Giant Steps on EWI4000S

Giant Steps 是已故爵士樂大師John Coltrane 的一首名曲。這首曲的不平凡之處是它那跨越好幾個key 而且轉換快速的chord progression。值得一提的是在Coltrane 於1960年灌錄的Giant Steps 專集裡 我們能清楚發現就連當年的鋼琴名人Tommy Flanagan 都對跟上這chord progression 的變換感到吃力（其實他第一次彈就能成功solo 真的很厲害）。由此可見要能在這chord progression 即興演奏的確是很不容易。也正因為此，很多爵士樂手都以這首曲作為一個測量個人技術進度的里程碑。

在這個video 我嘗試用我最近新買的 Akai EWI4000S Electronic Wind Controller 電 子管樂器來吹奏Giant Steps。EWI 給我的手指技巧一個額外的挑戰。因為EWI 是採用的觸覺感應鍵的原故，你必須要有比起在玩普通Sax 的時候更強的手指獨立控制能力才能達到換音流暢的效果。 這video 是一個比較短的示范，只有4個chorus 的即興solo。頭兩個chorus 只有EWI 和鼓，好讓我確定我能在沒有其他伴奏樂器的情況下也可以概述出Giant Steps 的chord progression。然後鋼琴和bass 陸續加入。


Giant Steps is a composition by John Coltrane, and is well known amongst jazz musicians for its difficult and rapid progression of chord changes that progress through several keys. On Coltrane''s original 1960 Giant Steps recording, it can be heard that even Tommy Flanagan, a prominent piano player at that time, was having a tough time keeping up with the changes (it was still an amazing solo though, especially considering Flanagan was playing it for the first time!). To be able to play through the Giant Steps changes is often considered a milestone achievement in a Jazz musician's growth.

This video is my attempt to play the Giant Steps changes on my new Akai EWI4000S Electronic Wind Controller . Playing it on the EWI is an added challenge because the touch sensor keys require much more disciplined finger techniques to make the note transitions clearly.  This is a short demo with 4 choruses of solo. In the first 2 choruses I only play against the drums to demonstrate the outlining of the changes.