Turnarounds

Chromatic iii-bIII-ii-bII Progression

The iii-VI-ii-V turnaround with both dominants replaced by tritone substitutes, so the roots descend by half steps from iii to I.

Tempo 120 BPM

Practice in all 12 keys

Bar 1: Em7 iii7 E♭7 ♭III7
Bar 2: Dm7 ii7 D♭7 ♭II7

Rootless Shells Guide tones Rooted shells Rooted Drop 2

Four-note rootless voicings in their two forms, with the 3rd or the 7th on the bottom, played over the root.

Customize each chord

Meter: 4/4
Bars: 2

Each dominant is a half step above the minor 7th that follows it, so the turnaround is one smooth slide: Em7, Eb7, Dm7, Db7 and Cmaj7 in C. Its 3rds and 7ths hold or step down a half step at each change. It suits the end of a ballad or a slow blues; practice it slowly with guide tones to hear the inner lines.

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

None of the usual substitutions apply: there are no dominant 7ths to replace and no whole steps to fill.

Variations

Major I-vi-ii-V

Imaj7 vi7 | ii7 V7

In C: Cmaj7 Am7 Dm7 G7

The basic turnaround: diatonic chords falling in fifths from vi back to I, two to a bar, to bring a tune back to the top.
Major I-VI-ii-V

Imaj7 VI7 | ii7 V7

In C: Cmaj7 A7 Dm7 G7

The standard turnaround back to the top of a major tune, with VI7, the dominant of ii, in place of the diatonic vi chord.
Major iii-VI-ii-V

iii7 VI7 | ii7 V7

In C: Em7 A7 Dm7 G7

The I-VI-ii-V turnaround with iii, which shares three notes with the I chord, standing in for the tonic.
Diminished Passing Turnaround

Imaj7 ♯i°7 | ii7 V7

In C: Cmaj7 C#dim7 Dm7 G7

The I-VI-ii-V with a diminished 7th chord on #I in place of VI7, so the bass rises by half steps from I to ii.
Tritone Sub Turnaround

Imaj7 ♭III7 | ii7 ♭II7

In C: Cmaj7 Eb7 Dm7 Db7

The I-VI-ii-V with tritone substitutes for its dominants, bIII7 for VI7 and bII7 for V7, so the bass falls by half steps from bIII back to I.
Tadd Dameron Turnaround

Imaj7 ♭IIImaj7 | ♭VImaj7 ♭IImaj7

In C: Cmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7

A turnaround of major 7th chords on I, bIII, bVI and bII, named after the bebop composer and arranger Tadd Dameron.

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

Variations

Major I-vi-ii-V

Major I-VI-ii-V

Major iii-VI-ii-V

Diminished Passing Turnaround

Tritone Sub Turnaround

Tadd Dameron Turnaround