June 2008 – Techniques – Blues Turnarounds

June 2008 – Techniques – Blues Turnarounds

Over the last year or so I've been talking to you all about scales, offering some explanation of their construction, and giving examples of how you might apply them to musical situations. I'd now like to focus more on the music, and with that in mind would like to focus more on technique; on what it is that separates the good guitarist from the mediocre... Phrasing. We'll be discussing turnarounds as a nice gentle introduction.

Generally used to end a progression and signal a return 'to the top', a turnaround is a frequently used musical device in many genres. The examples below are all bluesy but with a bit of manipulation in time the licks could be used to fit more or less any situation. They are all in the key of A or E but are moveable, having been largely built from the scales you should all know well from the 'Scale of the Month'.

For reference, the 'Scale of the Month' articles most relevant to blues turnarounds are below:

Aeolian: http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24663
Blues: http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23831
Dorian: http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23994
Minor Pent: http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23331

A good turnaround will really help you sound competent, and the examples below are some of my personal favourites. Drill them into your memory and you'll have them ready to go whenever you need. Experiment with moving them into different keys so they're under your fingers no matter what the musical situation.

Some Examples (Tab symbol key below)

1)


E|---------9--------8--------7-----------5---------------------------------------------------
B|-----------------------------------------------------5-------------------------------------
G|---8/9-----9--8-----8--7-----7--5/6-----6--5/6-----6--------7-----------------------------
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------6-------------------------
A|------------------------------------------------------------7----7-------------------------
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2)

E|---------------------5-----------5----------5-----------------------------------------------
B|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G|---------6----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D|---6/7------7--5--------5--4-------4--3--------3--2----------------------------------------
A|----------------------------------------------------------5/7-------------------------------
E|----------------------------------------------------------------3-p-0-----------------------

3)

E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B|--------8----------7----------5--------------------------------------------------------------
G|--8/9------9---7-----7---6------6-----------------------------------------------------------
D|--------------------------------------7------7---7---7---7----------------------------------
A|---------------------------------------------4---5---6---7----------------------------------
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


4)

E|------------5-------------------------------------------------------------
B|--------5------7b9b7--5--------------------------------------------------
G|--7b9---------------------7b9b7p5----------------------------------------
D|-----------------------------------------7--------------------------------
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E|---------------------------------------------0--3--0----------------------

5)

E|---------------5----------------------------------------------------------------------
B|--8b10~~~----8p5------5-----------------------------------------------------8------
G|-----------------------8------8—5h7p5--------------------5---------/7--------7------
D|-------------------------------------------7--5---------/7-----7--5--/7--------6-----
A|--------------------------------------------------7--6-------------------------7-----
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------0--------


Hammer ons: h.
Pull offs: p.
Vibrato: ~.
Bends: b.
Release bend: br.
Tap: t.
Slides: / or \ depending on direction.


Full Access Subscribers can access more lessons in the Blues at www.guitartricks.com – including:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=327
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=70
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=10122
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=6304
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=10054