"I was with Branford's father, Ellis Marsalis, about two years ago in Japan,
and we had a long bus ride together, in which he explained how to play on
"[Giant] Steps"- break it down to a waltz- a slow waltz-and get into the
changes that way; what a revelation! I immediately took his advice and,
viola! I was able to negotiate the changes..."
I haven't tried this yet, has anyone else on the list? (I am not sure I get
what exactly Ellis meant)
Incidentally, Andy LaVerne has put out a Jamey Aebersold Play-along Book/2
CDs set (Volume #75) which explores the Coltrane harmonic schemes and his
reharmonizations of standards like Body and Soul, But Not For Me, and The
Night Has a Thousand Eyes. It has some practice patterns to run through
which really help to familiarize yourself with the changes.
I have transcribed the Coltrane solo on Giant Steps and he negotiates the
changes often with pre-determined digital patterns like 1235, 1351, 3513,
etc. on each chord in the progression, usually during the parts where the
chords are moving in two per bar rhythm.
To get used to the Coltrane changes, I like to isolate iim7, V7, Imaj7,
progressions in various standards I am working on and replace them with the
Coltrane Changes as in the way he reharmonized the tune "Tune Up" to create
his tune "Countdown." For example:
Original:
Dm7 |G7 |Cmaj7 |Cmaj7 |
Coltrane reharmonization:
Dm7 Eb7 |Abmaj7 B7 |Emaj7 G7 |Cmaj7 |
The original ii, V, I in C major is still there, but between the original ii
and V he inserted two V to I progressions which create tonal centers each
descending a major third to the next. This has been called an "Augmented
Cycle" by some because it descends from the sharp 5th of an augmented triad
whose root is the eventual point of rest (progressive descending V-I's in Ab,
E, and C, which enharmonically spells a C augmented triad).
Giant Steps is based on only three tonal centers whose tonics are separated
by major thirds: Bmajor, Gmajor, and Eb major, which spells an augmented
cycle.
When you break it down this way you get:
The first three bars descend down an Eb augmented triad: B, G, and Eb;
the 5th, 6th, and 7th bars descend down a B augmented triad: G, Eb, and B;
the 8th through 15th bars are four ii, V, I, progressions going upwards from
the root of an Eb augmented triad and ending on the root again: Eb, G, B, Eb;
the 4th and 16th bars set up the two descending augmented cycles with the ii,
V's of the first chords of each of the cycles.
I found this "augmented cycle" thinking helped me to memorize the concept of
the Coltrane Changes so I could apply them to other tunes. I hope I didn't
confuse anybody, the Coltrane Changes take a while to get used to and
transcribing a few of Coltrane's solos on them is very helpful in gaining
facility with them.
Brian Oates