Samba Pa Ti by Santana Electric Guitar - Digital Sheet Music
By Santana
23031490
Samba Pa Ti
23031490
23031490
23031490
Details
Guitar, Solo Guitar - Level 3 - Digital Download
SKU: A0.1621539
By Santana. By Carlos Santana. Arranged by Brian Streckfus. This edition: audio, pdf, streaming. Instructional, Jazz, Multicultural, World. Individual part. 2 pages. Brian Streckfus #1190384. Published by Brian Streckfus (A0.1621539).Pages: 2
Key: G Major
Features:
1. Chord Names
2. Chord diagrams
3. Fingerings
4. Guitar TAB
5. Lyrics
6. Engraved to fit on two pages
History
According to Carlos Santana, he wrote Samba Pa Ti after an emotional moment of quiet observation in New York City. He described seeing a man outside his window on a Sunday afternoon:
“He was standing against a wall, holding a saxophone and a bottle of booze. He would lift the sax to his mouth, then drop it back down and take a swig instead. He kept doing that for a long time. It was so heavy, it made me cry. I picked up my guitar and wrote ‘Samba Pa Ti’ right there.”
That mixture of longing, passion, and sadness is deeply embedded in the melody — no words are needed.
Despite being called a samba, it’s more of a slow Latin blues-ballad in feel than a traditional Brazilian samba.
Carlos Santana often cites Samba Pa Ti as his personal favorite of all the songs he’s written.
The emotional resonance of the song is often compared to vocal music — many listeners say it “speaks without words.”
It’s one of the rare instrumental songs that tells a full emotional story from beginning to end.
The melody is achingly beautiful and memorable, often used in romantic and introspective moments in pop culture.
For guitarists, it’s a masterclass in tone, phrasing, and emotional expression.
The title is a mix of Portuguese ("Samba") and Spanish ("Pa Ti" = "for you"), reflecting Santana’s Latin roots and genre-fusing style.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard’s global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.
About Digital Downloads
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