Siembra in E

Siembra in E

Siembra in E: Rubén Blades's minor salsa. Dorian and Harmonic Minor scales give this groove its characteristic dark edge. Chords: Fm9 – Bmaj7#11 – D# – F#13sus – D13sus – D13b9 – C13sus – C7alt – A#sus – G#sus – Fsus – D#sus – C#sus – Csus – F7sus – G7#9#5 – C9sus – C7#9#5 – C7#5 – A#m9 – G# – Cm7b5 – B – Bmaj9 – F7b9 – Dm7b5 – G13sus – D – A# – G#9 – C#9 – C#13 – F7b9#5 – B7b9 – D#13sus – Em7#5 – C#13#11 – A#13sus.

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

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.