Turnaround Progressions
The turnaround is another very common chord progression, occurring in many Rock, Pop (Top 40) Jazz and Folk songs. There are two variations of the basic turnaround; namely, Turnaround One, which is based upon the I-VIm-IV-V7 chords, and Turnaround Two, based upon the I-IIIm-IV-V7 chords.
There are two basic forms of turnaround, however there are many variations of both.
Turnaround No. 1- I VIm IV V7
E.g., in the key of C.
E.g., in the key of G.
The VIm chord is the relative minor to the I chord. Practice playing Turnaround No. 1 in the keys shown previously and 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.
E.g., 1, two chords in each bar.
E.g., 2, one chord lasting two bars.
It is the chord sequence, not the length of bars, that makes a progression a turnaround. Here are some songs which are based, entirely or in part, upon turnaround one.
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 - Rock Burnett
- You Drive Me Crazy - Shakin’ Stevens
- Should I do it - Pointer Sisters
- Poor Little Fool - Rick Nelson
- You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me - Dusty
- Springfield/Elvis Presley
- Oh Carol - Neil Sedaka
- 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
- Shout, 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
- It Ain’t Easy - Normie Rowe
- Breaking up is Hard to do - Neil Sedaka/Partridge Family
- My World - Bee Gees
- Hey Paula - Various Artists
- 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 & Tenile
- Please Mr Postman - Carpenters/The Beatles
- Sharin’ The Night Together - Dr Hook
- 9 to 5 (Morning Train) - Sheena Easton
- Diana - Paul Anka
- Telstar - Tornadoes
- 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) - Buck Fizz
- Daddy's 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 - I IIIm IV V7
E.g., in the key of C.
E.g., in the key of G.
Practice playing Turnaround No. 2 in the keys shown previously and the other keys with which you are familiar.
Examples of some songs which use Turnaround No. 2 are:
Turnaround Two
- Crocodile Rock (verse) - Elton John
- I started a Joke - The Bee Gees
- Different Drum - Linda Ronstadt
- Key Largo - Bertie Giggins
- Black Berry Way - The Move
- Georgy Girl - Seekers
- Where Do You Go To My Lovely - Peter Sarstedt
- 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