Turnaround
A turnaround is a short chord sequence, typically over the last two bars of a blues progression, whose job is to lead the ear back to the start of the next cycle rather than conclude the progression for good. It creates tension that logically calls for a return to the first chord.
A relaunch, not a conclusion
Unlike a perfect cadence that closes off a phrase, a turnaround is built to never really stop: it's a joint between two passes of the progression, not an ending in itself — which is why the same turnaround can repeat bar after bar on a looped blues without ever sounding like a premature ending.
The sheet blues turnaround — E isolates this characteristic sequence.
Turnaround, cadence, ending lick: don't mix them up
A cadence closes a phrase; a turnaround does the exact opposite, it relaunches. An ending lick is a melodic phrase played once to punctuate — the turnaround is structural, it's about the chords, not a solo line. All three happen at the end of a progression without playing the same role.
Practical tips and common mistakes
- Play the turnaround slightly under the tempo of the rest of the progression at first: it's the densest passage in chord changes, and rushing it is the most common mistake.
- The last chord of a turnaround is often the dominant (degree V): don't resolve it, leave the tension open — that's what "calls" for the return to the first chord.
- On a looped blues, the turnaround repeats every pass: work on it in isolation until you can join it seamlessly to the first bar of the next pass.
- A turnaround is almost always played with the same rhythmic feel as the progression — in blues, usually a shuffle. Switching it to straight eighths breaks the coherence of the piece.