Official Barry Harris Thread

**don_oz** · 08-15-2018, 04:48 AM

Originally Posted by christianm77

No, had some house & family stuff to attend to...

Let's get together for a play soon!

Definietly, I'm back on the 30th!

**don_oz** · 08-15-2018, 04:50 AM

Here's the improv class,

For Half nelson, Maestro Harris stopped at Ab^ so I added to it.

**christianm77** · 08-15-2018, 05:14 AM

What a legend!

Be rewarded by crisp chorus or two of Barry with Freddie Green on rhythm guitar

**joe2758** · 08-20-2018, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by don_oz

Here's the improv class,

For Half nelson, Maestro Harris stopped at Ab^ so I added to it.

thanks man!!!

**joe2758** · 08-20-2018, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by don_oz

Here's the improv class,

For Half nelson, Maestro Harris stopped at Ab^ so I added to it.

so the first 10 measures were what he dictated, and then the second half is what you came up with?

**pcjazz** · 08-20-2018, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by tamirgal

Cool

The pdf is here if anyone is interested:
Ornithology - Barry Harris Transcription.pdf - Google Drive

It has some fixes for mistakes appear in the video.

Thanks for this Tamirgal, the solo is as much a study of Barry's style as the original Ornithology was of Bird's. One question for you: I am wondering why you chose to present the transcription in a series of key signatures rather than either one sharp throughout (with accidentals) or (Omnibook style) without a key signature but with accidentals marked as they occur. I understand that one way of thinking about the tune looks at it as moving through a series of key centres, but Barry generally wants us to think of the whole tune in a single key. I am not criticizing, much less condemning, your decision to do it this way but would like to understand the reasoning behind your choice.

And thanks again for posting this!

**tamirgal** · 08-20-2018, 04:42 PM

Hey pcjazz,

Thanks for the feedback. You are not the first to ask me this. And I already provided a version of the file with single key signature (G). That’s very easy to do in the notation software so no biggy. I can send you that file too if you prefer.

The answer to your question is basically, I don’t know why I did that

I guess the purpose of my transcription was to study the bits and pieces of Barry’s playing, and not to look at the solo as a whole, so yes, when I look at a ii-V-I in F, I prefer to see it in the key of F rather than in the key of G. For me it wasn’t meant to be played directly from the sheet (and I’m actually not that of a good reader), it’s just a tool for documentation.

I’m not a pro musician, and have zero experience in how to exchange written music ideas with other musicians, so I don’t know what’s the best practice, or what might others prefer.

I’m cool with the feedback, it’s just a press of a button to change to to any other key signature.

Currently I’m in the process of writing my analysis of this solo. Almost done, will be happy to share and get feedback there as well.

Cheers,
Tamir

**joe2758** · 08-20-2018, 07:41 PM

what a f***ing unbelievable performance of My Heart Stood Still. Can't wait to watch the rest later

**pcjazz** · 08-20-2018, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by tamirgal

Hey pcjazz,

Thanks for the feedback. You are not the first to ask me this. And I already provided a version of the file with single key signature (G). That’s very easy to do in the notation software so no biggy. I can send you that file too if you prefer.

The answer to your question is basically, I don’t know why I did that

I guess the purpose of my transcription was to study the bits and pieces of Barry’s playing, and not to look at the solo as a whole, so yes, when I look at a ii-V-I in F, I prefer to see it in the key of F rather than in the key of G. For me it wasn’t meant to be played directly from the sheet (and I’m actually not that of a good reader), it’s just a tool for documentation.

I’m not a pro musician, and have zero experience in how to exchange written music ideas with other musicians, so I don’t know what’s the best practice, or what might others prefer.

I’m cool with the feedback, it’s just a press of a button to change to to any other key signature.

Currently I’m in the process of writing my analysis of this solo. Almost done, will be happy to share and get feedback there as well.

Cheers,
Tamir

Great, please do post a single-key version of the Ornithology transcription, and I would be happy to look over and respond to your analysis when you're ready.

Incidentally, fwiw, I attended the first of Howard Rees's summer intensive classes tonight and one of the very first things he said in talking about scale/chord relationships is that there is only one key to a tune ...

Best, PC

**grahambop** · 08-21-2018, 02:44 AM

Body and Soul is in Db but the bridge is in D, sometimes you see a change of key in the charts for this tune as it’s probably clearer.

**tamirgal** · 08-21-2018, 04:13 AM

Originally Posted by pcjazz

Incidentally, fwiw, I attended the first of Howard Rees's summer intensive classes tonight and one of the very first things he said in talking about scale/chord relationships is that there is only one key to a tune ...

Nice

thanks.

I updated the original file to be in the single key of G. It also now has some more fixes for couple of mistakes I found:
Ornithology - Barry Harris Transcription.pdf - Google Drive

Cheers,
Tamir

**pcjazz** · 08-21-2018, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by grahambop

Body and Soul is in Db but the bridge is in D, sometimes you see a change of key in the charts for this tune as it’s probably clearer.

