Giant Steps and the Augmented Triad Cycle
JOHN COLTRANE’S EXPLORATION OF THE AUGMENTED TRIAD CYCLE
BY MARC ADLER
Introduction
Giant Steps and its underlying harmonic structure is one of John Coltrane’s many legacies and gifts to musicians that love to improvise - it is without a doubt one of the most exhilarating and engaging musical experiences that a jazz musician or improvising musician can undertake. This is because it demands total concentration and like other activities that are similarly demanding, it has the potential to transport one to a very intense and beautiful place where you become very connected to the music that is happening at the moment. It is very liberating!
To get there, though, requires some sacrifice as the chord progression is not easy to internalize. Gradually, over time, as you become comfortable and familiar with the harmonic structure you will begin to explore the harmonic terrain, so to speak, and the infinite possibilities that it offers. How deeply you want to go with your explorations is up to you!
This presentation is meant only to introduce the cycle and some of the progressions derived from it, including practical uses, resources and links for further study.
CYCLES
Cycles are used often in music to explain harmonic progressions. A cycle, in its simplest form is a closed series of intervals where the starting pitch is returned to after the intervallic pattern has been exhausted. It’s helpful to visualize a cycle as intervallic points on a circle of semi-tones. Moving clockwise, the semi-tones ascend until they return to the starting pitch. This is a cycle in itself - a semitone or chromatic cycle. The augmented cycle would map onto the semi-tone cycle as a triangle and if we then fill out the points of the triangle with major triads we have the augmented major triad cycle or simply the augmented triad cycle.
USES
Even before doing anything further, the augmented cycle as major triads presents a hauntingly beautiful sound and can be used in many ways. One way is as a source for melodic ideas when placed over a pedal point or series of pedal points. The triads could also be combined to form “scales.”
The tunes used to demonstrate the Augmented Cycle Progression and its uses, can be viewed and downloaded as pdf documents from this website.
TONICIZATION
Another treatment of the cycle is to treat each “point” of the cycle as a temporary tonic in a traditional dominant-tonic relationship. This treatment involves “tonicization.”
Tonicization: The treatment of a pitch other than the overall tonic as a temporary tonic in a composition. Coltrane, in his ground-breaking composition, Giant Steps, used the common practice dominant-tonic chord relationship to tonicize an augmented triad cycle. Each point of the triangle shaped cycle became a temporary tonic approached by its dominant chord. To achieve tonicization, dominant chords are interpolated or inserted between each temporary tonic in the cycle.
Once deciding on a cycle – i.e, Bmaj, Gmaj and Eb major – as found in Giant Steps - it is then necessary to mold them into a harmonic progression. Coltrane did this through tonicization – expanding the simple three chord cycle to a six chord cycle with the added dominant or V7 chords related to each tonic. F#7 for the B, D7 for the G and Bb7 for the Eb.
VERSIONS OF THE CYCLE
DESCENDING VERSION
Staying with these 3 tonics the augmented cycle starting with Bmaj would move to G maj then Eb major with the respective dominant chords in between each tonic.
ASCENDING VERSION
The ascending version would move from B up to Eb then to G major with the respective dominant chords in between each tonic.
As you can see, the dominant chords are approached differently in each case. When descending they are a minor third above the preceding tonic; when ascending they are a half-step below the preceding tonic.
GIANT STEPS PROGRESSION
The original progression as introduced by Coltrane uses both versions.
The complete story of how John Coltrane became attracted to this progression is not clear but there were instances of it in various standard tunes of the day used often by jazz musicians as vehicles for improvisation. Once example is Richard Rogers’ Have You Met Ms. Jones published in 1937 where the bridge goes to major tonalities in an augmented triad cycle – Bb, Gb and D. For further study, there are a couple of excellent resources such as David Demsey’s, John Coltrane Plays Giant Steps – based on an earlier dissertation entitled Chromatic Third Relations in the Music of John Coltrane. Also, Walt Weiskopf and Ramon Ricker’s – Coltrane – A Player’s Guide to his Harmony.
