The Turnaround
In most Blues songs, each verse ends with what is called a turnaround. A turnaround is a way of setting the music up for a repeat, so that the listener is ready for the next verse or solo. Turnarounds commonly occur on the last two bars of the Blues progression. The chords found in the turnaround are usually I and V .
In the key of C the chords used in these two bars would be C and G. When playing a shuffle with the left hand, the whole chord is not used, but the root notes C (I) and G (V) are still on the bottom. Here are the last four bars of the 12 bar progression showing a common example of a turnaround pattern for the left hand.
You may find the octave stretch and timing difficult at first. Here is an exercise to help you gain more control over this turnaround pattern.
Once you are confident with the left hand, try adding a melody with the right hand. The run used in the last two bars of the right hand part is a very common turnaround run.
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