Jazz Theory Notes

Coltrane ChangesColtrane changes involve repeatedly modulating down a major third.  Other names associated with the progression are Coltrane Matrix, Coltrane Cycle, or simply Coltrane substitutions.

Giant Steps We see repeated modulations down a major third in the bridge of "Have You Met Miss Jones".

"Have You Met Miss Jones" (bridge)|| Bb    | Ab- Db7 | Gb    | E- A7 | D     |

Transpose this up a half step and remove the minor chords and you have the sequence for the first half of "Giant Steps" (m. 1-3, 5-7). The second half of "Giant Steps" and measures 3-5 modulate up by major thirds. The entire tune comprises the same three keys.

|| B  D7 | G Bb7 | Eb    | A- D7     |

|  G Bb7 | Eb F#7 | B    | F- Bb7  ||

|| Eb     | A- D7  | G      | C#- F#7 | 

|  B       | F- Bb7  | Eb  | C#- F#7 ||

We observe that the pattern of "Giant Steps" changes: begin on a major chord, move up a m3 to a dominant, resolve down a 5th to major, move up a m3 to a dominant, resolve down a 5th to major.

If continued the pattern repeats continuously--| B D7 | G Bb7 | Eb F#7 | B D7 | etc.--hence the term "Coltrane Cycle".

Coltrane Changes as ii V I SubstitutionIn "Countdown" Coltrane applied the cycle of major third modulation to the ii V I progressions found in "Tune Up". Below we see the chords for "Tune Up" and the chords Coltrane substituted to create "Countdown". Notice that the last four measures are the same, and that, coincidentally(?), the three chords in measures 13-15 match the first three chords of the Coltrane substitutions.

Tune Up/Countdown        || E-      |  A7       | D        | D      |        || E- F7 | Bb C#7 | F# A7 | D      |

        |  D-      |  G7       | C        | C      |        | D- Eb7 | Ab  B7 |  E  G7 | C      |

        |  C-      |  F7       | Bb       | Bb    |        | C- C#7 | F# A7 | D  F7  | Bb     |

        |  E-      |  F7       | Bb       | A7    ||        |  E-      |  F7       | Bb       | A7    ||

Coltrane subsequently applied the "Giant Steps" and "Countdown" progressions as chord substitutions over several standard tunes and jazz originals ("But Not for Me" and "Body and Soul," "Confirmation" became "26-2," "How High the Moon" became "Satellite," "What is This Thing Called Love"/"Hot House" became "Fifth House," and so on).