• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Giant Steps

#5
amateur here (who has also struggled with this tune). i think your work sounds pretty good. i can actually here the changes (sometimes) within your solo and i think that is huge. you might consider trying to add some "themes" to your solo (repeated phrase rhythms or melodies). i think i here a theme at the beginning (up to ~20sec) but most of the solo sounds a bit "groundless". that sounds worse than i intend. i think your solo is actually pretty good.

i have a question for you (or anyone else). how do you think about the chord changes to giant steps? is it a ii V I that shifts keys? something else. there are also unusual rhythm changes. are there patterns in the song that help you keep the chord changes in your mind?
 
#6
Getting themes and honoring ideas is the hardest part of this tune and what I struggle with the most.

Giant steps is actually a long sequence of mostly ii v's. Look at the very last chord bar and the first chord. You will find that type of pattern through the first 8 bars. I also try some pentatonic sub. I can explain more when I get home tonight, if you want.

If you want to hear how its done check out Gary Willis performance for bass player live 2014. Its on YouTube and its the last song he plays during the clinic.
 
#8
I haven't heard where you were as a point of comparison but what you are doing is starting to take shape. You are starting to make the changes which is always good, especially on a tune like this, but there are parts that is really just jiving. I'd focus more on really nailing the changes which can be a bit of a dull exercise but once you have them in your ears and under your fingers then you can really create ideas over it. There are nice ideas appearing already but you never seem to develop them and then just waffle on to fill space until you arrive at a part where you are more comfortable. I'd recommend slowing it down again and really nailing all the changes. The slow tempo will also stop you jiving more as well, don't be afraid to leave space and try to develop an idea a bit more. Check out Sonny Rollin's solos which are just a masterclass in developing ideas.

As I said though it is finding its feet feet though and the tune isn't easy at all. If anything this is now making me want to revisit it, I haven't played much outside of a walking line on this tune for a long time. Should blow the dust off!
 
#9
BrotherMister said:
I haven't heard where you were as a point of comparison but what you are doing is starting to take shape. You are starting to make the changes which is always good, especially on a tune like this, but there are parts that is really just jiving. I'd focus more on really nailing the changes which can be a bit of a dull exercise but once you have them in your ears and under your fingers then you can really create ideas over it. There are nice ideas appearing already but you never seem to develop them and then just waffle on to fill space until you arrive at a part where you are more comfortable. I'd recommend slowing it down again and really nailing all the changes. The slow tempo will also stop you jiving more as well, don't be afraid to leave space and try to develop an idea a bit more. Check out Sonny Rollin's solos which are just a masterclass in developing ideas.

As I said though it is finding its feet feet though and the tune isn't easy at all. If anything this is now making me want to revisit it, I haven't played much outside of a walking line on this tune for a long time. Should blow the dust off!
Click to expand...

Ha, Yup. Clearing out the "Jive" is a priority. It's challenging once you get up tempo (at least for me).
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back