Progressions in A — Cuban Tres

A major harmonises to A – Bm – C#m – D – E – F#m – G#°; A minor to Am – B° – C – Dm – Em – F – G. Each chord links to its Cuban Tres voicings, so a vamp in A becomes a short list of stations before the first repeat.

Most of what a tres plays lives on two or three of these chords at a time — a montuno is a loop, not a journey. Choose the pair the tune leans on, set a figure over them, and let the repetition do the work the arrangement expects of it.