# Riff/Melody Used to End Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [September 30, 2024, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-melody-used-to-end-songs/1008296 "2024-09-30T18:26:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![whc.03grady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@whc.03grady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whc.03grady)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-melody-used-to-end-songs/1008296/1 "2024-09-30T18:26:47Z")
Is there a name for [this riff](https://youtu.be/0RxBHRZpIdg?si=hJdTQ-VGbNZ3E7S1&t=151) that is often used to end songs, typically blues and blues-based songs? What is its first known appearance? ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-melody-used-to-end-songs/1008296/2 "2024-09-30T19:06:20Z")
For some reason YouTube won’t let me play that example in the UK? Any other instances? ---
**Author:** ![whc.03grady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@whc.03grady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whc.03grady)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-melody-used-to-end-songs/1008296/3 "2024-09-30T19:54:49Z")
Artists often vary it but there’s a common underlying structure. [the Beatles “For You Blue”](https://youtu.be/TIFHRaZERHg?si=YSjrlppaBgrTPLp8&t=144) [the White Stripes “Death Letter”](https://youtu.be/ba0IunweO5Q?si=YLX1h9KkAK5NTxWH&t=258) (Son House cover) [Reverend Horton Heat “Bad Reputation”](https://youtu.be/47XmEU9aCfM?si=2KzP9RuueF_4tit3&t=133) [Prince “Let’s Go Crazy”](https://youtu.be/aXJhDltzYVQ?si=on2mdfobeHvMV-3-&t=208) [Bill Haley and His Comets “Rock Around the Clock”](https://youtu.be/ZgdufzXvjqw?si=qeBwFD7UWN6oVl8y&t=122) ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-melody-used-to-end-songs/1008296/4 "2024-09-30T20:01:56Z")
Don’t forget to add the ninth chord! ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-melody-used-to-end-songs/1008296/5 "2024-09-30T20:49:36Z")
I think it’s a “[blues turnaround](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0iPt7P67u0)”—used not just for ending songs, but also to transition and restart the sequence of bars. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-melody-used-to-end-songs/1008296/6 "2024-10-01T15:13:50Z")
Definitely a turnaround, though I’m not up on them enough to know what that specific one is called. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-melody-used-to-end-songs/1008296/7 "2024-10-01T15:19:07Z")
**Moderating** Since this is about music, let’s move this to Cafe Society (from FQ).