuvenece. Mercedes Sosa la grabó y la convirtió en himno de la nueva canción latinoamericana. El Am oscila entre Dm y E7 con la naturalidad de una conversación; el puente en C mayor —el relativo— es el momento en que la voz sube y la canción se abre como si el tiempo retrocediera de verdad.
Volver a los 17 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 D (ascending perfect fourth), D to E (ascending whole step), E to F (ascending half step), F to C (descending perfect fourth), C to G (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 G to A by whole step.
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.