I am very anxious to learn turnarounds. I just am having trouble figuring them out. I did catch the article in BP a few months ago but found it somewhat limited. I would really like to know what goes into them so that I can start making them up myself. Are there any methods you use when creating them or what notes of the scale are ok to use etc. Any links would be great too.
Preferable rock or blues turnarounds. Thanks guys.

Tristan

did catch the article in BP a few months ago but found it somewhat limited.

:hmm: I found that article to be pretty comprehensive!

You ask of methods that you could use to create them, well, turnarounds are based on the II-V-I chord progression. The aforementioned article in bass player gave many common variations of this, some including substitutions.

I don't think, to be honest, you're going to find a better introduction to turnarounds than that arcticle?
I seem to remember it gave a clear explantion of the basic II-V-I and how each subsequent variation worked? I can't imagine that iof you read it thoruoghly and played through each example you could see it as limited? It certainly reinforced my understanding of turnarounds.

Perhaps you should re-visit it?

H
:)

one device that often produces interesting results is the use of secondary dominant chords... i.e. preceding a chord with a dominant 7 chord a 5th above... this often works well even when the dominant chord you insert has no relation to the key you're in... the sound of the resolution usually makes it work :)

it can be used all over the place... in a turnaround you could change that II chord Bruce mentioned, from a minor 7 to a dominant 7 to fruit it up a bit :)


probably the most essential harmonic device you should be aware of for turnarounds is the tritone substitution... this page explains it pretty well.. like the secondary dominant thing.. it works because of the inherent ambiguity of dominant chords

http://hum.lss.wisc.edu/jazz/substitutions.html

I also think you should learn the most important technique for turnarounds...silence.

Empty spaces often do more for the sound as a whole than any 1/2-bar fourish could ever contribute.

In the words of Sting (to his band in the recent DVD) "wherever you can play less, that's what you should do."

Also look at the Wooten/Buford video...someting along the lines of - jumping on every turnaround with some cliche only detracts from an otherwise interesting and integral line.

In the words of Sting (to his band in the recent DVD) "wherever you can play less, that's what you should do."

Nice qute Zulu... gonna remember that one :)

secondary dominants, tritone subs.. all good stuff, but you gotta get to grips with the basic II-V-I first, otherwise it'll just confuse you :)