Turnarounds: 1–6–2–5 and 3–6–2–5
Learn how I–vi–ii–V and iii–vi–ii–V turn the end of a phrase back toward its beginning.
Interactive listening
Hear the harmony in time
Compare the examples at one tempo.
1–6–2–5 turnaround
The diatonic version begins at tonic and travels by descending fifths back to the dominant.
3–6–2–5 variation
Em7 substitutes for tonic colour while preserving three notes of Cmaj7.
Watch it in context · Jens Larsen
Jazz Turnaround - How To Get Started
Start with I-VI7-ii-V, then hear how chord tones and voice leading turn the repeating progression into musical phrases.
Open on YouTube (opens in a new tab)Why it turns around
A turnaround occupies the end of a phrase and creates momentum back to the next tonic. In I–vi–ii–V, every root after I descends by a fifth: C to A, A to D, and D to G when heard cyclically. G7 then points back to C at the top of the form.
The tonic is often brief because the job of these bars is departure and return, not repose. Repeating the four-chord cell turns static tonic space into a continuous harmonic loop.
Why iii can stand in for I
Em7 contains E, G, and B—the upper three notes of Cmaj7. Replacing Cmaj7 with Em7 removes the tonic root but preserves most of its colour, delaying a fully grounded resolution. It also begins an unbroken chain of descending fifths: E–A–D–G.
Turnarounds are frequently intensified by changing minor chords to dominant sevenths. Cmaj7–A7–D7–G7 creates a chain of applied dominants, with each chord pushing more strongly toward the next.
- Use 1–6–2–5 when the tonic should be explicit.
- Use 3–6–2–5 for a lighter tonic sound and a complete fifths sequence.
- Practise one guide-tone line through all four chords before adding scales.