A Blues Turnaround

In this lesson, Charlie introduces a turnaround in the key of A.

A turnaround is a passage at the end of a section that leads us to the next section.

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In case you missed it ...

Let's take a look at a turnaround in the key of A. The turnaround happens over bars 11 and 12 of our 12 bar blues pattern, and that will bring us back in to bar 1. Right back where we started.

We're starting off with our first finger flat over the 5th fret on the B and the E string, ... playing both of those notes simultaneously ... give that a little triplet feel ... and after my triplet on the fifth fret ... get my fourth finger all the way up here to a G note which is on the 8th fret of the B string, and I'm also playing that A note that I still got held down here with my first finger, so I'm getting this sound ...

I then move to my third finger again on the B string, this time on the 7th fret ... now to my second finger also on the B string on the sixth fret ...

I then follow that up with a slide from my sixth fret to my seventh fret on the G string using my third finger ... down to my first finger also on the G string fifth fret ... second finger on the sixth fret G string ... slide, first, second , ... and finishing with my third finger on the D string, that's an A note ... putting that together for you.

Ok, let's just put that together in context, a little 12 bar blues cycle in the key of A ...

One of the advantages of this particular turnaround is that if you wish to change key, say move it up to the key of C, you were on the key of A here on the fifth fret, to the key of C, we just take it up a semitone at a time, A, A#, B, C, which it gets us up to the 8th fret, same deal, we just play the lick as it is starting on the 8th fret ... and we are in the key of C.

Probably the best thing to do with this is practice it along with a jam track, practising several keys, go through your 12 bar cycle, make our little turnaround fit on bars 11 and 12. Good luck, have fun. I know you will and we'll see you next time.

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