MATT WARNOCK GUITAR

6 Essential Giant Steps Patterns For Jazz Guitar

A few years backI taught a four-part workshop on Giant Steps Licks to my students at the Pro
Music school in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

In our rst class we looked at different melodic vocabulary taken from the jazz repertoire that we
could apply to the second half of the tune, for the most part, as well as checked out a bit of the
tougher rst half of GS.

If you missed my rst article in this series, about that rst weeks course, check it out at Intro to
Giant Steps: Making the Changes.

In the second installment of this workshop, we took a look at Tranes solo from his classic
recording of the tune, analyzed each note and labeled the six main four-note motives that Trane
relies on heavily in his solo.

The students were not only surprised at how much of Tranes solo was comprised of these six,
simple licks, but they were also happy to nd out that these licks easily translate over to the guitar
and they were able to outline these tough changes quickly and musically with just a handful of riff
under their ngers and in their ears.

So, I decided to write out each of these six important melodic fragments, give them a short
analyses and example of how to apply them to the rst half of Giant Steps.

So without further ado, let me introduce you to Tranes six favorite licks from his solo on Giant
Steps.

As a bonus here is a fun practice track to use when shedding Giant Steps.

Giant Steps Patterns for Jazz Guitar 1235

This rst lick is one of the most famous, and most used, patterns taken from Coltranes solo on
Giant Steps.

The lick is built from playing 1235 off of any/all chords in the progression. Coltrane uses this
pattern, 1235, in two ways throughout his solo. The rst is starting from the root of any given
chord, so for Gmaj7 he would play GABD, the 1235 of that chord.

The second way he would use this lick is implying a iim7 chord over a V7 chord. So, for Bb7 he
would play FGAbC, the 1235 of the relative iim7 chord in that key, Eb major.

So, try running this lick through all the chords in the tune, both from the root, and implying the iim7
chord over the three V7 chords in the progression (Fm7 for Bb7, Am7 for D7 and C#m7 for F#7).

Also, Ive written out the rst half of Giant Steps with this lick used on every chord in one
position. You can start here if you like, but make sure to move around the neck as well.

Try starting on Bmaj7 on the 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd and 2nd strings, then use 1235 for each chord
without moving your hand more than a fret or two in any direction.

Once you can play through the changes in a number of areas on the neck separately, try putting
them together.

Instead of xing yourself to one spot on the neck, try to move as much as possible between the
different position, transitioning smoothly from one to the other as you move up and down the
neck.

Click to hear Vm P

Giant Steps Patterns for Jazz Guitar 135

The second lick is not so much a lick as it is a melodic shape, 135, the common triad. Coltrane
used triads frequently throughout his solo on Giant Steps, and in a number of variations that kept
things melodically interesting while returning to the same lick multiple times in each chorus.

Below youll nd nine different variations on the triad that Coltrane used in his Giant Steps solo.

Notice that he used three and four note groupings, repeating one of the notes to ll out the two
beats that each chord lasts in the rst half of the tune.

Triads can seem like such a simple thing, but in the hands of a master like Trane they can really
come to life and sound hip and fresh.

So, check them out over Giant Steps. Start by running the different variations through each
chord in the progression.

Then, improvise using only triads for each chord.

Though they dont have a 7th in them, they can still outline each chord and sound cool when
you add in the different variations from the example below.

Here is an example of how the rst half of Giant Steps would sound when running triads, with a
variation, through each chord.

The variation Ive chosen for this example is one of my favorites from Tranes solo, 3513.

Not only does it sound cool, but when you play it on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings of the guitar you
can play this lick with one nger in the fretting hand, pretty cool huh?

Click to hear Vm P

Giant Steps Patterns for Jazz Guitar 1357

Another melodic pattern that Coltrane relied on heavily in his solo on Giant Steps is four-note
arpeggios, with multiple variations.

Below you will nd eight different arpeggio variations that Trane used in his solo.

Again, as was the case with triads, run each one through the tune, then improvise using only
arpeggios.

When you can do that, try coming up with some lines on your own that mix triads, arpeggios and
1235, you might be surprised how much you can sound like Trane with just these three melodic
devices under your ngers.

Here is how the rst eight bars of the tune would look like if you ran through them using an
arpeggio variation, R537.

This is one of my favorite licks from Tranes solo, arpeggio or otherwise, and it also sits very
nicely on the guitar.

