María Bonita in G

María Bonita in G

María Bonita in G — Agustín Lara's timeless bolero. The Bebop Major and Major Pentatonic scales work beautifully over these romantic changes. Chords: Gmaj7 – Am7 – D7 – Em7 – Cmaj7 – Cm7 – E7.

María Bonita in G

G major is the singer-songwriter's key. The open G, B, and D strings spell out the full G major triad with zero fretting. Add the open high E for a Gadd6 shimmer. Nearly every diatonic chord (Em, Am, C, D) has a comfortable open voicing. G is a beginner-level key on guitar because the open G, B, and D strings form a complete G major triad without fretting a single note, and the open low E adds a rich 6th color. Beginners will find this key approachable since most chords use open voicings with minimal stretching.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through G to A (ascending whole step), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to E (ascending whole step), E to C (descending major third), C to C (ascending unison), C to E (ascending major third). The mix of stepwise and leap motion balances smoothness with harmonic drive. When the progression loops, the bass returns from E to G by minor third.

Scales for Improvisation

G 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, G Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.