Turnaround
A short phrase at the end of a section that turns the music back to the beginning of the form.
Turnarounds are most familiar from the twelve-bar blues, where the last two bars are given over to a figure that leads back to the top of the form. They are usually built around the dominant chord and end on a note that demands resolution, so the ear is pulled around to the start again. Turnarounds exist in jazz and country too, and learning several is a practical way to keep repeated choruses from sounding identical.
Example: The familiar descending figure played over the last two bars of a blues, ending on the five chord, is a turnaround.
See also
Related
- PageRiff
- PageAccent
- PageAction height
- PageAlternate picking
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley
- PageAd-Rock
- ReferenceCircle of fifths