Official Barry Harris Thread

[grahambop]

Barry plays a solo on a minor tune (Topsy) here at 2:40. Sounds to me like you could construct a lot of these lines using minor sixth diminished lines (he really leans on that 6th note a lot). Like the stuff Chris does in episode 39.

[Petimar]

Thanks for this Stitt-Harris link, I see I have some transcribing to do!

[grahambop]

Here’s another minor key Barry solo, starts at 6:30.

[Patlotch]

...

solid bass line by Buster Williams and melodious solo at 8:20

[rintincop]

5 is a pivot
4 is a surround
3 is a pivot
2 is a surround

Thus, 8 is a pivot
7 is a surround
6 is a pivot
b6 is a surround

Ascending is the inverse

[albinalbinj]

Can someone help me understand single lines over dominants, brothers and sisters? I've read the whole thread in one go so right now I'm a bit confused.

Okay, so I fully understand thinking only V on ii-Vs. I've also heard Barry explain playing V on the ii and then Vs tritone over the V then resolving to I.

D- |G7 |C
G7 |Db7|C

My question is basically if Barry means playing the Db7 scale fully over the G7, including the Gb or if he changes it to G to make it fit better?

Also, in something like a minor blues, how would he describe this?

Ab7b5 |G7#5 |C-

Ab7 and then G7? Basically same question here, does he change the notes to fit the harmony? I know Barry is adamant about chords not having very specific voicings to leave it up to the improviser, but I'm confused anyway.

Maybe the whole brothers and sisters approach is the key?

[pcjazz]

In either case Barry would not say play one scale and then the other. He would say play one scale into the other. See the current thread about minor 2/5 for examples.

[zephyrregent]

[QUOTE=albinalbinj;1012612]Can someone help me understand single lines over dominants, brothers and sisters? I've read the whole thread in one go so right now I'm a bit confused.

Okay, so I fully understand thinking only V on ii-Vs. I've also heard Barry explain playing V on the ii and then Vs tritone over the V then resolving to I.

D- |G7 |C
G7 |Db7|C

There are basically two types of dominants, altered and unaltered. A G7 or D-6 scale works with an unaltered G7. The Db7 is the tritone sub and a Db7 or Ab -6 scale works for the altered G7. Don't use an altered Db7 scale as it is already a substitution. In the example of G7 to Db7 to C, this is an unaltered G7 moving to an altered G7 to C.


My question is basically if Barry means playing the Db7 scale fully over the G7, including the Gb or if he changes it to G to make it fit better?

When using the Db7 as a substitute for the G7, he would be using an Ab-6 scale which contains a G natural, not G flat. Use the minor 6 for the tritone, not minor 7.

Also, in something like a minor blues, how would he describe this?

Ab7b5 |G7#5 |C-

This is a variation/substitute for a minor II V progression resolving to C minor. - Dm7b5 to G7#5. Ab is the flat 5 of Dminor.

My recommendation is not to get hung up on what to play on altered dominants. You can use the important minor of the dominant flat 5 substitute (Ab- for Db7), G augmented, Ab/B diminshed (depending on whether you think of the diminished on the third degree of the dominant or the old shortcut way of starting a half step above the root (Ab dim. for G7 alt.) You will hear people using different things over altered dominants in the same tune.

[albinalbinj]

Thank you so much for the answers.

"In either case Barry would not say play one scale and then the other. He would say play one scale into the other. See the current thread about minor 2/5 for examples."

I've heard him describe playing into the other dominant and I know how it's done when doing scale outlines, like C7 up and down to the third of A7 for |Em7b5 |A7 |.

What I'm wondering about is if he then plays A7 or if he plays the resulting scale consisting of something like A B C C# D E F G?
Like if the chord progression progressed with another bar of A7, would the scale outline be A7 up or the above scale?

|Em7b5 |A7 |A7 |Dm |

"D- |G7 |C
G7 |Db7|C

There are basically two types of dominants, altered and unaltered. A G7 or D-6 scale works with an unaltered G7. The Db7 is the tritone sub and a Db7 or Ab -6 scale works for the altered G7. Don't use an altered Db7 scale as it is already a substitution. In the example of G7 to Db7 to C, this is an unaltered G7 moving to an altered G7 to C."

The G7 Db7 C that I wrote under the chords were meant to show possible scales to play over the chords in the row above. I might have misinterpreted it but I thought that that was what he talks about in the "Tritone lines on Indiana and Embraceable You" video. Like playing Db7 against Dm7 - G7 - C.

I think I'm overthinking things but I've been trying to analyze "Beautiful Love" recently and I get stuck on the dominants for some reason, like the B7 in the i(Dm) VI7(B7b5) ii(Em7b5) V7(A7) at the end which I have a really hard time hearing functionally.

"Ab7b5 |G7#5 |C-

This is a variation/substitute for a minor II V progression resolving to C minor. - Dm7b5 to G7#5. Ab is the flat 5 of Dminor."

So the scale outline would be the same as on a ii-V in minor? Bb7 up and down to the third of G?
I understand and definitely hear the substitution but I didn't think the Ab7b5 sub for Dm7b5 would be as straightforward since the Dm7b5 is more like a Bb7?

