Tadd Dameron Turnaround
The Tadd Dameron turnaround is the chord progression Imaj7-bIII7-bVI7-bII7. In the key of C major it is Cmaj7 Eb7 Ab7 Db7, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 1(maj7) b3(7) b6(7) b2(7).
It is also known as Lady Bird turnaround.
Chords from outside the key of C major: Eb7, Ab7, Db7.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
Start from I-vi-ii-V, turn the chords into dominants, then replace everything except I with its tritone substitute. The bass ends up falling through a chain of fifths a long way from the key before stepping down a half step to I. Common variants make bVI a maj7 or make every chord a maj7, and all of these count as the same turnaround.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lady Bird | Tadd Dameron | last two bars | Cmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 | C major |
| Half Nelson | Miles Davis | turnaround | Cmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 | C major |
Tadd Dameron Turnaround: Chords and Audio in C, G, D, A and E
Press play to hear each key. The diagrams show the shapes used in the audio, and every chord links to its full page.
More progressions like this one
- Take the A Train changes: Cmaj7 D7 Dm7 G7
- Girl from Ipanema changes: Cmaj7 D7 Dm7 Db7
- Diminished passing chain: Cmaj7 C#dim7 Dm7 D#dim7 Em7 A7
- Sharp four diminished: F F#dim7 C/G
All guitar chord progressions →
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the chords of the Tadd Dameron turnaround in each key?
In C major: Cmaj7 Eb7 Ab7 Db7. In G major: Gmaj7 Bb7 Eb7 Ab7. In D major: Dmaj7 F7 Bb7 Eb7. In A major: Amaj7 C7 F7 Bb7. In E major: Emaj7 G7 C7 F7.
Which songs use the Tadd Dameron turnaround?
Songs that use it include Lady Bird by Tadd Dameron, Half Nelson by Miles Davis.
