giant steps and stuff

ok so i was looking at this web site jazzmando.com or something and on a sample list of standard tunes was "Giant Steps" by JC, the one with the sax.
can any of you fellow pickers groove on that tune?
i learned the chords on the guitar, and then tried to find voiceings on the mando to stomp on, however i was hard pressed, if anyone has a good way id appreciate some insight.
i cant groove on this one, however i do have transcribed patterns to play over it till i can http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

any leads on charts for liza (all the clouds roll away) a la django/stephan? i dont have the ear to figure out the chords on the recording i have.

[Ted Eschliman]

Mike Marshall, Bela Fleck, and some of today's hottest acoustic instrumentalists recorded a sensational version of this called "Giant Hornpipes."
I had the pleasure of spending a little time with Mike this Spring, and teased him I'd like to hear him play it in person. His response--"yeah, I wish I could play it, too."
Though I thought he did a great job on the recording, it was no doubt, an incredible challenge. As Peter mentioned, the tonal center is hard to nail down. In most jazz standards, you'd change keys at a minimum within a couple measures, in this tune, almost every couple beats, (and from the beginning of the tune, to the very end). Plus, it isn't just 'ii V7 I', there are successions in thirds, which can #be very disorienting.
I love the challenge of it, albeit, at a VERY slow tempo.

one of the guitar pickers i play with can jam on that tune, i know the deal with the key changes etc, thats why i cheat and have my transcribed patterns for each key the song cycles through. hehe, id really like to hear that bela and co. recording! i guess ill find some chords to stomp on someday... still searching for the right sound....

[Ted Eschliman]

You'll find this at Mid-Continent Music Gator Strut (http://midcontinentmusic.com/detail.cfm?Catalogid=766)

http://midcontinentmusic.com/product/ROU-0208.jpg

'Giant Hornpipes' Real Audio Clip (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/clipserve/B0000002GW001006/1/002-7707341-0210405)

Some cool other tunes on there, too. (Bach 'Violin Partita No 3 In E Major,' Lenon & McCartney 'Because,' Marshall's signature 'Gator Strut')
Cool other cats, too!

awesome! that cd is gonna have to make its way into my collection
so last night i sat down and listened to the album giant steps again for the zillionth time and the patterns he goes through really become apparent after listening to the song third time through, the phrases are kinda long and super fast but it makes sense kinda that he is using the beginning to his phrase as a safety net to tie it up, its solid and he blows it a little different a few times but essentialy the same, having that it makes it much easier to go through the changes on the last half or third of the progression, instead of flybytheseatofthepants on the whole thing. maybe im just hearing things............. but its just the challenge of that tune, it gets the gears going, and hot damn that jazzmando.com is a great web site! ive been surfin' it.

[EricEJazz]

I play Giant Steps as a Bossa on guitar (you can hear the real audio clip that automatically plays on my site when it opens on the front page). Its a lot easier at slow tempos (although its still a tough tune). I don't play it on Mandolin mainly because I've never had reason to at a gig or otherwise. I still shed it almost daily along with some other Trane tunes (Countdown, Lazy Bird, etc.). Rumor is that after writing it Trane shed it for a year before recording it himself. The 1, 2, 3, 5, scale tone patterns work fine (ie B, C#, D#, F# over the B Maj chord) for soloing. Try these from the highest note back too (ie 5, 3, 2, 1) over the chords as well. Take your time with this one. There are a couple of good guitar books out by Corey Christiansen and Joe Diorio (published by Mel Bay and Warner Bros). That might be worth checking out. Nothing yet on Mandolin that I've found yet. What do you say Ted should we put our heads together and write one? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
-Eric Elias
www.ericelias.net www.funkyfolkmusic.com

[Ted Eschliman]

There are two strategies (http://members.aol.com/teesch/Improv.html) one can integrate into coming up with good solos, Riff (pattern-bassed) and Theory (appropriate scale, arpeggio, etc.).
In this thread both have been mentioned. Eric brings up particular tones that can be transposed with each chord (theory) and John mentioned preset patterns developed and played over and over again.
In overcoming the initial fear of improvising even in simple chord structures (let alone 'Giant Steps...'), I think both bear legitimacy. While only using theory can be sterile, only using "licks" can be equally confining. A marriage of both yield the greatest music. The best jazz is when good "theory" is demonstrated in the solo without coming off as "clinical" (or repetitive), the intuition takes over and bases its creativity on "rules" pushed back into the subliminal.
Sorry, lots of long winded words, but basically, I think Eric is on to something that can open up doors to the way one approaches soloing. Take his suggest scale tones, turn them upside down, inside out. Then speed it all up.
You'll be able fool people into thinking you know what you're doing very quickly!
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Joel Glassman]

http://koka.phpwebhosting.com/~scarterfrogs/lesson_int_giant.html