REFERENCES
1. Demsey, David (1996). John Coltrane Plays Giant Steps. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation. [www.halleonard.com]
2. Weiskopf, Walt; Ramon Ricker (1991). Coltrane - A Player’s Guide to His Harmony. New Albany, Indiana: Jamey Aebersold. [www.aebersold.com]
3. Adler, Dan. The Giant Steps Progression and Cycle. Includes diagrams.
[www.danadler.com/misc/Cycles.pdf]
4. Baker, David (1980). The Jazz Style of John Coltrane: A Musical and Historical Perspective. Lebanon, IN: Studio PR, 1980. Currently published by Columbia Pictures Publications/Belwin Mills (Miami, FL). [www.music44.com}
5. Capuzzo, Guy (2006). Pat Martino’s The Nature of the Guitar: An Intersection of Jazz Theory and Neo-Riemannian Theory Volume I2 #1. Music Theory Online. Excellent Cycle Diagrams. [www.societymusictheory.org]
Giant Steps YouTubes
Joey Calderazzo
Refraction live at Fasching Stockholm Sweden April 2008. Joey Calderazzo piano, Håkan Broström saxophone, Martin Sjöstedt bass, Daniel Fredriksson drums - Medium Tempo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMuTvV2CQY8&feature=related
McCoy Tyner:
A solo piano performance of John Coltrane's Giant Steps, by McCoy Tyner, 1996, Hamburg - Up Tempo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PukuQPUKfyU&feature=related
Kenny Garrett
Kenny Garrett quartet in Montreux, 1997 - Up tempo - excellent and inspiring performance from the amazing KG - especially when he’s just playing w/ drums - Jeff Watts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W_bRtc75GA
James Moody
Big Band Arrangement of GS - James Moody with the RIAS Big Band playing John Coltrane's 'Giant Steps.'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMTQpkRmFFI
Ravi Coltrane
Quartet Live in France – with former Philly bassist Darryl Hall - Up Tempo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NseGhJbgIxo
BY MARC ADLER
Introduction
Giant Steps and its underlying harmonic structure is one of John Coltrane’s many legacies and gifts to musicians that love to improvise - it is without a doubt one of the most exhilarating and engaging musical experiences that a jazz musician or improvising musician can undertake. This is because it demands total concentration and like other activities that are similarly demanding, it has the potential to transport one to a very intense and beautiful place where you become very connected to the music that is happening at the moment. It is very liberating!
To get there, though, requires some sacrifice as the chord progression is not easy to internalize. Gradually, over time, as you become comfortable and familiar with the harmonic structure you will begin to explore the harmonic terrain, so to speak, and the infinite possibilities that it offers. How deeply you want to go with your explorations is up to you!
This presentation is meant only to introduce the cycle and some of the progressions derived from it, including practical uses, resources and links for further study.
CYCLES
Cycles are used often in music to explain harmonic progressions. A cycle, in its simplest form is a closed series of intervals where the starting pitch is returned to after the intervallic pattern has been exhausted. It’s helpful to visualize a cycle as intervallic points on a circle of semi-tones. Moving clockwise, the semi-tones ascend until they return to the starting pitch. This is a cycle in itself - a semitone or chromatic cycle. The augmented cycle would map onto the semi-tone cycle as a triangle and if we then fill out the points of the triangle with major triads we have the augmented major triad cycle or simply the augmented triad cycle.
USES
Even before doing anything further, the augmented cycle as major triads presents a hauntingly beautiful sound and can be used in many ways. One way is as a source for melodic ideas when placed over a pedal point or series of pedal points. The triads could also be combined to form “scales.”
The tunes used to demonstrate the Augmented Cycle Progression and its uses, can be viewed and downloaded as pdf documents from this website.
TONICIZATION
Another treatment of the cycle is to treat each “point” of the cycle as a temporary tonic in a traditional dominant-tonic relationship. This treatment involves “tonicization.”
