Giant Steps

Bassius · #1 07-16-2005, 03:03 PM

HELP ME!!!!

Jazzin' · #2 07-16-2005, 03:34 PM

If you need the chords...
||: Bmaj7 D7 | Gmaj7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 | Am7 D7 | Gmaj7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 F#7 | Bmaj7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 | Am7 D7 | Gmaj7 | C#m7 F#7 | Bmaj7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 | C#m7 F#7 :||

*some chords begin a halfbeat early*
EDIT: nevermind, the chords all start on either the 1st or 3rd beat. It's only the melody which may have notes which are a halfbeat ahead of the chords.

Have fun! It's quite crazy when its played at high speeds with all those chord changes.

Don't_Fret · #3 07-16-2005, 04:55 PM

IIRC, some play the maj7s as dominants.

Joe Beets · #4 07-16-2005, 10:31 PM

I transcribed the complete Coltrane solo back in 1969. There are now dozens of these transcription available on the internet. None are as accurate as mine, of course. I'll bet someone has transcribed the complete bass part by now. Just do a search on "Paul Chambers" or "Paul Chambers transcription", maybe one will turn up. Seeing it written down on paper helps to figure out what he played. And the original is a good place to start when you are improvising your own lines. Something else that might be handy is a small CD player practice aid I saw on the MF site that slows down the CD without lowering the pitch. I wish I had one of those 40 years ago. Back in the old days we had to slow down the record (black vinyl disc with lots of grooves) from 33 rpm to 16 to figure things out. Good Luck.

WillBuckingham · #5 07-18-2005, 11:05 PM

Hey is your transcription in concert "c". Would you be willing to post it?

Joe Beets · #6 07-19-2005, 09:14 PM

It's in Bb for tenor sax. The transcription is Coltrane's solo not the bass part. I don't have any way to scan and post it, but if you must have one I could make a copy and mail it to you. Even easier would be to download one of the transcriptions available online. A quick search on "Coltrane Giant Steps" with the exact phrase "transcription" brought up 2500 results. One of the free downloads can be found at lucaspickford.com. If you have time to go all the way through the list there are probably a few more free downloads in there. You might even come across one of Paul Chambers bass part. Good Luck.

geoffkhan · #7 07-20-2005, 02:05 AM

Also it's important to work out the phrasing for soloing in the song. This is the way I hear it:

Bmaj7 D7 | Gmaj7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7

Am7 D7 | Gmaj7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 F#7 | Bmaj7

Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7

Am7 D7 | Gmaj7

C#m7 F#7 | Bmaj7

Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7

C#m7 F#7

You can get away with using pentatonic scales through the entire song -- an F#, D, and Bb pentatonic. Better yet just play through each scale for each chord. Then add time, so you're switching scales in the middle of a scale. Change directions randomly.

If you work on your ii V I's in all the keys, the entire last section of the song should be a piece of cake for you. Just working on the first 2 phrases will get you far.

In improv we had to play this in all 12 keys, uptempo. I passed, but I wouldn't say I played the most imaginative solo. I was hanging on for dear life. :P

Jace The Bass · #8 07-20-2005, 08:54 PM

You could go to the extent of playing patterns say in eight notes it will work but then again were thinkin coltrane here but yea what geoff said get ii-v-1 licks down so you come to a stage where you dont have to think but just play in groups instead of going from one chord to another which will in turn give you time so you can be more melodic in a sense

tplyons · #9 07-20-2005, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Beets

It's in Bb for tenor sax.

Hey, I'd be interested in a copy of that. Haven't cracked open my tenor in a while.

Matt Till · #10 07-20-2005, 09:23 PM

Coletrane is a bastard.

geoffkhan · #11 07-20-2005, 10:52 PM

Don't feel bad about slowing it down drastically. Don't let the 300 bpm tempo marking scare you. Get it to where you are able to play it with ease at half the speed and then slowly speed it up.

However, when you are playing at such a fast speed, try to look and hear the big picture. Don't try to feel quarter notes, this is how I feel fast songs like Giant Steps:

12342234323442341234223432344234

(of course don't count like that, just really feel those big 1's)

If the changes are giving you trouble, then slow it down and start over. Work it until you are able to play cohesive phrases over it. If you feel like your just trying to play SOMETHING or fill space, then stop playing. Don't feel obligated to play over every bar. In fact, it'll have a lot more impact if you leave plenty of room -- at least at first, when you build up your solo into a climax you can leave less space, but that should come naturally.

lowphatbass · #12 07-20-2005, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Till

Coletrane is a bastard.

WHAT?

Nick Bassman · #13 07-21-2005, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowphatbass

WHAT?

I think he meant Cole Trane who is definitely a b*****d as opposed to Coltrane who isn't

Redhotbassist · #14 07-21-2005, 05:40 AM

Who played/wrote Giant Steps?

I do remember hearing victor wooten play that one..

Bruce Lindfield · #15 07-21-2005, 06:40 AM

John Coltrane wrote Giant Steps and there is an album named after it which has loads of classic Jazz tunes, many of which are now standards!

It's since inspired generations of Tenor Sax players and introduced a new concept of "reharmonising" tunes in movements of key centres by thirds.... "Coltrane Changes"!

soontobedead · #16 07-21-2005, 05:54 PM

yes... victor wooten does a version of giant steps in his vital tech tones album (with scott henderson on guitar and steve smith on drums)... when i listened to that album i was speechless... is really great

Dr. Zoidberg · #17 07-25-2005, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

John Coltrane wrote Giant Steps and there is an album named after it which has loads of classic Jazz tunes, many of which are now standards!

It's since inspired generations of Tenor Sax players and introduced a new concept of "reharmonising" tunes in movements of key centres by thirds.... "Coltrane Changes"!

aren't they also reharmonised with ii and V7?

i remember using Coltrane Changes with and the reharmonization of rhythm changes..

Jazzin' · #18 07-25-2005, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Zoidberg

aren't they also reharmonised with ii and V7?

i remember using Coltrane Changes with and the reharmonization of rhythm changes..

My friend (alto sax player from ottawa, maybe even the best non-adult alto saxophonist in canada) has a whole book based on having coltrane changes and "rhythm changes" changes at the same time. Too confusing for me, but he pretty much told me that it's teaching him how to use coltrane changes over "rhythm changes" changes and having it sound good or something like that.