Practice Resolutions - Goals For The New Year

[brent.h]

Yeah I like the small stuff because they're easier to play. Incidentally, these bits fall on one string, so I don't have to worry too much about string changes.

I appreciate that BH has a whole system that strings bebop lego blocks together to form beautiful flowing bop lines. But I find them really difficult to execute in real time (and I have to work things out way in advance at home and practise them for many days). BH's lines are so limitless musically and are a lot easier to execute on an instrument which is 'limitless' as well. It's easier for the pianist to go in that split second while improvising, "ok, after this 7-b7-6-b6-5 line, imma insert a pivot." With the guitar, it's just so different. So for example after executing the 7-b7-6-b6-5 line on the B string, the last note I play requires me to use my index finger, and I can't just insert a pivot automatically like that as easily as a pianist because of the fingering (plus i have to worry about string skipping/changing). I will however connect that last note to may be a straight 4-note arpeggio down or something. Nothing wrong because it's more playable and still musical, but it does lose a bit of that 'strong bebop flavour'.

Free-flowing bop a la piano is quite difficult on guitar.

[Strat-itis]

Chris Parks is really good. His episode 4 changed my life. I still remember the episode like it was yesterday. It's the one with the chromatic scale. I always recommend this video to newbies at my jam sesh who are interested in that type of chromatic sound. I use the small lines like 1-b2-2-b3-3, 7-b7-6-b6-5, and 5-b5-4-5-3 all the time in my playing.

He told us a story about that video. He said that's his most watched video and it triggers him. The reason is that people watch it and then think it's a standalone device when it's supposed to be joined with at least 1 or 2 other devices for a full move. He'd angrily demonstrate playing only that scale and then say noone wants to hear that!

[brent.h]

He told us a story about that video. He said that's his most watched video and it triggers him. The reason is that people watch it and then think it's a standalone device when it's supposed to be joined with at least 1 or 2 other devices for a full move. He'd angrily demonstrate playing only that scale and then say noone wants to hear that!

Lol but we r guitaristsz

I've tried the ones where he combines stuff, but yah, the string skips are really tough. Somewhat doable at medium-ish tempos like 140-180, but really hard to do at jams when tunes get called at 190-230. On these tunes, I default to the melody, string bend stuff, or quarter note triplets and simple chord tones.

Some the Chris P's ideas are really nice, though. There was one where he used 'arpeggios' (triads with repeated notes, episode 147) to build lines. Musical stuff, man.

[Strat-itis]

Lol but we r guitaristsz

I've tried the ones where he combines stuff, but yah, the string skips are really tough. Somewhat doable at medium-ish tempos like 140-180, but really hard to do at jams when tunes get called at 190-230. On these tunes, I default to the melody, string bend stuff, or quarter note triplets and simple chord tones.

I ain't messin with trying to execute intricate syntax at 200.

Some the Chris P's ideas are really nice, though. There was one where he used 'arpeggios' (triads with repeated notes, episode 147) to build lines. Musical stuff, man.

Indeed. He's a great player and keeper of the BH.

[Christian Miller]

I am curious.

If attending and learning from Barry himself or the DVDs is a '100%', then what percentage is all of Chris Park's videos on his YouTube channel? 30%? 20%?

I don’t really watch much jazz guitar YouTube content.

When I do watch his stuff it is really good. Same with Shan (Jazz Skills) and Isaac Raz. These guys were properly part of Barry’s school (unlike me), and I would expect 100% of the information is there.

Otoh the year 2026 any problems you encounter learning music are unlikely to come from too little information.

I would always advise referring back to the source - be that Barry or the musicians that inspired him, Bird and Bud - as much as one can. I can’t imagine they would disagree with me.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Christian Miller]

He told us a story about that video. He said that's his most watched video and it triggers him. The reason is that people watch it and then think it's a standalone device when it's supposed to be joined with at least 1 or 2 other devices for a full move. He'd angrily demonstrate playing only that scale and then say noone wants to hear that!

I think Chris gets bugged by the exact same stuff I do lol…. it’s impossible to know where viewers are coming from on YouTube.

