I got shit for saying this elsewhere, but here it goes. I've found half step rules MORE useful in creating bebop lines than enclosures. Everyone talks about the importance of enclosures... but here's the thing. These half step rules allow you to create lines with true inertia--forward motion. Half step rules are not just "passing tones." Rather, half-step rules are a method that Barry Harris came up with to align the melodic aspect of jazz with the rhythmic--with the pulse of bebop. Half step rules teach your ears how notes sound on different beats of the measure--how the pulse colors the note. Enclosures are important and a great entry to that study, but when I play enclosures--I have the inclination to think of every enclosed note as a target. That's a problem. See, if you think of notes as targets, then you are inclined to stop your line after you hit that target. I know I'm not the only one to have that problem. Half-step rules allow you to play THROUGH targets and perpetually create. Barry Harris spent half of his life creating a unified theory of harmony, melody, and rhythm--an Einstein of improvised music. He spent the other half playing with all the greats that find their names into our music collections. Listen to Barry Harris. Drops mic. There, I said it.
Oh this is so wonderful. Chris, I love that you've sound such a great home with Open Studio. The way you teach this stuff is world class, brother. Just fantastic
Chris is a teacher for OpenStudio Jazz, with 5 classes a week (3 Bebop for All and 2 for guitarists, although all instruments are welcome).. Come check them out; like he's doing here with Adam, he presents a concept and then the class works on it. You get to play and listen to others play; very supportive and creative.
I’m so glad to see Chris here talking about Barry’s rules and analysis of harmony. I miss Barry so much, but this is pretty close to that Tuesday night workshop that Barry led for years. Thank you!
I spent a lot of time learning these rules, but after learning Barry’s chromatic scales I rarely use these. I find the chromatic scales much more useful and intuitive. They generate great enclosures and melodic ascending and descending lines, and the octatonic dim6 scales cover the whole ‘landing on a chord tone’ issue just fine.
Bass player here - so a bass player question follows…at around the 4:25 mark Chris says pivot a chord - does that mean play an arpeggio that lands on the note below (or above) where you are. In this ex, Adam finishes the scale on the Eb (flat 7) then plays an ascending Gmin arp from below to end on a D (the scale tone BELOW the Eb). Am I in the right ball park with the word pivot?
Take any 7th chord arpeggio within the F7 scale. Let's use the one starting on E♭, so E♭-G-B♭-D. Instead on going up a third each time, take the last three notes (G-B♭-D) and play them an octave lower, but leave the E♭ in its original position. The result is what Barry Harris calls a pivot. Check the notation and you'll see it's just a 7th chord arpeggio starting on E♭, but with the octave shift on the last three notes.
Great concept, the way I see it the Ab, b6 tone derives from the cycle of thirds, C E Ab C or B (if leaning towards natural intervals) and you could similarly use chords based on the cycle of thirds as well, Amaj7 Abmaj7 Cmaj7 instead of thinking in terms of the cycle of fifths exclusively.
Another thing that he will probably mention in the course is that you can put any note instead of the chromatism. On a guitar (and I imagine on other instrument) i can be useful in some position to grab another note.
Adam, Chris, thanks for the pdf Barry Harris half steps download. Problem is the download has color and multiple pictures embedded with the pdf. All I need is the content offered, the required ink to print the pdf would force me to reorder cartridge ink @ $108.00 dollars. Please in the future no color, no pictures needed just the measure notations.
So many rules !!! I don't like rules that much. When I improvise, I try to have no time between the following steps : 1/ I hear a note (inspiration) 2/ I know its name (relative to the previous note I was playing, I don't have absolute ear but rather relative ear which imho is less constraints) 3/ I know how to play it. How do you find the time to think about rules and apply them when you're improvising ? You just can't. To me you have to focus on the 3 steps I mentionned, and carefully think about what rules you'll try to remember (cause of course sometimes it's important to know the clinics). But then after, you have to forgot them and ... play !
What Chris is teaching is a fraction of Barry Harris's method for improv; just because you have to learn the rules doesn't mean they can't be intuitive... By your reasoning, no Instrument would be possible to play at all because they all encase some level of "rules" to play properly... Don't limit your potential as a musician by limiting your learning!