Tonicization: The treatment of a pitch other than the overall tonic as a temporary tonic in a composition. Coltrane, in his ground-breaking composition, Giant Steps, used the common practice dominant-tonic chord relationship to tonicize an augmented triad cycle. Each point of the triangle shaped cycle became a temporary tonic approached by its dominant chord. To achieve tonicization, dominant chords are interpolated or inserted between each temporary tonic in the cycle.
Once deciding on a cycle – i.e, Bmaj, Gmaj and Eb major – as found in Giant Steps - it is then necessary to mold them into a harmonic progression. Coltrane did this through tonicization – expanding the simple three chord cycle to a six chord cycle with the added dominant or V7 chords related to each tonic. F#7 for the B, D7 for the G and Bb7 for the Eb.
VERSIONS OF THE CYCLE
DESCENDING VERSION
Staying with these 3 tonics the augmented cycle starting with Bmaj would move to G maj then Eb major with the respective dominant chords in between each tonic.
ASCENDING VERSION
The ascending version would move from B up to Eb then to G major with the respective dominant chords in between each tonic.
As you can see, the dominant chords are approached differently in each case. When descending they are a minor third above the preceding tonic; when ascending they are a half-step below the preceding tonic.
GIANT STEPS PROGRESSION
The original progression as introduced by Coltrane uses both versions.
The complete story of how John Coltrane became attracted to this progression is not clear but there were instances of it in various standard tunes of the day used often by jazz musicians as vehicles for improvisation. Once example is Richard Rogers’ Have You Met Ms. Jones published in 1937 where the bridge goes to major tonalities in an augmented triad cycle – Bb, Gb and D. For further study, there are a couple of excellent resources such as David Demsey’s, John Coltrane Plays Giant Steps – based on an earlier dissertation entitled Chromatic Third Relations in the Music of John Coltrane. Also, Walt Weiskopf and Ramon Ricker’s – Coltrane – A Player’s Guide to his Harmony.
REFERENCES
1. Demsey, David (1996). John Coltrane Plays Giant Steps. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation. [www.halleonard.com]
2. Weiskopf, Walt; Ramon Ricker (1991). Coltrane - A Player’s Guide to His Harmony. New Albany, Indiana: Jamey Aebersold. [www.aebersold.com]
3. Adler, Dan. The Giant Steps Progression and Cycle. Includes diagrams.
[www.danadler.com/misc/Cycles.pdf]
4. Baker, David (1980). The Jazz Style of John Coltrane: A Musical and Historical Perspective. Lebanon, IN: Studio PR, 1980. Currently published by Columbia Pictures Publications/Belwin Mills (Miami, FL). [www.music44.com}
5. Capuzzo, Guy (2006). Pat Martino’s The Nature of the Guitar: An Intersection of Jazz Theory and Neo-Riemannian Theory Volume I2 #1. Music Theory Online. Excellent Cycle Diagrams. [www.societymusictheory.org]
Giant Steps YouTubes
Joey Calderazzo
Refraction live at Fasching Stockholm Sweden April 2008. Joey Calderazzo piano, Håkan Broström saxophone, Martin Sjöstedt bass, Daniel Fredriksson drums - Medium Tempo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMuTvV2CQY8&feature=related
McCoy Tyner:
A solo piano performance of John Coltrane's Giant Steps, by McCoy Tyner, 1996, Hamburg - Up Tempo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PukuQPUKfyU&feature=related
Kenny Garrett
Kenny Garrett quartet in Montreux, 1997 - Up tempo - excellent and inspiring performance from the amazing KG - especially when he’s just playing w/ drums - Jeff Watts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W_bRtc75GA
James Moody
Big Band Arrangement of GS - James Moody with the RIAS Big Band playing John Coltrane's 'Giant Steps.'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMTQpkRmFFI
Ravi Coltrane
Quartet Live in France – with former Philly bassist Darryl Hall - Up Tempo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NseGhJbgIxo