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Look To The Sky in B
Look To The Sky in B — Antonio Carlos Jobim's bossa nova classic. Explore Bebop Major and Lydian scales over these sophisticated changes. Chords: Bmaj9 – Bm9 – Bm6/9 – D#m7 – G#7b9 – C#m9 – A9sus – A7b9 – Ddim – F#7b9 – Dmaj9 – Cmaj9 – F#13b9.
Look To The Sky 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 B (ascending unison), B to B (ascending unison), B to D# (ascending major third), D# to G# (ascending perfect fourth), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to A (descending major third), A to A (ascending unison), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to F# (ascending major third), F# to D (descending major third), D to C (descending whole step), C to F# (ascending tritone). 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 F# to B by perfect fourth.
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.