How to Play Turnaround Blues Licks
Start your lick with a big, thumping root note by hitting the open 6th string., Slide into a triad on the bottom three strings., Strum this little triad six times, in total., Slide out of the triad into an open 3rd string G. Slide back towards the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start your lick with a big
The following lick is for blues in the key of E.
So the open 6th string, an E, is a great note to anchor your turnaround.
Starting with the root note of the song is perhaps the most common way to begin a turnaround lick.
A blues turnaround is only two measures, each with only one chord.
In the key of E, your first chord of the turnaround is an E the second is a B.
You then move back to E to restart the progression. -
Step 2: thumping root note by hitting the open 6th string.
This mini-chord, known as a triad, has your ring finger on the 2rd string, 3rd fret, and 3rd string, 4th fret, with the bottom string left open.
Start with your fingers on the 2nd and 3rd frets, respectively, and simultaneously strum and slid to the right frets.
These little high-pitched triads are a key feature of many turnarounds. , Have some fun here, funking it up with a loose, relaxed rhythm.
It always helps to play along with an instrumental track, using YouTube or Google to find a "E-blues jam track."
Don't worry too much about the slide-- you're doing it for a little accent, so you can slide it as far or short as you want for unique effect. , This time, however, you can "walk" up to an octave of the root note by playing the 4th string, 2nd fret
-- another E.
After the slide up to the open G, ending here gives your measure a cool "down and back" feel to it. , The V chord of the 12-bar blues is only played twice in the whole progression, and one of those key moments is the very end.
Your lick needs to both get back to the B and set the song up to return to the E and the beginning of the progression.
The easiest way to do that? A simple walk down the blues scale to your nearest B (in bold). e|--------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------| D|--------------------------------------| A|------0-1-2---------------------------| E|-0-3---------------------------------| , Practice the riff, on it's own, until you feel confident in your ability to play it.
Then pull up a blues song in E and get ready to fit it into the turnaround.
Many players have a cache of memorized turnaround licks in their head, since the moment is so short you need to think quickly to play it.
Focus on getting to these notes in time, right where the belong in the progression, to become a real blues player.
Remember, these are the last two measures.
Right before them are two more quick chord changes
-- the last four measures in E are B-A-E-B. -
Step 3: Slide into a triad on the bottom three strings.
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Step 4: Strum this little triad six times
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Step 5: in total.
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Step 6: Slide out of the triad into an open 3rd string G. Slide back towards the head
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Step 7: releasing your fingers as you hit the 2nd fret (as indicated in the tab by the "4/2") and strumming an open G string.
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Step 8: End the first bar with a return to the root note.
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Step 9: Walk your way through the final measure to turn the progression around.
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Step 10: Put the whole thing together in a real song.
Detailed Guide
The following lick is for blues in the key of E.
So the open 6th string, an E, is a great note to anchor your turnaround.
Starting with the root note of the song is perhaps the most common way to begin a turnaround lick.
A blues turnaround is only two measures, each with only one chord.
In the key of E, your first chord of the turnaround is an E the second is a B.
You then move back to E to restart the progression.
This mini-chord, known as a triad, has your ring finger on the 2rd string, 3rd fret, and 3rd string, 4th fret, with the bottom string left open.
Start with your fingers on the 2nd and 3rd frets, respectively, and simultaneously strum and slid to the right frets.
These little high-pitched triads are a key feature of many turnarounds. , Have some fun here, funking it up with a loose, relaxed rhythm.
It always helps to play along with an instrumental track, using YouTube or Google to find a "E-blues jam track."
Don't worry too much about the slide-- you're doing it for a little accent, so you can slide it as far or short as you want for unique effect. , This time, however, you can "walk" up to an octave of the root note by playing the 4th string, 2nd fret
-- another E.
After the slide up to the open G, ending here gives your measure a cool "down and back" feel to it. , The V chord of the 12-bar blues is only played twice in the whole progression, and one of those key moments is the very end.
Your lick needs to both get back to the B and set the song up to return to the E and the beginning of the progression.
The easiest way to do that? A simple walk down the blues scale to your nearest B (in bold). e|--------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------| D|--------------------------------------| A|------0-1-2---------------------------| E|-0-3---------------------------------| , Practice the riff, on it's own, until you feel confident in your ability to play it.
Then pull up a blues song in E and get ready to fit it into the turnaround.
Many players have a cache of memorized turnaround licks in their head, since the moment is so short you need to think quickly to play it.
Focus on getting to these notes in time, right where the belong in the progression, to become a real blues player.
Remember, these are the last two measures.
Right before them are two more quick chord changes
-- the last four measures in E are B-A-E-B.
About the Author
Claire Sanders
A passionate writer with expertise in cooking topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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