Progressions in Db — Cuban Tres

Db major harmonises to Db – Ebm – Fm – Gb – Ab – Bbm – C°; C# minor to C#m – D#° – E – F#m – G#m – A – B. Each chord links to its Cuban Tres voicings, so a vamp in Db 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.