Blues turnarounds in A: two classic licks into E7
Two turnarounds, the licks at the end of a 12-bar that lead back to the start, each after a bar of boogie. The first holds a high A on the top string while a line on the G string falls a fret at a time to an E7; the second runs down the A minor pentatonic to an E7 on beat 4. Every blues player has a few of these, and they're the quickest way to sound like you know the form.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with drums playing along, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 100 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 100 bpm
- Starts at
- 60 bpm
- Length
- 4 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
- Time
- 4/4, swung
- Level
- Intermediate
- Plays with
- Drums
How to play it
In the first, hold the high A with the little finger and walk the G string down with the others; let the E7 ring.
Bar 1 is the boogie on A. Bar 2 is the first turnaround: the high E string's 5th fret, A, played with the G string at the 6th fret, then the 5th, 4th and 3rd, a fret lower each eighth, and an E7 chord held for half a bar.
Bar 3 is the boogie on D. Bar 4 is the second turnaround: down the A minor pentatonic from C on the high E string's 8th fret, A, G, E, D and C, then an E7 on beat 4.
In a real 12-bar these licks go in the last two bars, leading from A to the E that sends the form back to the start. Learn both and use either.
Mistakes to watch for
- Letting the high A stop when the G string note changes underneath it; it should ring through all four eighths.
- Playing the falling line straight while the drums swing.
- Strumming the E7 too hard and late. It's the end of a phrase, placed exactly on the beat.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 60
- 65
- 70
- 75
- 80
- 85
- 90
- 95
- 100
That's 16 loops and about 3 minutes before you're playing at 100 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play Blues turnarounds?
The goal is 100 bpm in eighth notes, which is 3.3 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 60 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
What is a turnaround in blues?
The lick or chord change in the last bar or two of a 12-bar that leads back to the start, usually landing on the V chord, E in A. It tells the band and the listener that the form is about to come round again.
Can I use these turnarounds in other keys?
Yes: both are movable. The first moves with its high note, the root of the key; the second is the minor pentatonic box, so it moves with the key's root on the low E string.
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