Creative Turnaround Variations and Reharmonizations

In jazz piano, mastering the art of Turnaround progressions is essential for adding sophistication and variety to your playing.

The 1–6–2–5 progression, a staple found at the end of many tunes, serves as a perfect canvas for exploration.

Here, we’ll dive into 8 tasty substitutions and reharmonizations you can do.

Examples will be in the key of Bb, and I recommend you practice them in a few other common keys like F, Eb, and G for versatility and flexibility.

Why Variety Matters in Turnarounds

In jazz, where compositions often feature short forms, Turnarounds happen repeatedly and often.

Diversifying your turnaround vocabulary prevents monotony and injects freshness into your improvisations and arrangements.

By mastering different substitutions and reharmonizations you can keep yourself and your audience engaged and your performances dynamic.

These variations utilize dominant chords creatively, employ tritone substitutions for smoother and hipper sounds, and introduce Major 7 and Sus4 chords for a modern twist.

Perfect for blues progressions, standards, or any jazz context where turnarounds play a pivotal role.

Here’s the 8 variations and reharms:

1. 3–6–2–5 Progression

  • Dm7, G7, Cm7, F7

2. 1–6–2-b2 Progression

  • Bb7, G7, C7, B7

3. 1–6-b6–5 Progression

  • Bb7, G7, Gb7, F7

4. 1-b7-b6–5 Progression

  • Bb7, Ab7, Gb7, F7

5. b7–6alt-b6–5 Progression

  • Ab7, G7alt, Gb7, F7

6. 7-b7-b6–5 Progression

  • A7, Ab7, Gb7, F7

7. b7Sus4–6alt-b6Maj7–5 Progression

  • Absus4, G7alt, Gbmaj7, F7

8 . The “Ladybird” Turnaround (from the standard tune “Ladybird”: 1-b3-b6-b2)

  • Bb7, Db7, Gb7, B7

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