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Desafinado in E
E Desafinado: the song that launched bossa nova internationally, packed with sophisticated chromatic passing chords. Lydian Dominant is the key scale over the altered dominants that give the tune its distinctive harmonic edge. Changes: Emaj7 – F#7#11 – F#m7 – B7 – G#m7b5 – C#7b9 – G#7b9 – C#7 – F#7b9 – Fmaj7 – Am6 – D#7#9 – G#maj7 – Adim7 – A#m7 – D#7 – Fm7 – Bmaj7 – Cdim7 – C#m7 – F#7 – Dm6 – B7b9 – D7 – E6.
Key of E
E major is arguably guitar's most powerful key. The open low E and high E strings ring sympathetically as the root, while the open B provides the fifth. This triple reinforcement gives E-based riffs and chords unmatched depth and volume. E is a beginner-level key on guitar because both the low E and high E strings ring as the root, and the open B is the fifth — three open strings reinforce the tonic chord. Beginners will find this key approachable since most chords use open voicings with minimal stretching.
Voice Leading
The bass line moves through E to F# (ascending whole step), F# to F# (ascending unison), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to G# (descending minor third), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to G# (descending perfect fourth), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to F (descending half step), F to A (ascending major third), A to D# (ascending tritone), D# to G# (ascending perfect fourth), G# to A (ascending half step), A to A# (ascending half step), A# to D# (ascending perfect fourth), D# to F (ascending whole step), F to B (ascending tritone), B to C (ascending half step), C to C# (ascending half step), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to D (descending major third), D to B (descending minor third), B to D (ascending minor third), D to E (ascending whole step). 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 E to E by unison.
Scales for Improvisation
E 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, E Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.