You’ve learned the riff. You’ve mastered the shuffle, bends, and double stops. Now it’s time to bring it all together and learn how to finish the song with style and confidence. This final lesson completes your Mannish Boy blues journey.

This is lesson five in the Mannish Boy blues series. Make sure you’ve worked through lesson one (the basic riff), lesson two (shuffle rhythm), lesson three (bends), and lesson four (double stops) before jumping into this final piece.

Why Blues Riff Endings Matter

A great blues riff ending is what separates amateurs from players who know what they’re doing. You can play the riff perfectly for three minutes, but if you don’t know how to land the ending, the whole thing falls flat.

Mannish Boy is essentially one riff that repeats throughout the entire song. That means the ending needs to signal clearly: we’re done. No ambiguity. The audience should know the song has concluded without anyone having to tell them.

This lesson teaches you multiple ways to end the riff – from simple stops to full turnarounds. You’ll have options depending on the situation, whether you’re jamming with a band or playing solo.

The Simple Stop Ending

The most straightforward blues riff ending is just stopping cleanly on the right beat. Play through the riff one final time, and instead of repeating, you land on a single chord or note and let it ring.

For Mannish Boy, that final note is typically the A. You can play it as a power chord, as an octave (like you learned in lesson four), or as a full A chord. The key is hitting it with conviction and letting it sustain.

Timing matters here. You want to land that final A on the downbeat – right where the next cycle of the riff would normally start. That creates the sense of resolution. Everyone in the band (or listening) knows: that’s the end.

Practice stopping cleanly. Don’t let it trail off or fade out awkwardly. Hit the final note, let it ring briefly, then mute it. Clean, decisive, done.

Adding the Turnaround

A turnaround is a short musical phrase that signals the end of a section or the entire song. In blues, turnarounds are standard vocabulary. They’re what you play to wrap things up and bring the progression back to the root.

For this riff in the key of A, a classic turnaround uses the progression: A – D – E – A. It’s the same three chords you’d use in a 12-bar blues, but compressed into a short ending phrase.

Here’s how it works: instead of repeating the riff again, you play A (one measure), then D (half measure), then E (half measure), then back to A for the final resolution. The rhythm can be flexible, but the chord movement creates that “coming home” feeling.

You can play these as power chords, full chords, or even as single-note bass lines. The important thing is the harmonic movement – A to D to E to A. That progression tells the listener: we’re wrapping this up.

Using Hammer-Ons for the Ending

Hammer-ons add a flourish to your blues riff ending. Instead of picking every note, you fret one note, then hammer down on a higher note on the same string without picking again. It creates a smooth, connected sound that adds energy to the ending.

For this riff, a common hammer-on move is on the A string: play the open A, then hammer your finger down onto the second fret. That’s an A to B move, and it fits perfectly into the blues sound.

You can use hammer-ons as you’re building into the final chord. Play the riff, add a hammer-on on the A string, then land on your final A chord. That little hammer-on flourish makes the ending more dynamic.

Practice the hammer-on separately first. Make sure the hammered note rings out clearly without picking. You’re using the force of your finger hitting the fretboard to create the sound. It takes a bit of strength and precision, but once you’ve got it, it becomes a go-to move for endings and fills.

The A7 Chord Ending

Another classic blues riff ending uses the A7 chord. The dominant seventh chord has a bluesy, unresolved quality that works perfectly for this style.

The A7 chord is played: open A string, second fret on the D string, open G string, second fret on the B string, open high E string. It’s not a difficult chord, and it’s one of the most useful shapes in blues guitar.

Instead of ending on a plain A chord or power chord, you can substitute the A7. Play through the riff, and on the final A, play the full A7 chord. Let it ring out. That dominant seventh sound is what gives blues its characteristic tension and release.

You can also break up the A7 chord – play the bass notes first, then strum the upper strings. Or hit the chord once, let it ring, then hit it again with a staccato chop. There are variations, but the core idea is using that A7 for color and character.

Combining Techniques

The best blues riff endings combine multiple techniques. You might use a hammer-on to add energy, switch to double stops for texture, then land on an A7 chord for the final resolution.

Here’s an example: play the riff in the low position, add a hammer-on on the A string, switch to the high position double stops (from lesson four), then play a descending line back down to the A7 chord. That’s movement, dynamics, and resolution all in one phrase.

The key is making it musical, not mechanical. You’re not just executing techniques – you’re telling the listener that the song is ending. The ending should feel intentional, like you meant to finish exactly that way.

Playing the Ending in a Band Context

When you’re playing with other musicians, the ending needs to be coordinated. Everyone has to land together, or it sounds messy.

The standard way to signal an ending is through the riff itself. You might play the riff twice in a row without variation, which tells the band: next time through, we’re ending. Or you might nod, make eye contact, or shout “last time!” – whatever works for your group.

Once everyone knows the ending is coming, you play through the riff one final time and hit the ending together. That could be a simple stop, a turnaround, or whatever you’ve decided on. The important thing is that everyone lands on the same beat.

If you’re the one calling the ending, make it clear. Play with confidence so the other musicians can follow your lead. A weak or ambiguous ending leaves everyone hanging.

Solo Blues Riff Endings

When you’re playing solo, you have complete freedom with the ending. There’s no one else to coordinate with, so you can experiment with timing, pauses, and embellishments.

Try adding a ritardando – slowing down gradually as you approach the final chord. It creates a sense of winding down, of coming to rest. Or you can do the opposite: speed up slightly into a strong, decisive stop.

Solo playing is where you can really explore different ending options. Play the same riff ten times, but end it differently each time. See what feels right. Some endings will sound better than others, and you’ll start to develop your own vocabulary of go-to moves.

Common Ending Mistakes

Trailing off awkwardly. Don’t let the riff just fade out or peter out weakly. Even if you’re going for a quiet ending, it should be intentional, not accidental.

Missing the timing. If you’re playing with others and you land the ending on the wrong beat, it throws everyone off. Practice the timing so you know exactly where that final chord needs to hit.

Over-embellishing. A flashy ending can work, but don’t overdo it. Sometimes the simplest ending – a clean stop on the A chord – is the most powerful. You don’t need to prove you know every technique. Just finish the song well.

Practice Strategy

Play through the full riff several times, then practice ending it. Do this repeatedly. Play the riff, end it. Play the riff, end it differently. Get comfortable with multiple ending options so you’re not locked into just one approach.

Record yourself playing the riff and various endings. Listen back. Does the ending sound confident and intentional? Or does it sound hesitant? Your ears will tell you what’s working.

If you’re playing with others, practice the endings together. Everyone needs to be on the same page, and that only comes through repetition and communication.

Putting It All Together

You’ve now completed all five lessons in this Mannish Boy blues series. You’ve learned the basic riff, added the shuffle feel, incorporated bends and muting, moved up the neck with double stops, and now you know how to finish with style.

This isn’t just about one song. These techniques – the shuffle, the bends, the position switching, the endings – are fundamental to blues guitar. You can use them in countless other songs and jams.

The next step is to play. Put on a backing track, or jam with friends, and work through this riff with all the variations you’ve learned. Don’t just practice it in isolation – use it in real playing situations. That’s where you’ll internalize the groove and make it your own.

Building Your Blues Foundation

Blues riff endings are just one piece of your blues vocabulary. Combine what you’ve learned here with the foundational chord work from beginner blues chords and the rhythm concepts from one finger blues and two finger blues shuffle.

For more blues riff work, check out easy blues guitar riff and cool blues riff.

For more beginner-friendly blues lessons, visit our Beginner Blues Guitar section.