GIANT STEPS - Free Jazz Leadsheet

giant steps was composed by John Coltrane in 1959 and is celebrated for its groundbreaking harmonic progression and virtuosic melodic lines. Its complex chord changes have challenged and inspired jazz musicians for decades.

The first recording was by Coltrane in New York City in 1959 for his album of the same name, highlighting rapid, continuous chord movement and intricate improvisation. Structurally, it features a 16-bar cycle known as the "Coltrane changes," which demands advanced technical skill and harmonic understanding.

Subsequent recordings by numerous jazz artists, including McCoy Tyner and Joe Henderson, have explored its possibilities. Instrumental in nature, the piece emphasizes technical mastery, melodic invention, and harmonic sophistication.