OK, but where do you stop? If the first half of the bridge is in D then the second half is in C ....

**pcjazz** · 08-21-2018, 07:10 AM

Thanks Tamir!

**grahambop** · 08-21-2018, 07:21 AM

Originally Posted by pcjazz

OK, but where do you stop? If the first half of the bridge is in D then the second half is in C ....

It's only done for practical reasons (ease of reading), no-one takes it that far. The bridge would need lots of accidentals if they kept it in Db.

**pcjazz** · 08-21-2018, 07:40 AM

Originally Posted by grahambop

It's only done for practical reasons (ease of reading), no-one takes it that far. The bridge would need lots of accidentals if they kept it in Db.

No disagreement here, I buy the practical reasons for writing the bridge in two sharps. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t think about movement in the bridge as up a half step then down a half step from the key of the tune. An 8-bar surround! (Makes it easier to transpose on the fly, too.)

**grahambop** · 08-21-2018, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by pcjazz

No disagreement here, I buy the practical reasons for writing the bridge in two sharps. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t think about movement in the bridge as up a half step then down a half step from the key of the tune. An 8-bar surround! (Makes it easier to transpose on the fly, too.)

Yes that makes sense. I find the better I know a tune, the more I can mentally reduce it down to just a couple of 'targets' with relative movements around them.

**joe2758** · 08-21-2018, 05:19 PM

after watching the rest of the PG video:
1. interesting that he has perfect pitch
2. what album is he talking about at 1:15:35
3. What's up with the back of the neck of his guitar, could it really just be that worn off?
4. What did you think about the comment where he says triplets sound better on 2 and 4, do you agree? I never thought about it before

**grahambop** · 08-21-2018, 05:50 PM

The album could be Sonny Rollins - Worktime. Some of the tracks are fast tempos as I recall.

**David B** · 08-21-2018, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by joe2758

after watching the rest of the PG video:
3. What's up with the back of the neck of his guitar, could it really just be that worn off?

Yes, he's put in some mileage over six years. (The guitar is back with Bryant Trenier for a refurb.)

Official Barry Harris Thread-35306017_1886866464711567_4755564510855561216_o-jpg

Official Barry Harris Thread-35306017_1886866464711567_4755564510855561216_o-jpg

Official Barry Harris Thread-35299873_1886866221378258_8448422575012315136_o-jpg

**rlrhett** · 08-21-2018, 06:21 PM

Yes, you can see he isn't precious about it. He offered it up to students very easily.

**joe2758** · 08-21-2018, 06:55 PM

how freaking bad ass is that.

**joe2758** · 08-22-2018, 01:49 PM

k guys check this out.

Barry has us practice G7 down to Ab which is the 3rd of E, and the 5th of the tritone (Db)

There's multiple applications for this including minor 2-5s.

It's an elegant way to 2 of the 3 sibling dom 7 chords.

What about the other sibling, Bb 7?

You can run G7 down to the Bb. You surround the Bb with the 2nd degree of the scale so that the Bb lands in the same place that the Ab would land.

I am going to start adding this to my practicing because there's so many applications.

1. In Bb rhythm changes you can play Eb7 down to Gb (the IV to minor iV)
2. in B-7b5 to E7 you can play G7 down to Bb7 which will give you the tritone of E7, which will give you more altered sound than the way Barry teaches in the book/dvd

try it out

**christianm77** · 08-22-2018, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by joe2758

4. What did you think about the comment where he says triplets sound better on 2 and 4, do you agree? I never thought about it before

Yeah I’ve often thought that. I certainly tend to teach the upbeat and triplet phrase on 2 and 4. You know when you play a lower neighbour on 2+ say and then an arpeggio triplet, say?

However it’s possible to think of examples of jazz phrases that break this rule I’m sure.

I’m thinking of a lot of swing and GJ type twiddle/turn phrases I play that are on 1 and 3, that almost sound a bit corny but that’s kind of the point.

I’ll have to have a deep think about this

**christianm77** · 08-22-2018, 02:24 PM

Is it just me or do less jazz musicians seem to have perfect pitch than classical musicians?

**christianm77** · 08-22-2018, 02:37 PM

Okay there are a couple of examples of the ‘swing twiddle’ that I associate with Charlie Christian and Django in CC’s solo on Stompin at the Savoy, transcribed here:

Stompin’ at Minton’s (by Miles Okazaki) | DO THE M@TH

Both times on beat 3z interestingly, he plays a ascending triplet figure on beat 2.

Anyway that’s just going on what people have said, I need to watch the PG masterclass but haven’t had time. What was the deeper context?

Interesting thing to talk about. Rhythm and phrasing....