Turnaround — the last four bars that tie off the 12

Week 4 at last — the final week of Month 1. Starting today you learn the turnaround — the last four bars that loop the tune back to the very top. You've built the A7, D7, and E7 boogies one at a time. Today those pieces link into a single loop. The turnaround is what keeps the 12 bars circling without a break.

The turnaround is really V-IV-I-V. In A blues, V is E7, IV is D7, and I is A7, so the last four bars flow E7 → D7 → A7 → E7. The first three chords come home, then the final E7 opens the door again into the next lap. That last single chord doesn't end the tune — it waves "one more time!"

The technique is already in your hands. There's not a single new shape. Take the boogie riff from Weeks 1–2, move only the root string for each chord, and that's the turnaround. Just remember that E7's root is the 6th string, D7's the 4th, and A7's the 5th. Today, don't chase speed — aim only for the four bars connecting smoothly. Four weeks ago even one chord felt like a stretch; now you're weaving four chords into one flow.

Let's hear the flow with just the chords first. One chord per bar, in whole notes.

▶ BPM 80, shuffle. One chord per bar — ring E7 → D7 → A7 → E7 in whole notes. Listen for that last E7 pulling back to the top.

Now let's walk those four bars as a boogie riff. Only the chord changes; the walking shape stays the same every time.

▶ BPM 80, shuffle. E7 (6th string)-D7 (4th string)-A7 (5th string)-E7. The same boogie shape just shifts seats from chord to chord.

Start slowly and check with your foot that the shuffle doesn't wobble even at the moment the chord changes.

0–10 min · Warm-up BPM 65. Warm your hand with one bar of the E7 boogie. Check with your foot that the long-short shuffle is alive.

▶ BPM 65, shuffle. One bar of E7 boogie. Over the 6th-string root, walk 5→6→b7→6.

Now connect the two bars that move from home (A7) to the V (E7) that reopens the door.

▶ BPM 80, shuffle. Bar 1 A7, bar 2 E7. Moving from I to V, feel the pull into the next lap.

10–20 min · Brain training (today's target = the turnaround order) In your head, say the order E7 → D7 → A7 → E7 out loud. Picture the root string moving 6→4→5→6.

20–40 min · Real turnaround (BPM 80) Repeat the four-bar turnaround without a break. Listen for whether the last E7 pulls into the next bar.

40–50 min · Recording / self-feedback (recommended) Record the four-bar turnaround: is the shuffle alive even as the chords change.

Today's completion criteria: You can pass through the four-bar turnaround (E7-D7-A7-E7) with a shuffle, without a break.

Here are the common mistakes in the turnaround. Drop the last E7 and the tune won't carry into the next lap.

▶ The last E7 is the knot. This V chord loops the tune back to the start. The open E on the 6th string is the root.

• You mix up the D7 and A7 order. After IV (D7) comes I (A7). Recite the V-IV-I-V order out loud.
• You end the last E7 on A7. The tune isn't over yet. There's another lap, so leave it open on E7.
• The chord change is late. Picture the next chord's root string one beat early.
• The shuffle flattens. Focusing on chord changes evens out the long-short. Keep stomping the beat with your foot.