JGBE Virtual Jam (Round 52) - GIANT STEPS

[ragman1]

It's in 6/8 !

I knew you'd say that

[ragman1]

(Yeah I know, you've seen this a zillion times before ... but I like the trombone solo at the end )

Not a zillion, but yes. And who'd have thought Stevie Wonder? Why are all these people making it look like a stroll in the park?

[Christian Miller]

My favourite version

[Peter C]

I respectfully suggest that we keep the extraneous commentary and judgment to a minimum. Either post your version of the tune, post constructive commentary on someone's version, post link to an interesting performance, or post some sort of useful guide to playing the tune.

Please don't otherwise pontificate, at least not without a sense of humor. Let's please not turn this into yet another family squabble and drive more posters away. The central purpose here should be sharing jam-like brief performances. Let's keep that in mind.

+1

Coltrane's original 1960 studio version of this was one of those great moments in jazz history and, as such, deserves a bit of frickin respect. At a real life jam, you either play it or sit it out and listen respectfully to the other guys. This place definitely seems to be going downhill. All JMO.

[kris]

+1

Coltrane's original 1960 studio version of this was one of those great moments in jazz history and, as such, deserves a bit of frickin respect. At a real life jam, you either play it or sit it out and listen respectfully to the other guys. This place definitely seems to be going downhill. All JMO.

+1
Everyone here is sitting in front of the computers, which is why this is a virtual jam.
Playing Giant Steps in a real jam session is a real challenge.

[Lionelsax]

+1

This place definitely seems to be going downhill. All JMO.

Thank you !

[Jerzy]

I'm with Sco

[mayrandp]

[mayrandp]

A few approaches (some have been mentioned already in this thread):

Voicings ideas:

[kris]

I'm with Sco

I think it was me who sent it a few years ago.
This is what Scof said about Giant Steps at one of the jazz workshops.
That was a long time ago, I'm not sure if he would actually say the same about Giant Steps.
Times changes.

[kris]

I wanted to post an exercise with minor pentatonics here.
But I changed my mind.

[kris]

Thanks..
Great take of Mike Stern.

[lawson-stone]

I wanted to post an exercise with minor pentatonics here.
But I changed my mind.

I would enjoy seeing it and trying to work with it. I"m simply lost on GS. I would love to play it, and would love the skills and knowledge I would gain working on it, but it's hard to know even how to begin. My ear has trouble hearing the harmonic movement (and yes, I realize that's the innovation of Coltrane, a new set of intervals underlying the music). So an exercise from a more advanced fellow forum player would be helpful to me.

[Jerzy]

I think it was me who sent it a few years ago.
This is what Scof said about Giant Steps at one of the jazz workshops.
That was a long time ago, I'm not sure if he would actually say the same about Giant Steps.
Times changes.

Well,I don't think(I hope)he has changed his opinion about the GS exercise.Long time ago,but he was already brilliant,mature musician at that time.Have you ever heard him playing that tune?

[kris]

Well,I don't think(I hope)he has changed his opinion about the GS exercise.Long time ago,but he was already brilliant,mature musician at that time.Have you ever heard him playing that tune?

Unfortunately not. But I don't think it would be a problem for him.

[Lionelsax]

Unfortunately not. But I don't think it would be a problem for him.

Baldness or deafness, everyone has something from John Scofield.

[mayrandp]

This is my first participation in one of these virtual jams:

I really appreciate these threads every week. Personally, I find it interesting to listen to the different versions, to read about the approaches and opinions on these various jazz compositions.

[rpjazzguitar]

I would enjoy seeing it and trying to work with it. I"m simply lost on GS. I would love to play it, and would love the skills and knowledge I would gain working on it, but it's hard to know even how to begin. My ear has trouble hearing the harmonic movement (and yes, I realize that's the innovation of Coltrane, a new set of intervals underlying the music). So an exercise from a more advanced fellow forum player would be helpful to me.

I can vividly remember the first time I played it. It was a jam and my solo wasn't good enough to be considered a train wreck.

But, it gets better. My suggestions:

1. Play it slowly. Very slowly.

2. Work on the last 8 bars first.

Throw out all the iim chords.

You're left with major and 7th chords.

It's one pattern.

Major chord --> dom7 a half step below --> the major chord implied by that dom7.

So, for example, Ebmaj goes to D7. That Bb7 is then the V7 of the next chord, which is G.

Then, the pattern repeats. The G goes down a half step to F#7 and the F#7 leads to Bmaj.

The Bmaj goes down to Bb7 and thence to Ebmajor.

So, you're playing a major, dropping it a half step and playing a V - I. And, the tempo is slow. That should be manageable.

3. Now for the first 8 bars. For bars 1 and 2, play the roots of the chords as half notes. Same rhythm as the melody. Then, for bars 3 and 4, it's the same trick. Major down a half step to dom7. Same thing for bars 5 and 6. Just play the melody and improvise on bars 7 and 8.

4. After this is all working, play some quarter notes on the chord tones in bars 1, 2, 5 and 6.

[Peter C]

I hope your kids are all right, Jeff.

I enjoyed Ronstuff's take on this. It flows well. (I heard the first one).

One thing I would comment is that even though one has expert knowledge of a tune and can play it backwards, it's still got to sound good on the night. Not that I have ever tried to play this one. Not yet....

Christian, I would like to see you really let loose one day. I don't know why, but I get the feeling that something is holding you back.

When I said this place was going downhill, I was referring to ragnman who has run amok largely unchecked in these threads, proving that for some negative attention is absolutely better than no attention.

[grahambop]

ragnman who has run amok

I somehow misread that as Ragnarok.

Ragnarok - Wikipedia

[Lionelsax]

This is my first participation in one of these virtual jams:

I really appreciate these threads every week. Personally, I find it interesting to listen to the different versions, to read about the approaches and opinions on these various jazz compositions.

Very musical ! I really enjoyed it !

[kris]

Attachment 87730

[Lionelsax]

Hi !

So I'm still working on Giant Steps, posting my video here is like putting it in a rubbish bin, anyway I never surrender.
I worked it while my girlfriend was sleeping (not my cat), she was in bed with a terrible headache, she said I didn't disturb her even if I said loudly : "Putain de John Coltrane, tu me casses les couilles !!! Heureusement que c'est pas fort !!! Ça va Pompon ?! Tu dors bien ?! Heureusement que tu es sourde !!!"
My cat is 20 years old in April.
I adopted her in 2013, she was 11.
I think that with some work, I will add this tune on my repertoire when I've got a gig.
But I won't play it this way.
Maybe in waltz like I did the other day.

For those who are too busy !!!
Box
Comment whatever you want.

I thank you for picking this tune, it's interesting, before that, I've never dared to try to play it.

[ragman1]

It's gone quiet, hasn't it? Are we played out on it?

Here's my last blast before we get another tune tomorrow. Don't forget, I'm not in charge, not critiquing, not moderating, just posting the tunes up.

I think the notes on this are good. It's slow, as befits my dignity, and essentially pentatonic-based. That probably produces the best sounds. I tried playing it like a standard with b9's and altered sounds but it doesn't really work. But I found you can put some bluesy stuff in, so that's okay.

[voxsss]

still waiting.......carry on Gents