Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Endings month: Ending on the 7

Endings Month

Here's a variation on the end-the-song-by-returning-to-the-tonic trick: end-the-song-by-returning-to-the-7-of-the-tonic trick

So if your song is in G you bring it back to G at the end, but you slap on a G7 for the final note(s). Or if you're in Bb, end it in Bb with a Bb7. And so on.

It's kind of a bluesy thing to do, so let's look to Robert "King of the Delta Blues Singers" Johnson to show us the way in Sweet Home Chicago at 2:48 in.

And for another example of this technique it's Sweet Home Chicago again, this time by The Blues Brothers with an ending at 3:30.

Cross-posted at J.R.'s Banjo Hangout blog

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