Theory
This is the final week of M1. A month ago even the shuffle's long-short felt foreign; today you stand at the spot where you tie off the 12 bars yourself. The last key is the turnaround — the last four bars of the 12 that loop the tune back to the top. Once this knot is in your hands, instead of ending, one lap flows naturally into the next.
The turnaround order is V(B7)-IV(A7)-I(E7)-V(B7). Start at bar 9 on B7, come down through bar 10 (A7) and bar 11 (E7), then rise back to B7 at bar 12. Leaving the last bar open on B7 makes the ear feel, "not done yet — go back to the top." That lingering pull is what sends the tune around one more lap.
Your hands already know the work. Just move the boogie shape to the B, A, E, and B spots. B7 has its root on the 3rd string, 2nd fret, A7 on the open 3rd string, E7 on the open 4th string — all three spots are staircases your hands memorized last week. The only new thing to memorize is the order.
Forget speed. Today it's all about tracing the last four bars very slowly and carving the order into your body, even if you stop. From B to A, A to E, then E back to B — it's fine to rest briefly at each seam. On a 5-string the fingering is the same; just rest the low B. These four bars are the last knot that binds the 12 into one.
See it
Today has two parts. First check the B7 boogie shape on the fretboard, then pass through the turnaround shuffle that links the last four bars. Each example comes in both a 4-string and a 5-string version.
First, the B7 boogie shape. The lower blue is the root B (3rd string, 2nd fret), the two blues above are the 5th and 6th, and the uncolored one is the b7. The same staircase as the E and A boogies has moved to the B spot.
▶ 4-string. Root B (3rd string, 2nd fret) → 5th (2nd string, 4th fret) → 6th (6th fret) → b7 (7th fret). It's the E and A boogie staircase moved to the B spot.
▶ 5-string. The spots are the same as the 4-string. Rest the low B with your thumb and focus on the B7 root.
Now the turnaround shuffle that links the last four bars. Move the boogie shape in the B7-A7-E7-B7 order and loop the tune back to the top.
▶ BPM 70, shuffle. Bar 9 B7 (3rd string, 2nd fret) - bar 10 A7 (open 3rd string) - bar 11 E7 (open 4th string) - bar 12 B7. The same boogie shape shifts spots for each chord.
▶ 5-string. Same notes and spots as the 4-string. Cover the low B with the thumb so it doesn't leak.
Today's practice
0–10 min · Warm-up Roll this week's three boogies in E·A·B order at BPM 60 to loosen up. Check all three spots come out.
10–20 min · Brain training Press the turnaround order (B7-A7-E7-B7) very slowly. Check whether the seams where the root moves from B to A and on to E are smooth.
20–40 min · Real play Repeat today's piece, the turnaround, at BPM 70. The goal is four bars that connect without stopping. Learn it on the 4-string, then confirm on the 5-string.
40–50 min · Record/feedback Record 30 seconds and listen for whether the four bars stay unbroken. Note the BPM you reached today.
Done when: you can pass through the turnaround (V-IV-I-V) in the B7-A7-E7-B7 order at BPM 70 without stopping, on both a 4-string and a 5-string.
- Mixing up the order. B7-A7-E7-B7 is easy to muddle. Carve the rise and fall of the sound into your body as "high-low-lower-high again."
- Missing the B7 root. It's easy to play the 3rd string, 2nd fret as an open string. B is a note you have to press.
- The long-short goes flat at the seam. It's easy to lose the shuffle feel the moment a chord changes. Keep the front note long even at the seam.
- Neglecting low B (5-string). Even while busy moving spots, keep the unused low string covered with the thumb.