The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    What's a "Turnback" in the Barry Harris school?

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Never heard turnback used as a musical term. Turnaround?

  4. #3

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    It's just another name for a turnaround.

  5. #4

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    Gentlemen, a "turnback" in a 12-bar blues is the V7 chord in the 10th measure. It's called that because that's where you begin to "turn back" to the tonic. In this context, the "turnaround" is the 12th measure, or more precisely, beats 2-4 as the first beat is typically the tonic. As explained to me a long, long time ago by a friend and protégé of Magic Sam.

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo
    Never heard turnback used as a musical term. Turnaround?

    David Baker uses that term in his "How To Play Bebop" series. Chapter 6 of Volume 2 is entitled: "The Use of the Turnback in Bebop".
    How to Play Bebop, Volume 2: For All Instruments - David Baker - Google Books

    The virginia.edu list of musical terms gives "turnback" an 'also known as' mention in the definition of turnaround.

    Definitions -- History of Jazz

    I wasn't aware Barry Harris used the term. If ever it was the most common term for turnaroud, that day is long past.

  7. #6

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    What's a "Turnback" in the Barry Harris school?-screen-shot-2020-03-15-4-07-50-pm-png

    Anybody think the term was used to distinguish between rock and blues?

  8. #7
    I think it's meant as turnarounds or jazz cadences:

    I VI7 ii V7 to I

    I IV iii VI7 to ii

    I bIII7 bVI bII

    I #i dim ii V

    I biii dim ii V

    etc

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by rintincop
    What's a "Turnback" in the Barry Harris school?
    But, still looking for this answer, assuming it's unique to Barry?

  10. #9
    It's

    I VI ii V or the other "cadences" , some of which I listed.

  11. #10

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    For David Baker, at least in his "How To Play Bebop" series, a turnback was the last two bars of an 8-bar section, wherein you are 'turning back' to start on the I again (or whatever the first chord of the next A section is).

    In that sense, turnback has a use that 'turnaround' does not. (Though like everyone else, I use "turnaround" and only use "turnback" in a conversation such as this.) But I think we all now know that 'turnaround' doesn't just refer to the, well, turnaround at the end of a section. (I think for a lot of swing tunes, esp rhythm tunes, the A section was seen of as nothing-but-I until the 'turnback' at the end of each 8-bar section.)

  12. #11

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    Is it sometimes meant to use the move to chord iii or III7 instead of I in a turnaround. So:

    Bb7 G7 Cm7 F7

    becomes

    Dm7 G7 Cm7 F7


    Or is that bollocks?

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by christianm77
    Is it sometimes meant to use the move to chord iii or III7 instead of I in a turnaround. So:
    Bb7 G7 Cm7 F7 becomes Dm7 G7 Cm7 F7

    Or is that bollocks?
    What's a "Turnback" in the Barry Harris school?-bollocks-png