Turnaround Progressions

Lesson 17/39 | Study Time: 5 Min

Course: Ukulele Chords

Turnaround Progressions

The turnaround is another common chord progression, occurring in many Rock, Pop (Top 40) Jazz and Folk songs. There are two basic forms of the turnaround: Turnaround One, based upon the 1-6m-4-57 chords; and Turnaround Two, based upon the 1-3m-4-57 chords. Many further variations are built around these two basic forms.

Turnaround No.1 - 1 6m 4 57

E.g. in the key of C.

E.g. in the key of G.

The 6m chord is the relative minor to the 1 chord. Practice playing Turnaround No. 1 in the above keys and the other keys with which you are familiar.

Turnaround Variations

Unlike the 12 bar Blues, where the progression occurs over a fixed number of bars, the turnaround progression may vary in length. It is the chord sequence, not the length of bars, that makes a progression a turnaround.

E.g. 1, two chords in each bar.

E.g. 2, one chord lasting two bars.

Songs Which Use Turnaround One

I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
The Night Has a 1000 Eyes – Bobby Vee
It’s Raining Again – Supertramp
More – Various Artists
Ti Amo – Umberto Tozzi
Crocodile Rock (chorus) – Elton John
One Last Kiss – Various Artists
Stand By Me – John Lennon
Dream – Everly Brothers
Return to Sender – Elvis Presley
Telstar – Tornadoes
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life – Monty Python
Why do Fools Fall in Love – Frankie Lyman/Diana Ross
Sarah – Fleetwood Mac
Take Good Care of my Baby – Bobby Vee/Smokey
Where have all the Flowers Gone – Various Artists
Turnaround Sue – Dion & the Belmonts
Tell Me Why – The Beatles
Let’s Twist Again – Chubby Checker
Stay (Just a Little Bit Longer) – The Four Seasons/Jackson Browne
Cool for Cats – U.K. Squeeze
Y.M.C.A – The Village People
Tired of Toein’ the Line – Rocky Burnett
You Drive Me Crazy – Shakin’ Stevens
Should I do it – Pointer Sisters
Poor Little Fool – Ricky Nelson
You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me – Dusty Springfield/Elvis Presley
Oh Carol – Neil Sedaka
Breaking up is Hard to do – Neil Sedaka/Partridge Family
Two Faces Have I – Lou Christie
Every Day – Buddy Holly
Poetry in Motion – Johnny Tillotson
Sweet Little 16 – Neil Sedaka
Big Girls Don’t Cry – Four Seasons
Sherry – Four Seasons
How Do You Do It – Jerry & The Pacemakers
Shour, Shout – Rocky Sharp & The Replays
Aces With You – Moon Martin
Houses of the Holy – Led Zeppelin
Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
Build Me Up Buttercup – The Foundations
Happy Days – Theme
Joane – Michael Nesmith
Goodnight Sweetheart – Various Artists
Looking For An Echo – Ol’55
Summer Holiday – Cliff Richard
Be My Baby – The Ronettes/Rachel Sweet
Everlasting Love – Rachel Sweet/Love Affair
I Go To Pieces (verse) – Peter & Gordon
Love Hurts – Everly Brothers/Jim Capaldi/Nazareth
Gee Baby – Peter Shelley
Classic – Adrian Gurvitz
Teenage Dream – T-Rex
Blue Moon – Various Artists
Bizarre Love Triangle – New Order
Dennis – Blondie
My World – Bee Gees
Hey Paula – Various Artists
It Ain’t Easy – Normie Rowe
It’s Only Make Believe – Glen Campbell
Can’t Smile Without You – Barry Manilow
Take Good Care of My Baby – Bobby Vee/Smokie
Crossfire – Bellamy Brothers
Bobby’s Girl – Marcie Blane
Do That To Me One More Time – Captain & Tenille
Please Mr Postman – Carpenters/ The Beatles
Sharin’ The Night Together – Dr Hook
9 to 5 (Morning Train) – Sheena Easton
Diana – Paul Anka
Enola Gay – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Some Guys Have All the Luck – Robert Palmer
So Lonely – Get Wet
Hungry Heart – Bruce Springsteen
Land of Make Believe (chorus) – Bucks Fizz
Daddys Home – Cliff Richard
The Wonder of You – Elvis Presley
So You Win Again – Hot Chocolate
Hang Five – Rolling Stones
Paper Tiger – Sue Thompson
Venus – Frankie Avalon
Costafine Town – Splinter
If You Leave – OMD
True Blue – Madonna

Turnaround No.2 - 1 3m 4 57

E.g. in the key of C.

E.g. in the key of G.

Practice playing Turnaround No. 2 in the above keys and other keys with which you are familiar.

Some Songs Which Use Turnaround Two

Crocodile Rock (verse) – Elton John
I Started a Joke – The Bee Gees
Different Drum – Linda Ronstadt
Key Largo – Bertie Higgins
Black Berry Way – The Move
Georgy Girl – Seekers
Where Do You Go To My Lovely – Peter Sarsted
Mrs Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter –
Hermans Hermits
Toast and Marmalade for Tea – Tin Tin
Movie Star – Harpo
It’s A Heartache – Bonnie Tyler
I Don’t Like Mondays – The Boomtown Rats
My Angel Baby – Toby Beau
Land Of Make Believe (verse) – Bucks Fizz
I’m In the Mood for Dancing – The Nolans
What’s in a Kiss – Gilbert O’Sullivan
My Baby Loves Love – Joe Jeffries
Dreamin’ – Johnny Burnett
Cruel To Be Kind – Nick Lowe
Where Did Our Love Go – Diana Ross &
The Supremes
Hurdy Gurdy Man – Donovan
I Go To Pieces (chorus) – Peter & Gordon
Get It Over With – Angie Gold
Sad Sweet Dreamer – Sweet Sensation
Down Town – Petula Clark
Easy – Oakridge Boys
Only You Can Do It – Francoise Hardy
Costafine – Splinter (chorus)
Where Did Our Love Go? – Phil Collins

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1- The Rudiments Of Music 2- INTRODUCTION 3- A Chords 4- Using a Tuner 5- Time Signatures 6- Bb/A# Chords 7- Note Values 8- B Chords 9- Chord Diagrams 10- Strumming 11- C Chords 12- Notes, Rhythms And Rests 13- C#/Db Chords 14- How To Hold The Ukulele 15- The Major Scale 16- Left Hand Technique 17- D Chords 18- Sharps And Flats 19- The Chromatic Scale 20- Parts Of The Ukulele 21- Eb/D# Chords 22- More About Major Scales 23- E Chords 24- What Is A Chord? 25- The F Major Scale 26- F Chords 27- How To Read Sheet Music 28- F#/Gb Chords 29- Easy Chord Table 30- Keys And Key Signatures 31- G Chords 32- Chord Symbols And Alternatives 33- Transposing 34- Ab/G# Chords 35- How To Transpose 36- The Capo 37- Chord Construction 38- Chord Progressions 39- Turnaround Progressions

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Turnaround Progressions