The ‘Ray Charles’ Turnaround Lick

This position is extremely useful, and of course, it’s not ONLY a turnaround lick. In piano playing circles, however, it is one of the most recognizable licks of all, and so much so that it’s almost become a cliché. Ray Charles was a master of this lick, but you can also hear it in the playing of other piano greats such as Jerry Lee Lewis, and some of the great New Orleans players like Fats Domino and Dr. John.

It takes a pretty deft left hand to make the little “turn” that is necessary in the execution of this kind of lick, but I would say that flatpicking, fingerpicking or the hybrid-style are extremely effective and well suited to the right hand approach to this lick. Ideally you should try all three approaches to see which one fits best.

The second style of the lick I am teaching here has a shortcut “backwards drag” muted-string approach that is particularly well-adapted to the flatpicking style, for obvious reasons.

I’ll be sure to show them to you up to speed, as well as slowed down, which is definitely how you should first practice these runs. Good luck, and be sure to use them wherever they feel “right”!