Turnaround, What Is It and Which Ones Exist?

For a turnaround (sometimes also called a turnback), literally "turning around," it refers to a sequence of chords that resolves to the tonic chord or its substitute and can be repeated cyclically. It is generally used as a tail for the piece, but it can also be found in the introduction or at the end of the chorus.

The most typical form is I VI II V (e.g.: C∆ A-7 D-7 G7); if we were at a beach barbecue, we might even hear it called a "circle of C" (regardless of the key...).

It is subject to all the substitutions I mentioned in the other thread and can be found in pieces in major or minor keys (e.g.: A-7 F#Ø BØ E7).

You can find a beautiful example in the versions of "All of Me" by Miles Davis taken from "Miles Davis in Europe" and "My Funny Valentine," in which the band, after a couple of choruses of improvisation on the structure of the piece, repeats a turnaround until the soloist plays a phrase that signals the end of the solo.