Geof just emailed me a link to an amazing Flash animation that goes along with Coltrane’s famous Giant Steps solo (click here).

When I was playing saxophone I attempted to transcribe that entire famous solo and play it note-for-note, but I only managed to transcribe the first 30 seconds of it (that took several weeks) before I moved on to other things (and piano). It’s kind of like a “holy grail” for saxophone players, and many professionals learn and memorize that complete solo, and use it to keep their fingers in shape. It’s even more amazing to think that Coltrane was improvising it. And the chord structure for Giant Steps is one of the most difficult ones to master.

I tried to learn that song on piano, and do my own improvising on it, and you can listen to my version on my musical sketchbook (click here).