Often called a tag, blues endings are oftentimes improvised around the abilities of the players involved and provide a good spot to get everyone involved, players, dancers and listeners alike. The following ideas are just a few of the more common ways to end blues flavored tunes in the various styles of American music.
In a folk blues, players will often sing the last line three times then take it out. This is a very common way to end songs in any of the styles actually and is simply known as " 3 times and out." For example, in the gospel / folk / blues classic "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", we simply sing or play the last line three times;
"comin forth to carry me..."
"comin forth to carry me..."
"comin forth to carry me... hoooooooome." Sound familiar? Here is the music. Example 1.
Feel right? "3 times and out" is very, very common on the bandstand, for all of the American styles. Oftentimes, we use a slight retard in the tempo to add a bit of solemnity to the ending, hopefully bringing things to a hush, so cool when everyone in the room is really listening close.
Other common ways to end blues flavored tunes? Perhaps the most common of the blue style endings is to get the band to completely stop or pause, opening up a space to play a line to close out the tune. Need an easy one to start with? Try the jazz cliche from Duke Ellington / Bill Strayhorn's "Take The A Train." Example 2.
Taking this same idea the other way. Example 3.
So, the basic idea is to cut the band off, creating a space to play some kind of blazing blues lick / cadenza type fill to bring the house down? Yep, that's the idea. Example 4.
This last idea is a very common and cool way to take care of business for the blues and rock artists. Believe it or not, it's not all that easy to do, but way cool when it all comes together. Did you catch the half step lead in from above to the final tonic chord? Very, very common among the blues and blues rock hipsters.
Do we ever use a series of chords to bring things to a close in the blues / jazz styles? Of course, we do it all here right? A cool and common motion is to use chords that all have the tonic pitch voiced in the melody, termed "in the lead", creating a common tone to glue things together. Example 5.
| F# - 7b5 F maj7 | E - 7 Eb 7 | D -7 Db maj7 | C maj 7 |
We hear this kind of ending perhaps more in the jazz world than the blues. Do work it out before hand as more often than not, this level of complexity will trainwreck the band.
For guitar wielding rockers, the classic double stop king of cliche. Example 6.
If you don't know this last one, perhaps learn it for at some point somewhere it will surely come in handy. Dig the half step motion from below? So simple but cool and effective eh?
Other ways to end the tune, as varied as the players who play my friend, but you knew that right? Who are your favorite players? How do they end their songs? Oh, lest we forget, we can always just repeat and faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaade yes?
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You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try. Beverly Sills
