Blues Guitar Lesson - Understanding the Turnaround

Visit www.activemelody.com for more free guitar lesson videos (most of them come with jam tracks and tablature). This guitar lesson demonstrates what a 12 bar blues is and how the turnaround works. In this lesson I give examples of 3 different types of turnarounds.

[@racerx82big]

i took lessons from age 11 to 16 and learned a lot of songs but never really understood how to improvise. then i started racing bikes and kinda gave it up for 15yrs and recently picked it back up and in the matter of a month i got my caluses back and now i understand like it just came to me in a dream..lol good lessons man, thanks

[@christoff1944]

Thanks for the great lesson,its good to see someone catering for intermediate players instead of just the experts at 67,its a job to get the old fingers moving fast enough to keep up with some of the lessons on you tube,thanks again

[@MAP448]

The 3rd turnaround is definitely used a ton by Mr. Freddie King. I'm not sure where he got it from, but it seems to me that every lick that every guitarist plays. Has already been played by someone before. Whether we believe it or not. We all like to think that we've come up with something new. It makes us feel good, also it is new to us. It's nothing bad or good. It just is. Your videos are awesome. Always full of great knowledge & I've learned so much from you. Thank you for doing all of these videos. It's very much appreciated.

[@DonDeering]

Thank you! You're helping me knit together my disconnected and uneven musical education.

[@donf3877]

First turnaround on a Telecaster with tons of reverb... and you have a great country turnaround!!!

[@checa160]

Killer lessons and killer teacher. You are the best, dude. You make it clear, simple and easy to understand. Now I'm really learning. Thanks a lot

[@activemelody]

@Bryan8822 Don't worry, it will all come to you - unfortunately it always seems to come all at once (at least that's how it works for me). I'll feel like i'm not getting anywhere, and then all of the sudden I'm just sort of doing it. Don't let the fact that your 42 even factor into your thinking either... you can still learn this stuff no matter what age. There are lots of folks that are getting started in their late 60s on ActiveMelody and they sound great!

[@stacysdad5071]

Thanks Brian Lovely guitar!!

[@robertdavidson1173]

and 70's thank you for the videos

[@devinhulett-realestateagen1122]

Thank you! Great explanation!

[@BAWORBLUES]

Very very helpful. Tx Brian👍🇲🇨

[@birdie399]

Thanks for coming back with another great video.

[@stevearmstrong9055]

Terrific lesson. Easily understood and well taught. Helped alot!

[@maryannmay7105]

Thank you so much.you are a very good teacher you explain things very well

[@1FenderGibson]

Awesome job with the lesson. Very helpful. Keep 'em coming, please.

[@jpbaztan]

Thank you

[@Braglemaster123]

Great closeups and explanation

[@Chris.B.72]

Thanks Brian for the lessons.Great Website.

[@74bluewolf]

Brian you kick ass man, thanks for the lessons.

[@karimsamy5724]

so simple and so awesome thanx man

[@markquigley2441]

VERY GOOD INSTRUCTION BRIAN, THANK YOU. I'M COMING ALONG PRETTY GOOD. THANKS.

[@AChannelification]

Awesome stuff Thanks for generosity

[@RockMiXme]

great lesson

[@dowaliby1]

Brian, I just want to thank you very much. You are absolutely the best guitar teacher ever! You explain everything clearly and patiently. In just a few days of learning with your videos, my blues playing has improved 100%. Also, that is a wonderful guitar you are playing - and you play it very cleanly and with great tone. Is it a Gibson 335?

[@NozarMortazavi]

very useful lesson. tnx teacher.

[@activemelody]

@megaman13able lol - nahh i was just wearing a Google shirt.. funny you ask that - i wondered how long it would take before someone think I was plugging them... i guess I am although it was totally unintentional.

[@Genesismusicec]

amanzing ....I love the blues :')

[@bewter]

found the last 30 seconds of this very useful and well explained. Thanks

[@JesusRocks26]

🤣

[@mmccartney6579]

Put up a 12 minute video of you giving a lesson, so we can all learn so much from YOUR last 30 seconds.

[@gedeonoficiel9023]

Merci beaucoup j'aime j'aime !!!

[@ajgoodfella]

Great lesson thanks bro

[@provokhatib]

thanks for the lesson!!

[@Bryan8822]

thanks for all the great lessons i just started playing at 42 years young how long before i should see some kind of improvment besides sore fingers

[@igorsveiga]

thanks!

[@Buttterscotched]

Awesome lesson. Trippy thumbnail.

[@keihanism]

brian, the tone here is fantastic! can you explain what you have going on?

[@AnthonyUFOLundell]

Good lesson.. understanding blues and keys isn't easy. There's by far more going on than meets the eye. When you say the first chord is usually the key, then let's say that chord is 'A7.. typical 1-4-5 all dominant 7s! Would A be the key still? Would it be a minor scale, or mixing pentatonics? And what degree would be the parent key.. Is there 'one parent' major scale, Is minor scale/pentatonic,. Aeolian? 'A minor blues' Is there a relative major we can pull all the mode names and degree information from!? Thanks. Good lesson 🎵

[@cage35]

Seriously, your tone is sweet. Tell us about it.

[@dclan86]

@activemelody Ahhh so you work for Google now. Hotshot! Just Kidding! Thanks for all of your lessons!

[@activemelody]

@dclan86 I really don't! Just wear the shirt

[@Ston247]

Look guys. I'm a FUNK guitarist. Let me break it down for y'all. A turnaround is a SHORT transitional phrase that leads you to another part or back to the "top" of the tune. It is usually no more the 8 beats long and can be used as an INTRO to START a song. Example: Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo. After the intro, that short part in E7, before he starts singing...is a turnaround. Superfly: "AH ha ha", is the turnaround. Sex Machine:the eight A major chord strums,AFTER the D7 bridge is the turnaround.

[@Maraus92]

Sore fingers are at 3 first months of active, everyday playing. Then them become hard.

[@tima9556]

Heh Brian, great video as always, although not keen on the Google Shirt! :-)

[@cupovdmt]

like it subbed

[@eldannydemex]

Great tone! which amp are u using? and any pedals involve? thanks.

[@freshsavage14]

What effect do you have on your guitar?

[@dunn1052]

the theory is what we need and not where to put the fingers.

[@robbie8085]

Sounds like an Elvis deal

[@megaman13able]

Is T-shirt a new way of Google ads?

[@thmmke6926]

Dude please Explain what it is Chord pieces? What’s the trip exactly? Why those notes Explain it not just oh I do this, please,

[@januszachtabowski4587]

Czy już nikt bez DELAY nie potrafi grać.

[@therealkaz5824]

Wow this comment section is ancient...

[@activemelody]

Not any more

[@therealkaz5824]

@@activemelody Oh that’s amazing lol. I wasn’t expecting a comment from you so soon.

[@activemelody]

@@therealkaz5824 the all seeing eye 👁

[@john-zw9rw]

DUMP DA GOOGLE YUPPIE SWEATER

[@chuckwagon5518]

Hard to take you seriously wearing that sweater.

[@TonyPromoteTV]

Talk way to much on all videos. Better balance between show and tell please.