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Article: Coltrane-style II-V-Is.(ADVANCED)(jazz musician John Coltrane)
- Article from:
- Guitar Player
- Article date:
- June 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 New Bay Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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IT'S HARD TO PROVE, BUT, STUDYING the music of John Coltrane, it sure seems likely that the saxophone legend was exploring his trademark, augmented, "descending in major thirds" tonal cycle well before he made the practice famous with "Giant Steps." Specifically, if you analyze the harmonic motion in "Countdown"--another Coltrane tune that, along with "Giant Steps" could have taken inspiration from the bridge changes to the Rodgers and Hart classic "Have You Met Miss Jones"--you may notice that Coltrane travels between the keys of D, B[flat], and G[flat], in the first four measures by descending in major thirds. Like "Giant Steps," that's three keys a major third apart, ...