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Turnarounds
Classic turnaround licks in bars 11–12 of the blues form.
Objective
Play three turnaround licks in E blues that set up the return to bar 1, finishing cleanly on the V chord.
Concepts
- ▸The turnaround occupies bars 11–12 of the 12-bar blues. It prepares the ear to hear bar 1 again.
- ▸Harmonically: I chord → movement toward V chord, which resolves back to I when the form repeats.
- ▸Structurally: a descending chromatic line on strings 1–2, with a static low E drone bass.
- ▸The final note of the turnaround is typically the V chord (B7 in E) or a single note (B or F#) anticipating bar 1.
- ▸Turnarounds can be played at any speed — more notes at faster tempos, fewer at slow ballad tempos.
- ▸Classic turnaround voicings move through chromatic half-step positions.
Diagram / Notation
Turnaround Lick 1 — Descending chromatic (key of E):
e |--0-----|--0-----|--0-----|--0------|
B |--------|--3-----|--2-----|--1------|--0--|
E7 Eb7 D7 Db7 B7
Lick 2 — Single note turnaround:
e |--0--4--3--2--1--0---4-------------|
(resolves to B7 on last beat)
Lick 3 — Boogie-style turnaround:
E |--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|
A |--2--2--4--4--2--2--0--0--| → B7 strumExercises
1.Learn Turnaround Lick 1
- 1.Play the descending chord sequence: E7 → Eb7 → D7 → Db7 → B7.
- 2.Two beats per chord at 80 BPM — exactly fills 2 bars.
- 3.Keep the high e string (open) ringing throughout as a drone.
- 4.Land hard on B7 and let it ring into bar 1.
2.Slot into the 12-bar
- 1.Play a complete 12-bar blues in E. In bar 11, insert Turnaround Lick 1.
- 2.Bar 12 lands on B7 (Lick 1 ending) → bar 1 begins with E7.
- 3.The turnaround should feel like a sentence ending and a new sentence beginning.
3.Vary the turnaround
- 1.Bars 1–10: same blues groove. Bar 11: use Lick 1. Then repeat with Lick 2. Then Lick 3.
- 2.Eventually mix turnarounds freely. The form stays the same; only the ending varies.
Tips
- 💡A turnaround must ALWAYS land on the V chord (B7 in E) — that tension pulls back to bar 1.
- 💡Keep turnarounds simple at first. One clean descending line beats a flashy mess.
- 💡Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters have distinct turnaround vocabularies — transcribe one from each.
- 💡In a band context, signal the turnaround visually (eye contact or body movement) so the rhythm section follows.