The lack of context on YouTube is another reason to go to the masterclasses.

YouTube is great. But you can’t learn to be a musician from it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GuyBoden]

I spent about 6 months with the BH chromatic scale, but included octave jumps and arps etc. I retained some of the lines I liked.

Here: Chromatic Scale Sequences
At that time, I hadn't watch the Chris Parks video, but the BH chromatic scale stuff starts at about 7:20min on the video.

[brent.h]

I spent about 6 months with the BH chromatic scale, but included octave jumps and arps etc. I retained some of the lines I liked.

Here: Chromatic Scale Sequences
At that time, I hadn't watch the Chris Parks video, but the BH chromatic scale stuff starts at about 7:20min on the video.

Ya that's the one.

I've watched this at least 8 times. I remember the first time I watched it, when he got to putting everything together at 13min+, it was as if I had just found the biggest secret in jazz vocabulary or something. Life-changing stuff.

All the fragments... I played them over and over and over because it was so bite-sized. Consequently, I could hear and understand bebop a lot more. I'd put on some Bird or Bud on my laptop, here one of those BH chromatic fragments, point a finger at the screen, and exclaim quite loudly to my wife, "That's the thing! That's the phrase! I can hear it!"

[Christian Miller]

I spent about 6 months with the BH chromatic scale, but included octave jumps and arps etc. I retained some of the lines I liked.

Here: Chromatic Scale Sequences
At that time, I hadn't watch the Chris Parks video, but the BH chromatic scale stuff starts at about 7:20min on the video.

Yeah I mean, it's stuff like ..

• Can you play scale outlines all positions at tempo through the obvious standards repertoire?
• Can you play added note rules for all the chords starting on any given note of the scale?
• Can you play the added note rules, thirds, thirds with a half step, chords, chords with a half step, arpeggios and arpeggios with a half step through the dominant, major and minor scales?
• Important chords of the dominant
• How about surrounds?
• Can you connect from the V chord to the I using the diminished?
• Do you know the 5-4-3-2 phrases

All of this at around 200bpm in class... :-O

The advanced applications of the added note rule are all in DVD set II. Quite a bit down the road.

[Christian Miller]

I spent about 6 months with the BH chromatic scale, but included octave jumps and arps etc. I retained some of the lines I liked.

Here: Chromatic Scale Sequences
At that time, I hadn't watch the Chris Parks video, but the BH chromatic scale stuff starts at about 7:20min on the video.

The thing is the way YouTube works for me is I watch Chris demoing the triads and whatnot through the Bb scale and try it on my guitar and think - woah, a bit rusty on those half step ones, I should practice that for 5m a day for the next few weeks.

And then I stop watching.

My experience has taught me that I am bad at learning things and it takes a while. Make of that what you will.

[Christian Miller]

Anyway to come back to the OP, and aside from my Barry Harris half step patterns for the next few weeks, this is what's in my notepad

Whether or not I remember to do any of this is another thing. It's clearly too many things. I think if I choose one or two that's fine.

• Transposing tunes
• Maqam improvisation
• Fugetta versets
• Improvising Allemandes and Gavottes from a set bass
• Tim Miller/Goodrick hexachord stuff with quartal
• Bembe/QNT phrases
• Groupings of five
• Soloing more in low positions
• Echols elevator stuff for 6-dim sales through tunes
• Going up the scale as well as down (add note rules)
• Transposing melodies at sight

• Transcribe comping
• Diminutions on quartal cycles

Solos

• Miss Anne’s tempo
• Nica’s dream (Wes and Kurt)
• Get Kid Charlemagne and Moose up to speed

I'm also thinking I should get back into Monk this year.

I have a list of standards I should look at.

[charlieparker]

Yeah I mean, it's stuff like ..

