Definition
The Coltrane changes (also called the Coltrane matrix or multi-tonic changes) are a substitution for the ii–V–I in which the tonal center moves by major thirds, dividing the octave into three equal parts (like an augmented triad). Each new center is prepared by its dominant. John Coltrane took them to the extreme in 1959 with Giant Steps (album of the same name released in 1960).
The formula
ii–V–I in C over 4 bars: | Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 |
Coltrane version: | Dm7 Eb7 | Abmaj7 B7 | Emaj7 G7 | Cmaj7 |
- Eb7 → Abmaj7 (V–I in Ab)
- B7 → Emaj7 (V–I in E)
- G7 → Cmaj7 (V–I in C)
The tonics C – Ab – E form an augmented triad: three centers a major third apart. The version "without the ii" starts directly from C: | C Eb7 | Ab B7 | E G7 | C |.
Giant Steps: the structure (16 bars)
| Bars | Chords | Centers |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Bmaj7 D7 / Gmaj7 Bb7 / Ebmaj7 / Am7 D7 | B → G → Eb (descending major thirds) |
| 5–8 | Gmaj7 Bb7 / Ebmaj7 F#7 / Bmaj7 / Fm7 Bb7 | G → Eb → B |
| 9–12 | Ebmaj7 / Am7 D7 / Gmaj7 / C#m7 F#7 | Eb, G (ii–V–I) |
| 13–16 | Bmaj7 / Fm7 Bb7 / Ebmaj7 / C#m7 F#7 | B, Eb, return to B |
The three keys are B, G, Eb. In the first half the change happens every 2 beats with direct dominants; in the second half each center is prepared by a complete ii–V. The tempo of the recording is very fast (on the order of 280–290 BPM): the pianist Tommy Flanagan, in his solo, limited himself almost entirely to long notes, a sign of the difficulty.
Precedents and related tunes
- Have You Met Miss Jones? (Rodgers, 1937): the bridge in F passes through Bb – Gb – D, centers a major third apart: Bbmaj7 | Abm7 Db7 | Gbmaj7 | Em7 A7 | Dmaj7 | Abm7 Db7 | Gbmaj7 | Gm7 C7.
- Countdown (Coltrane): a reharmonization of Tune Up. It begins with | Em7 F7 | Bbmaj7 Db7 | Gbmaj7 A7 | Dmaj7 |, that is, a ii–V–I in D "exploded" into three centers.
- 26-2 (on Confirmation), Satellite (on How High the Moon), the arrangement of Body and Soul (bridge) and of But Not for Me.
- Theoretically, the cycle of major thirds has roots in Romantic chromaticism and in Slonimsky's Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns (1947), which Coltrane studied.
How to improvise and accompany
- Digital patterns 1–2–3–5 on every major and dominant chord (Coltrane used them systematically): on Bmaj7 B C# D# F#, on D7 D E F# A…
- Guide tones: Bmaj7 (D# – A#) → D7 (F# – C) → Gmaj7 (B – F#) → Bb7 (D – Ab) → Ebmaj7 (G – D). Thirds and sevenths move almost always by half step.
- Pianists and guitarists often use 3-note voicings (third, seventh, tension) so as not to get lost at speed.
- In comping, the ii–Vs of the second half are the place to breathe.
How to use them today
- In a pop bridge or a cinematic intro: Cmaj7 – Eb7 – Abmaj7 – B7 – Emaj7 – G7 – Cmaj7 creates a "journey" that returns home in 4 bars.
- With synth pads and synth bass at 85–100 BPM the sequence sounds dreamy and not like "conservatory jazz."
- You can use only two centers (Lazy Bird uses two a major third apart in the A section).
Exercise
- Write the Coltrane changes in C with 4-part voicings (drop 2) and make each voice move as little as possible.
- Transpose to F: | Gm7 Ab7 | Dbmaj7 E7 | Amaj7 C7 | Fmaj7 |. Check: Ab7 → Db, E7 → A, C7 → F.
- Improvise with the arpeggio of each chord, metronome at 120, then raise it by 10 BPM a day.
Related topics
Chromatic mediants, the ii–V–I in jazz, related and secondary ii–V, substitution by thirds, jazz harmonic analysis.