How to REALLY play Giant Steps

[@johnwattdotca]

When I'm getting into the Giant Steps riff, I like to add Third Stone From the Sun.

[@georgesember9069]

Great lesson, thanks for posting!

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

Glad you liked it!

[@rickjensen2717]

Excellent lesson - makes a lot of sense - really helpfull!

[@jonathansmith3262]

"For today I'm going to use this boilerplate lick I always use..." and you play the very line I was just today trying not to play so much while practicing here in St. Louis. I felt called out from across the pond! As always, love your stuff.

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

Haha - lick buddy!

[@kostasjazz]

One of your best videos ever. Thank yo so so much.

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

Thanks!

[@johnjacquard863]

love it.

[@gmitter-sl3qq]

in general I do not like the M.Levine book a lot, but for Giant Steps he recommends to play the pentatonic of the V wherever there is a V I or II V I progression. So 3 pentatonic scales in total, doesn't sound bad given how simple the suggestion is.

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

@@gmitter-sl3qq seems like it would sound better than the same thing on the one. V pent gives a lovely sound on a I chord, Trane does use it here.

[@mbmillermo]

I wrote this at the beginning, but I liked your ideas even better... Regarding the tricky parts discussed at 3:30: D7, Gmaj7, B♭7(13), E♭maj7, to me that is G major going to E♭ major, but what if I think G major and G minor? If I just make that a Phrygian minor, I'm there. I added the 13 to the B♭7 to emphasize that G is the melody note, so G minor can work there. (The second set of four chords is just a modulation, so it can be treated in the same way.) The opening Bmaj7, D7, Gmaj7 is also close to going from B major to B minor (Phrygian or pentatonic minor).

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

Sure. I’m not personally so much for the parallel chord scale stuff just because I tend to think in terms of transposing dominant bebop language and so on (it’s how Barry taught mostly). So weirdly I find it harder to sound coherent like that, but I bet some cats do it that ways

[@arttweb]

Hi .. your shop on Ko-Fi seems not to work properly ..

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

@@arttweb doh! Thought I’d fixed it. I’ll email it to you via ko-fi. Sorry about that

[@stephenbedford1395]

I tried to learn to solo over GS, but then I developed arthritis and tendinosis in my hands... so I guess I'll just wait till my next life and have another go at it.

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

Ooh nasty. Sorry to hear about that.

[@AndreJDaniels]

Could you post your guitar and amp settings? I am having difficulty getting the sound I want from an es-335 . You’re closer

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

I’m not really using an amp. It’s a Logic plugin. There’s a lot of treble roll off on this sound and a dash of hall reverb. Not much else really.

[@gmitter-sl3qq]

isn't the concept in section 2 (Am for D7) also a Barry Harris concept? The "important minor" of a dominant I think, or "important arpeggio". Also his concept of "6th on the 5th" (here: Am6 over D7) seems very related. Or the theory of Pat Martino to think in the II over the V.

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

@@gmitter-sl3qq yeah. Although as you say not exclusive to Barry, but people often miss a trick with the triad and that’s definitely a Barry thing.

[@pickinstone]

Great video--especially your connections to Barry Harris, for me at least. What you said about Hal Galper can NOT be overlooked. No matter what approach we choose, we need to hear that harmonic RHYTHM in order to hear the tune. Play slow, play simple, and play IN TIME as you learn the tune--goes for Giant Steps as well as Satin Doll. I think the Chord Scale Approach can overlook the harmonic rhythm as we try to jam scales into progressions and apply notes (locrian natural 2, mixolydian b6, diminished scales and the like) and arpeggios randomly across the measure--that was my experience until I got into the Barry Harris approach.

[@TypingHazard]

So i guess now i have to step using the incredibly lazy hack of omitting the middle V-I since nobody will hear it anyway, there goes all my b6-V7-I6 language >:[ I'm ruuuuined

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

@@TypingHazard Yes, for tis NAUGHTY

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

@@TypingHazard I mean it does work…

[@TypingHazard]

​@@JazzGuitarScrapbookabove a certain tempo it's passable but I think the constant b9s will start to quack a bit if you're uncareful (I am uncareful)