A Simple Turn-Around

(12 Bar Blues - How to fake it)

This simple turn-around is played when the 12 bar blues does the V-IV-I-V progression at the end of a verse. It's called the turn-around because ends the verse while leading into the first set of chords for the next verse.

You will over the years learn many variations on the turn-around. Every harp player can be recognized by his or her own signature turn-around style, but you will always come back to this simple one. It is especially useful when you are accompanying a guitarist or singer. You will be playing a layer of music below the lead instrument in these cases and they will do the fancy stuff. You want to do an underlying basic riff that will make the leader sound good without grabbing away attention.

This uses the 1 and 2 holes and is very easy to play. First the V chord note.

This is not just six notes. Since blues uses a "flat-tire shuffle" you want to make the notes follow the shuffle pattern. A flat-tire shuffle is the rhythm that a flat tire makes - "da-bop da-bop da-bop da-bop da-bop da-bop".

You must articulate the notes by saying the sounds (dah-de, dah-de, dah-dah). The last dah is emphasized and held.

Now the IV chord note.

Here you say "doo-de, doo-de, doo-doo" holding the last doo a little longer.

Now we're back down to the I chord which as you remember is based on the 2 hole draw.

 

Here again you say "doo-de, doo-de, doo-de, doo-de". This now steps right down into the V chord without a pause with the last part of the turn-around.

You articulate this as "dah-de-dah-dah" holding the last dah until the I chord starts up again.

Blues Harp Songs and Riffs

The following are the basic riffs that you'll need to play blues harp. My goal here is to give you a basic understanding of what is going on in blues and what you can play at different points in the 12 bar blues cycle.

12 bar blues harp theory
 Beginner's Practice Riffs
Faking Blues Riffs
Blues Harp Scale
Triplets
Help Me lick
Hoochie-Coochie Man and Mannish Boy Riffs
Peter Gunn Bass Line

Here are some simple harp tabs for songs. They are mostly not blues, but they are "Bluesey" with plenty of bends to practice.

Stormy Weather
Amazing Grace
Black Rat Blues Harp
Don't Get Around Much Any More

I've spent some time and tabbed out some blues riffs and phrases using a little javascript engine that I designed. This will allow you to play riffs in first, second and third positions. This is great for learning to really play blues harp.

B.B. King Sweet 16
Little Walter's Juke
Little Walter's Off the Wall
Born Under a Bad Sign
Cream - Sunshine of You Love

I spent a lot of time working out almost all of Help me by Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller).