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Interesting Video Dissects Giant Steps for General Public

I see, you refer to recording a video. Here's my opinion: it's meant as a showcase. She works in jazz clubs. The version I saw was her singing with the record, not a guitar. This is someting she has developed as a kind of demo. You can see she's good at it. As I mentioned before, though, she also said she didn't want to be known for it. Thta's a little dd, but I tip my hat to her :)

Not sure if you're responding to me @randulo I'm not sure I referred to recording a video? FWIW, I'm not disputing her Talent or the worth of what She does. All good in my book
 
This is a nicely done vodeo that explains about the cycle of fifths and talks about Giant Steps and why it's difficult. Unusual!

My music theory level is abysmal and I struggle with the circle of fifths. That's why I carved on into the board facing me when I play... Hoping it will finally sink in! :optimistic:

But videos like this help me make small progress, I think. I need to get back at this circle of fifths and play with it more.

I wonder how much theoretical jazz twaddle this lady was thinking while recording this?

That's excellent. I almost missed this as it looked like a joke, but that girl must have worked hard to get there. It reminded me of Jon Hendricks when he sings Freddie Freeloader.

I'm gonna look that girl up and see if she did anything interesting besides that video. BTW, she does it in a way that's similar to Michel Legrand, but I can't pin a song that would illustrate it.
 
Quote fron Ethan Hein Blog on Giant Steps

“ Now, it’s a basic entry requirement. You won’t be taken seriously as a jazz musician unless you can play “Giant Steps” at speed, and you won’t get the full respect of the other jazz bros unless you can play it all twelve keys. It’s not enough to “conquer” the tune; the jazz bros have to keep one-upping each other with ever-more-Baroque variations on it. It would be fine if all this obsessive technical study was leading to better and more creative music, but that is not what’s happening. Instead, the jazz bros treat “Giant Steps” as a kind of musical video game, and compete to beat each others’ high scores. This is boring even for a devoted Coltrane fan like me, and I can only imagine how much it repels casual onlookers. “
 
Quote fron Ethan Hein Blog on Giant Steps

“ Now, it’s a basic entry requirement. You won’t be taken seriously as a jazz musician unless you can play “Giant Steps” at speed, and you won’t get the full respect of the other jazz bros unless you can play it all twelve keys. It’s not enough to “conquer” the tune; the jazz bros have to keep one-upping each other with ever-more-Baroque variations on it. It would be fine if all this obsessive technical study was leading to better and more creative music, but that is not what’s happening. Instead, the jazz bros treat “Giant Steps” as a kind of musical video game, and compete to beat each others’ high scores. This is boring even for a devoted Coltrane fan like me, and I can only imagine how much it repels casual onlookers. “
But if you get a high enough score, you can unlock the secret levels. ;)
 
What @U CAN CALL ME AL says resonates with me and not just in the jazz world. There's a modern trend to mistakenly equate 'blistering' technique with 'musicality'. You hear violinists or pianists take some really difficult concerto or caprice at a phenomenally fast pace demonstrating phenomenal technique, yet it has the musical impact of soggy biscuit. I equally find hard bebop etc uninteresting. Who cares if they can play 3 quintillion hemi-demi-semi-quavers in 4 femto-seconds? What does it sound like?

Too many capable musicians mistakenly think that technical 'perfection' is all that is involved in making music.
 
Quote fron Ethan Hein Blog on Giant Steps

“ Now, it’s a basic entry requirement. You won’t be taken seriously as a jazz musician unless you can play “Giant Steps” at speed, and you won’t get the full respect of the other jazz bros unless you can play it all twelve keys. It’s not enough to “conquer” the tune; the jazz bros have to keep one-upping each other with ever-more-Baroque variations on it. It would be fine if all this obsessive technical study was leading to better and more creative music, but that is not what’s happening. Instead, the jazz bros treat “Giant Steps” as a kind of musical video game, and compete to beat each others’ high scores. This is boring even for a devoted Coltrane fan like me, and I can only imagine how much it repels casual onlookers. “
I started to read the link “Jazz bros” and haven’t finished it. It’s (I find it to be) very condescending and I don’t like the assumptions and stereotypes the writer of it, latches onto.
 
This is a complex topic. I'm sure surgeons have an operation they feel the same way about. Knowing I will never, ever be able to play Giant Steps on any instrument, I have to be in the camp that knows it's not important. However, for those who can play and improvise over those changes, it is something to be proud of. One great L.A. saxophonist, Richard Aplan, once told me "If you can't be an artist, be a craftsman." There's a little of that in this topic, is there not? Playing it and being able to improvise over it is a long, hard haul, I tip my hat to anyone who can do it, including the great Joey Alexander (see also the video above studio recording) who recorded it at age 11.


Again, this video (title topic) explains some music theory to people who know nothing or very little, and they love it. Giant Steps just happens to to be a basis to explain the cycle of fifths, and the now famous "Coltrane Changes". I will not be in the respected jazz player category, I just want to write and play what I hear, and that's beautiful ballads and soulful, blues and funk with my stamp on them.

The benefits I've received from being here at the café are uncountable. For the moment, I can't be in a band, so this will have to do. I've dared submit some of my freshman recordings to BOTM and SOTM and that's a step in the right direction.

Thanks to @Pete Thomas and all of you who haunt this place.
 
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This kid is amazing. I had never heard of him. My kids all studied music and played an instrument but they had to be pushed and they have all given up formal training. One keeps playing guitar as a side school club project managed by one of his teachers. He wasn't bad at improvising on piano but nothing like the above...
 
Joey Alexander has played with almost every famous living jazz giant! To me, it isn't amazing that he plays that well, it's amazing that he can improvise that well and that he can play soulful ballads like Over the Rainbow with true dynamics.

 
Giant Steps is one of those tunes I would avoid like the plague once I got sensible enough to do so. Unless I could choose my own tempo of course, e.g.:

View: https://soundcloud.com/petethomasmusic/steps
It sounds really nice at that tempo! Beyond all the "look what I can do with this challenging tune" hype, I actually do like the harmonic motion of Giants Steps, which of course, was not entirely new. The bridge of Have You Met Miss Jones is very nice.
 

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