Coltrane 'Giant Steps' Cell I-bIII7-bVI-VII7
Piano sound loads on first tap. Resolved in the key of C — every chord links to its full analysis.
John Coltrane's revolutionary major-thirds motion. The key centre leaps by descending major thirds — I to bVI — each new tonic reached through its OWN dominant 7th (bIII7, VII7). Dividing the octave into three equal major thirds creates the dizzying, symmetrical harmony of 'Giant Steps'.
What each degree does
Feels like home — complete rest, where the piece departs from and returns to. The major tonic, where everything settles.
An applied dominant tonicising bVI — the other Coltrane major-thirds cell, a key centre a major third below the tonic.
The flat sixth major — borrowed from the minor mode, a dramatic, epic colour. It falls over the key like a large shadow before the dominant.
An applied dominant tonicising III — the Coltrane major-thirds cell ('Giant Steps'), a key centre a major third above the tonic.