• Can you play scale outlines all positions at tempo through the obvious standards repertoire?
• Can you play added note rules for all the chords starting on any given note of the scale?
• Can you play the added note rules, thirds, thirds with a half step, chords, chords with a half step, arpeggios and arpeggios with a half step through the dominant, major and minor scales?
• Important chords of the dominant
• How about surrounds?
• Can you connect from the V chord to the I using the diminished?
• Do you know the 5-4-3-2 phrases

All of this at around 200bpm in class... :-O

The advanced applications of the added note rule are all in DVD set II. Quite a bit down the road.

Yeah. I have the DVDs and workbook set and my impression it is more a Bebop Technique 101. If you can play the various devices at 200 bpm you will be well on your way to being to having some bebop snippets under your fingers.

It has stuff like quarter note triplets, mixed rhythms, approach notes and enclosures along with the stuff you mentioned.

I am finding I can't play that stuff at anywhere near the speeds in the workshop and have been stuck on just working through the first two pages of the work book at slow tempos of 80 bpm.

[Christian Miller]

I can’t reiterate enough that the first time I went to Barry’s workshop about 90% of it went over my head.

It took me a real concerted effort to get to the point where I could play scales well enough to hang


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[James W]

Yeah. I have the DVDs and workbook set and my impression it is more a Bebop Technique 101. If you can play the various devices at 200 bpm you will be well on your way to being to having some bebop snippets under your fingers.

It has stuff like quarter note triplets, mixed rhythms, approach notes and enclosures along with the stuff you mentioned.

I am finding I can't play that stuff at anywhere near the speeds in the workshop and have been stuck on just working through the first two pages of the work book at slow tempos of 80 bpm.

All I can do is reiterate that the big game-changer for me regarding being able to feel comfortable playing at speeds of 200+BPM was to change my picking motion to the thumb and first finger AKA 'Circular picking'. You should experiment with it.

[James W]

I can’t reiterate enough that the first time I went to Barry’s workshop about 90% of it went over my head.

It took me a real concerted effort to get to the point where I could play scales well enough to hang


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Went over your head as in you missed the nuances of what he was saying? I'm interested and curious to know... Because from my admittedly second hand knowledge of the BH method it doesn't seem hard to understand*, but harder to get into your fingers...

*Of course those added note scales may be more intricate than I have yet to learn about...

[GuyBoden]

About a year or so back, I bought the Talk Jazz book by Roni Ben-Hur. (Based on the Barry Harris method)

The book conveys the basic method in a very simplistic way.

Quote from the Talk Jazz book by Roni Ben-Hur:
"The pages within contain a collection of studies developed by me and Barry Harris."

[Christian Miller]

Went over your head as in you missed the nuances of what he was saying? I'm interested and curious to know... Because from my admittedly second hand knowledge of the BH method it doesn't seem hard to understand*, but harder to get into your fingers...

Initially, I just didn't have a clue what was going on.

But TBF I was coming in completely blind. No-one on my scene knew about Barry back then. Not much interest. There was about 20 people at the class.

I don't think YouTube existed yet when I started going.

But it still took me a long time to get to grips with it, even when I had access to more info.

[Mick-7]

• Maqam improvisation
• Fugetta versets

I'm afraid to ask you what those are.

[Christian Miller]

[/LIST]
I'm afraid to ask you what those are.

The former being improvising on middle eastern scales and tetrachords. Transcribe some more Oud players

The second I can answer in video form

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GuyBoden]

Below are some New Year Resolutions from Joe Pass:

[pauln]

[AllanAllen]

Paul, your system seems so utterly different than mine or anyone else’s. It’s fascinating.

[benhatchins]

Setting clear goals at the start of the year makes a big difference in progress. I try to break mine into technique, repertoire, and improvisation so I’m not just noodling. Recording yourself weekly can be humbling but incredibly useful. Small, consistent practice blocks beat marathon sessions every time. It’s funny how we research everything these days — people will ask is Halara legit help-center.pissedconsumer.com/is-halara-legit/ before buying workout gear but won’t question their own practice habits. Discipline matters more than fancy tools. Even 30 focused minutes daily can move the needle.

[pauln]

Paul, your system seems so utterly different than mine or anyone else’s. It’s fascinating.

An anti-system resolution; lists what I never want to think about on stage.