La Comparsa in D

La Comparsa in D

La Comparsa in D: Ernesto Lecuona's minor danzón. Aeolian and Harmonic Minor scales give this groove its characteristic dark edge. Chords: Dm11 – D7alt – Gm9 – F – E7alt – A7 – A7/C# – A7b9 – Dmi7 – A#9 – D#6 – A#7 – Fm7 – A#9sus4 – G# – D# – C#9 – C9sus – C7 – Gmi7 – C7b9 – D#maj7 – F#9#11 – C# – F# – F#7 – G#m7 – C#7 – D#69 – G#69 – A# – A#7sus – E7b5 – D – A7/D – Adim7.

La Comparsa 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 D (ascending unison), D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to F (descending whole step), F to E (descending half step), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to A (ascending unison), A to A (ascending unison), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to A# (descending major third), A# to D# (ascending perfect fourth), D# to A# (descending perfect fourth), A# to F (descending perfect fourth), F to A# (ascending perfect fourth), A# to G# (descending whole step), G# to D# (descending perfect fourth), D# to C# (descending whole step), C# to C (descending half step), C to C (ascending unison), C to G (descending perfect fourth), G to C (ascending perfect fourth), C to D# (ascending minor third), D# to F# (ascending minor third), F# to C# (descending perfect fourth), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to F# (ascending unison), F# to G# (ascending whole step), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to D# (ascending whole step), D# to G# (ascending perfect fourth), G# to A# (ascending whole step), A# to A# (ascending unison), A# to E (ascending tritone), E to D (descending whole step), D to A (descending perfect fourth), A to A (ascending unison). 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 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.