Giant Steps (again) 2025 with video

[grahambop]

Thanks! Another tune we did with unusual changes was Punjab (by Joe Henderson). There were no ‘familiar chunks’ in this one, it’s basically descending minor 3rds, then a chromatic descent, then a bit of ascending whole-tone stuff at the end. So I just had to play around with the changes until I found some patterns that worked, looking for common tones and voice-leading etc. Eventually I got enough to play something on it. (Also I did some chord stuff, mainly using quartal chords).

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

I didn’t know jazz was like athletics

[Question]

It is not like athletics that is correct.

I have stated my reasons for trying to learn to improvise on these complex and/or faster tunes.

Playing fast tempos was something I never did well and, in the type of work that I do, it is something that was often required for me to be able to do.

About two years ago I started trying to overcome this weakness and quickly discovered that being able to think/hear and improvise at faster tempos significantly improved my ability to more easily navigate less complex/slower tunes.
I simply have more "headroom" (to use an audio term). It also improved my time and articulation.

For me personally this is not a means to an end, that end being being able to play Countdown at 300BPM, rather developing enough technical facility to allow me to divert less of my brain power to deal with what notes to play and focus on making a good melodic statement.

If you look at all the videos that I have posted you will see that the majority of them do not fall into this "athletic" category. (like post #10 from this thread!)

I would appreciate it if we could avoid derailing this thread discussing the merits or pointlessness of learning fast/complex tunes.
If it serves no purpose for you, then move on, no further action is required.