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Giant Steps - fretless bass solo...


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Bilbo, something I quite like the tonality of is using the whole tone scale to navigate the 'B' section of GS (the Eb-251 G-251 B-251 Eb-251 part). It doesn't always work, but you can create a nice connected diatonic melodic shape all the through each 251 section, which is nice given how disconnected the rest of it can sound.

As a suggestion for a first piece, how do you guys feel about 'Blue Bossa'?

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... just chipping in here with a blatant plug for the Basschat SoundCloud group, which you guys could use as a way of uploading and sharing your takes:

http://soundcloud.com/groups/basschat

Or you could even set up a separate group just for this purpose - which could be made 'private' and by invite only if you're feeling shy! :)

PS: looking forward to hearing what you get up to... I won't be volunteering to take part myself as this level of playing is way beyond me, but I'm a keen listener.

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[quote name='mcgraham' timestamp='1318501089' post='1402850']
As a suggestion for a first piece, how do you guys feel about 'Blue Bossa'?
[/quote]

Go for it - I would suggest that as you commented before as some of the backing tracks can seem to go on for an eternity, that if you just want to play two or three choruses maximum then feel free to edit things down - obviously if you play a long solo which keeps evolving then let it run.

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Its an interesting question: why do people still record covers of GS?

The answer could be 'because they can' but I think there is an element of proving something. I have severla versions of the tune by people such as Chris Potter and Kenny Garrett etc and I wonder why guys who have as much musicality and creativity as they have still have this apparent need to prove they meet that particular challenge. I am consciously working on learning to play these changes as an exercise (and I will post when I am ready) but I will say that I will NEVER record the tune commercially. What is the world supposed to do with all of these versions of what is, aside from the maths, essentially a pretty naff tune? Even Berg's version leaves me wondering if he thought 'what can I do to prove that I can REALLY burn? I know, 'Giant Steps' in 7:4!! Even Garrett does one melody )chorus where he halves the bar lengths (1 chord per beat instead on 1 per two beats. Its a bit 'I can out-Trane Trane'. Maybe its nothing more than sport...

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*shrug* I think you're overthinking it. If they enjoy it, on whatever level, then it's a valid musical pursuit. I only work hard at making music because I enjoy making music and I enjoy it more as I get more proficient as a musician. GS is just fun in a different outworking of that desire to make music, and certainly a challenge for the heck of it!

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In answer to your post Rob - I just do this stuff for fun - the actual music I enjoy listening to and making/writing/recording has pretty much nothing to do with shredding standards - I actually think I'm pretty crap a playing this stuff compared to hard core jazzers - I'm having a go, if nothing else I do this stuff to achieve a greater level of technical freedom - but when I want to write my own music I follow my heart not my head - but it's nice to have the technical backup to compose and improvise at will.

As an aside I am currently finishing off a new album with a singer and various musicians - its really exciting music which is influenced by jazz but lots of other things as well - can't wait until I can let you guys hear it - it's the complete opposite of these shredding/shedding videos!

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  • 5 months later...

Hey - just wanted to share another little woodshed video of Giant Steps - it's an annoying tune but I do get some satisfaction out trying to try different ideas over the changes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNluUh3o_AE

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