Starting Barry Harris Studies

[grahambop]

Yes, I'm thinking chord melody. I can see clearly that we are looking at I-V cadence over two bars. I'm just wondering how the alternating 6/dim chords could be used here. Or am I asking the wrong question?

I would harmonise the melody something like this (assuming you wanted to harmonise every note):

F6 5x35xx
F6 8x77xx
Edim x4535x
F6 x5756x
Edim x7868x
F6 xx3535
F6 xx7768

Bb6 xx3335 (with borrowed top note)
Bb6 xx3333
Bdim x5646x (or Bb6 x5536x)
C7 x3535x
Bdim x2313x

C6 5x55xx

I generally omit the 5th string when playing chords on the bottom 4 strings, that’s just my preference.

(by the way I ended on Am7 (C6) as I thought that was the chord in bar 3, but now I see the chart has Fma7).

[christianm77]

I would harmonise the melody something like this (assuming you wanted to harmonise every note):

F6 5x35xx
F6 8x77xx
Edim x4535x
F6 x5756x
Edim x7868x
F6 xx3535
F6 xx7768

Bb6 xx3335 (with borrowed top note)
Bb6 xx3333
Bdim x5646x (or Bb6 x5536x)
C7 x3535x
Bdim x2313x

C6 5x55xx

I generally omit the 5th string when playing chords on the bottom 4 strings, that’s just my preference.

That's basically what I had too, including the borrowed top note... I like

xx4545 - F#o7
xx3335 - Bb6 (borrow the A) - finger the A with 4th finger each time to let it sustain through both chords
x5536x - Bb6
x5535x - Gm6
x1203x - Gm6

Or something... Actually Bbo7 might be better before Gm6 - add more voice movement....

But you can see even with basic harmonisation there is some room for personal taste!

[christianm77]

x2313x
x1203x

Is a cool move... Again - let that top note sustain while the other voices move...

[grahambop]

That's basically what I had too, including the borrowed top note... I like

xx4545 - F#o7
xx3335 - Bb6 (borrow the A) - finger the A with 4th finger each time to let it sustain through both chords
x5536x - Bb6
x5535x - Gm6
x1203x - Gm6

Or something... Actually Bbo7 might be better before Gm6 - add more voice movement....

But you can see even with basic harmonisation there is some room for personal taste!

yes I agree, when you pass through the V7 ‘area’ there’s lots of options, I find it really interesting to try them out.

[Rob MacKillop]

Okay, after playing through your suggestions, I get it. Many thanks, Graham, Christian, and pcjazz. I'll continue with the rest.

[pcjazz]

(by the way I ended on Am7 (C6) as I thought that was the chord in bar 3, but now I see the chart has Fma7).

Fma7 is C6 is Am7

[grahambop]

Fma7 is C6 is Am7

yes, or strictly speaking C6 = Fmaj9 (the ‘sixth on the fifth’).

[bleakanddivine]

An important instance of this is that "the sixth on the fifth" of a Maj6 chord is an alternate voicing for that Maj: so C6 and G6 both express CMaj. The significance of this harmonically is that the two chords (and their 6dim scales) have different diminishes (B for C6 and A for G6) which opens up a wide range of movements and approaches (as well as the movements between voicings of C6 and G6 through the "other diminished" i.e. Bb).

AK's book doesn't seem to specifically mention that you can use the diminished related to the 6th/5th as well as the 6th/5th itself, but it seems to work.

I found it useful when harmonising melodies to work out which chords will harmonise which scale degrees (as the top voice). So for FMajor you get:

F > F6
G > Edim
G#> -
A >F6
Bb> Edim
C >F6
C#> Edim
D >F6
E >Edim

When you add in the 6th/5th and its related diminished, you get:

F > F6 or Bdim
G > Edim or C6
G# > - or Bdim
A > F6 or C6
Bb > Edim or Bdim
C > F6 or C6 *
C#> Edim or -
D > F6 or Bdim *
E >Edim or C6 *

So, when you're harmonising the first bar of Polka Dots, the first 3 melody notes* are C D E, if you stick to the F6dim scale you could use F6, F6, Edim. But if you choose the 6th/5th route, you could use C6, Bdim, C6. I find this useful in that the diminished chord occurs on a different scale degree in the 6th/5th, giving you different options for some of the scale degrees. I would probably sound an F bass note on the downbeat rest if I was playing this solo.

[bleakanddivine]

Applying this to dominant chords, the options for harmonising any particular note as the top voicing of a BH chord are as follows. This is using the 2 options: a) Minor6dim on 5th of dominant, and, b) Minor6dim on flat2 of dominant. On G7:

R G >C#dim or Gdim
b9 Ab > N/A or Abm6
9 A> Dm6 or N/A
#9 Bb> C#dim or Gdim
3 B >Dm6 or Abm6
4 C > N/A or N/A
b5 C# > C#dim or Gdim
5 D> Dm6 or N/A
#5 Eb >N/A or Abm6
6 E >C#dim or Gdim
b7 F >Dm6 or Abm6

Interestingly:

- The dim chord is the same for both options C#dim=Gdim
- The root G can be harmonised with a dim chord. We are used to the Vb9 taking a dimchord, but here is another one a fret lower on the root.
- The 4th C (and obviously the #7) cannot be harmonised with either of these options. But could be with the Dm7=FM6dim scale instead.

I find it useful to remember some of these when harmonising on the fly, or improvising a chord solo. e.g. A G7 chord shape with a 3rd or b7 on top can be replaced with either option, but with a 5th on top can only be replaced with the Dm6 option etc. Obviously this is all just applying exclusively these 2 BH rules.