As said, I'm probably overthinking and making this unnecessarily complicated. I've ordered the Workshop videos so I'll try to understand it on my own when they arrive, extremely excited about those

[pcjazz]

I've ordered the Workshop videos so I'll try to understand it on my own when they arrive, extremely excited about those

I think that’s just what you need at this point. And if you have the chance to attend a workshop, so much the better!

[rintincop]

"My question is basically if Barry means playing the Db7 scale fully over the G7, including the Gb or if he changes it to G to make it fit better?"

Yeah, play a G in it (ie Ab-6, same notes as a Db7 #11 Dominant scale)


"What I'm wondering about is if he then plays A7 or if he plays the resulting scale consisting of something like A B C C# D E F G? Like if the chord progression progressed with another bar of A7, would the scale outline be A7 up or the above scale?""

I think it would A Bb C# D E F G (half step rules may apply)

"So the scale outline would be the same as on a ii-V in minor? Bb7 up and down to the third of G?

I understand and definitely hear the substitution but I didn't think the Ab7b5 sub for Dm7b5 would be as straightforward since the Dm7b5 is more like a Bb7?"

I think it would be Ab7 dominant with #11 (Eb-6 again)

[wzpgsr]

Barry Harris is doing a Zoom-based virtual workshop tomorrow at 1:30 EDT for $10. I just registered and plan to check it out:

Webinar Registration - Zoom

[wzpgsr]

Barry Harris is doing a Zoom-based virtual workshop tomorrow at 1:30 EDT for $10. I just registered and plan to check it out:

Webinar Registration - Zoom

Barry's just wrapping up. I'm glad I signed up, and will do so again. Today Barry focused on the idea that "we don't have to name everything" while we practiced the bridge of Cherokee. The basic idea is, if you can play "skipwise" within a dominant scale (what traditional theory would call triads or arpeggios) starting from any given note in the scale, it doesn't really matter what you call those things, and in fact can confuse things. To paraphrase: "Don't name those notes D-minor. Just play it. Just listen to it. Play this music by ear."

[pcjazz]

Barry's just wrapping up. I'm glad I signed up, and will do so again. Today Barry focused on the idea that "we don't have to name everything" while we practiced the bridge of Cherokee. The basic idea is, if you can play "skipwise" within a dominant scale (what traditional theory would call triads or arpeggios) starting from any given note in the scale, it doesn't really matter what you call those things, and in fact can confuse things. To paraphrase: "Don't name those notes D-minor. Just play it. Just listen to it. Play this music by ear."

Yes, and the first 90 minutes on harmony was also very cool -- I especially liked the "tritones down in whole-steps" moves on the Maj6dim scale and will be working on those in my practice sessions. There are still a lot of technical glitches using Zoom, but many of them can be resolved by vesting more control in the host over who gets focus and when. This will only improve with time. USD$10 for 180 minutes of Barry plus a recording of the session is a no-brainer.

Also, to follow up on wzpgsr's post, Barry emphasized that from an improv point of view "the dom7 scale is a major scale", simplifying how to approach the temporary resolutions in the Cherokee bridge.

[wzpgsr]

Also, to follow up on wzpgsr's post, Barry emphasized that from an improv point of view "the dom7 scale is a major scale", simplifying how to approach the temporary resolutions in the Cherokee bridge.

Could you elaborate on that a bit? There were a couple of minutes here and there where I had to turn my attention elsewhere and missed this particular nugget.

[pcjazz]

Could you elaborate on that a bit? There were a couple of minutes here and there where I had to turn my attention elsewhere and missed this particular nugget.

Barry played BMaj scale over F#7-> BMaj (“skip a note starting from the 7”) and so on through the Cherokee bridge progression. The 3rd of F#7 is the 7th of BMaj. Playing “skip a note” from the 7th of B outlines F#7 and resolves to BMaj then to the 7th of AMaj (for E7->Amaj, the next step in the progression). That’s how I understood it.

[Petimar]

Barry's just wrapping up. I'm glad I signed up, and will do so again.

Do you know when the next one will be? I didn’t see this until too late but would love to get in on one or several.

[rintincop]

Got 5 pages of transcription from these 2 virtual workshops, there's a lot of new sparsely harmonized two-handed piano examples of very modern sounding contrary motion lines and some amazing whole tone stuff. It requires two hands-on piano in contrary motion, rather awkward for guitar.

[WILSON 1]

Why not just take a Skype lesson from a guy who studied guitar under Barry for 18 years.

Probably more insightful for the guitar player and it will help support the improv theory.

[pcjazz]

Why not just take a Skype lesson from a guy who studied guitar under Barry for 18 years.

Probably more insightful for the guitar player and it will help support the improv theory.

Because he's Barry.

[WILSON 1]

Because he's Barry.

And he'll be gone one day long before you can hope to absorb all he has to say about the music.

[matt.guitarteacher]

Really??? Why not both? I think it's $10...

[Petimar]

These workshops are GREAT. In doing them since mid May, I have over 60 pages of Finale transcriptions to work on.

[christianm77]

The sessions are in someways better than the irl workshops, because you can hear what he’s saying a lot better, and you don’t have a bunch of horn players getting it slightly wrong.

[morgan76]

Could any of you kind souls check I've got this right?

C up and down
Bb7 up and down
C up and down
Eb7 up and down
Ab up and down
D7 up and down
G7 up and down

1235 on each chord of the turnaround