In Lesson 6, you were introduced to the 12 Bar Blues chord progression. Another common chord progression is called the turnaround. Like 12 Bar Blues, it is the basis of many songs, and will probably sound familiar. Unlike 12 Bar Blues, where the progression occurs over a fixed number of bars, the Turnaround progression may vary in length as in the following examples, however the chord sequence remains the same. Some of the biggest hits of all time are based on the turnaround progression. Every year since the beginning of Rock music there have been hit songs based on Turnaround progressions.
All turnaround progressions contain at least one minor chord. The following chord progression is a turnaround in the key of G and it contains a new chord, E minor (Em).
Em
To play the Em chord, use the second and third fingers of your left hand as shown in the diagram. Strum all six strings.
Rhythm Pattern
Rhythm Pattern
In this turnaround there are two bars of each chord.
Am
To play the Am chord use the first, second and third fingers of your left hand as shown in the diagram. Strum all six strings.
Rhythm Pattern
In this turnaround there are two bars of each chord.