Notice how all he did was take a normal descending arpeggio, down from the root, dropped the
7th and octave and voila, a whole new hip sound from a simple melodic device.

Often times we feel that we have mastered a musical idea, such as arpeggios, through a tune
that were working on.
But, when we get to that mental point in our practicing, take a step back.

Try writing out as many variations of that idea as you can and see if you can nd a new approach
to a simple concept.

Masters like Trane were experts at this type of practicing, and it led them to new levels of
performance while keeping things melodically simple and easy to follow from a listeners
perspective.

Click to hear Vm P

Giant Steps Patterns for Jazz Guitar 12345

The next lick uses another simple, yet highly effective, melodic approach, scale fragments.

Here, Trane would run four scale notes in a row, most often starting on the root of a chord, or
sometimes from the 5th as well.

He would also connect two four-note groupings together to form a complete scale, which he liked
to do over Ebmaj7 with the Ionian Mode and Bb7 with the Bebop Scale during his solo.

Whether playing them in four-note groupings, or connecting two of those smaller phrases to form
a longer phrase when possible, playing scale fragments can be a big help when trying to navigate
these tough changes.

They also help to mix things up melodically when you are working on triads and arpeggios,
which are built in thirds, as these lines are built using seconds, both minor and major.

Check out this phrase, running scale fragments through the rst half of Giant Steps, then come
up with some lines of your own in different parts of the neck.

Another simple idea that goes a long way to helping you make these difcult changes in a musical
and smooth fashion.

Click to hear Vm P

Giant Steps Patterns for Jazz Guitar The Return Lick

This group of Giant Steps licks are those that I refer to as returns.

This is when Trane starts an idea on one note, moves away from that note and returns to the
original note at the end of the four-note grouping.

He does this both ascending and descending away from the original notes and starts it on a
number of different chord and scale tones throughout his solo.

Here are six different variations on this lick found in Tranes solo on Giant Steps.

Try running them through each change in the progression, then mix it up with the other licks
youve already got under your ngers.

This approach, playing one note before moving away and returning to the original note, is not
only a common melodic device with Giant Steps, but with any jazz tune, so it is a pattern that is
denitely worth shedding.

Here is an example of running the rst variation, 2172, through all the changes in the rst half of
Giant Steps.

Again, start in this position before taking it to other areas of the neck.

Then, work other variations on this lick before mixing them together to form longer lines that
contain more melodic variety than just one pattern.

Click to hear Vm P

Giant Steps Patterns for Jazz Guitar Interval Pairs

This is also one of my favorite Coltrane licks, in Giant Steps and otherwise.

This pattern is based on two different intervals played I1 I2 I1.

Here are two examples from Tranes solo on how he uses this idea.

Notice in the rst lick, Trane uses the interval pattern 3rd-2nd-3rd, and in the second example he
uses the interval pattern 2nd-3rd-2nd.

It is a simple idea, breaking up the four eighth notes into two intervals, but again its one that
sounds great and ts well on the guitar.

Try these two out from Tranes solo, then come up wit your own interval patterns.

Maybe you like 3rd-4th-3rd, or 2nd-5th-2nd, try them out to see what appeals to your ears and
what ts well under your ngers.

Then take those new patterns over the changes to Giant Steps, in both pattern form over each
chord and during an improvisation to take allow them to ow more naturally from your ngers
during the course of a solo.

Here is an example of the rst eight bars of Giant Steps using both of the above patterns.

Try mixing up these two patterns as much as you can over this and the second half of the tune.

Even with just two licks, you can create a lot of momentum and variety in your playing,
especially when you start to vary the rhythms and add in melodic accents and dynamics.

Click to hear Vm P

Studying Tranes solo on Giant Steps is not only a great ear training exercise, due to the
transcription process of this exercise, but it is a great lesson in making musical mountains out of
melodic molehills.

When my students see this solo for the rst time they are always amazed at how few patterns
Trane used, but how great he managed to sound with this limited melodic material during his solo
on this complex tune.

My advice to them is the same advice I give myself after going over this solo and picking out
these six patterns.
If Trane thought these ideas were important enough to practice and come back to time and
again in his solo, then theyre probably important enough for us to practice and master in our own
playing.

So, dig into these six patterns.

They are not only fun to learn, but they will help you navigate one of the toughest tunes in the
jazz repertoire at the same time.

Do you have a question or comment about these Giant Steps Patterns for Jazz Guitar? Share
them in the comments section below.