@@LuxLucidOfficial Learning is indeed important, but my point focuses in a purely creative context (writing music, but especially improvising, where you don't have time to think too hard) : then you have to switch on another engine : inspiration. So if you have previously learned many lessons, now it's time to see if they can eventually have an influence in the way you improvise, that is : can you apply these rules without even thinking too much. That's crucial because improvising without effort is the best way to sound natural and musical. My point is : in your working process, beside learning the rules, you should always take time to work on your ear, because when you're able to know for sure the note name immediately after your hear it in your head, then that's the way to freedom. Sure if you have learned rules besides that, then that's fine, but improvisation should also be linked to some form of freedom. For future improvisers, I think it's very useful to spend time on working your ear; when I see tons of videos on theory that unveils complexities of the music : that's fine, but perhaps you could have find that particular note the rule tells you, just by training your ear.
What you're kind of missing is the fact that technically you only have to learn this for 12 dominant chords. Because you can use these lines over 2-5's as well by just thinking in terms of the dominant. You're covering a wide variety of chord progressions and eventually these sounds stick to your ears and fingers and youre nit even thinking about it. Put in the work before bashing it.
It’s a way to descend the scale and always have the chord tones on the strong beat, having the chromatics on the weak beats. At the end of the day you use them without thinking, and combine them with tons of other stuff. Cause just doing this on its own would be boring and predictable.
@@danielmazur940 I get it, but this is something I worked on before I ever even heard of Barry Harris. Just seems like common sense for anybody trying to learn bebop and if you're learning lines off of records than this info is all there
WTF !? When Adam or Peter show something it is always musical and inspiring, related to music. This Chris guy only talk about bebop scale formulas and chromaticism. Chris, take your axe and PLAY dude, we don't give a f**k about your bepop scale formulas. The great Jerry Bergonzi has alreasy done an awesome book about this topic. Who are you Chris ? Give a link to hear you PLAY !
no clue what's happening but i love the sounds and their enthusiasm
I got shit for saying this elsewhere, but here it goes. I've found half step rules MORE useful in creating bebop lines than enclosures. Everyone talks about the importance of enclosures... but here's the thing. These half step rules allow you to create lines with true inertia--forward motion. Half step rules are not just "passing tones." Rather, half-step rules are a method that Barry Harris came up with to align the melodic aspect of jazz with the rhythmic--with the pulse of bebop.
Half step rules teach your ears how notes sound on different beats of the measure--how the pulse colors the note. Enclosures are important and a great entry to that study, but when I play enclosures--I have the inclination to think of every enclosed note as a target. That's a problem. See, if you think of notes as targets, then you are inclined to stop your line after you hit that target. I know I'm not the only one to have that problem. Half-step rules allow you to play THROUGH targets and perpetually create.
Barry Harris spent half of his life creating a unified theory of harmony, melody, and rhythm--an Einstein of improvised music. He spent the other half playing with all the greats that find their names into our music collections. Listen to Barry Harris. Drops mic. There, I said it.
ok, ok...wtf
Well said!
Absolutely, so well said. Happy practicing 🙂
Spot on!
I love the humility shown here. We're always learning even if as a teacher
ok, ok...
The Barry Harris guy??? LETS GO
And the jazz piano dude??? JABADABADOO!
Oh this is so wonderful. Chris, I love that you've sound such a great home with Open Studio. The way you teach this stuff is world class, brother. Just fantastic
Chris is an amazing teacher, and Adam is a very quick learner!
Love Chris' enthusiasm and dedication to the Barry Harris way
Barry was the greatest, I loved his classes in NYC in the mid 80s
Me too!!
playful sparks from Chris Parks ✨(and Adam)
Man, chris has helped my playing sooo much. glad to see him in the studio!
Love it. More with this instructor please! Love his channel!
Chris is a teacher for OpenStudio Jazz, with 5 classes a week (3 Bebop for All and 2 for guitarists, although all instruments are welcome).. Come check them out; like he's doing here with Adam, he presents a concept and then the class works on it. You get to play and listen to others play; very supportive and creative.
As Colleen would say, Evens have 0 or 2 half-steps (0 and 2 are "even numbers"), and Odds have 1 or 3 half-steps (1 and 3 are "odd numbers").
I’m so glad to see Chris here talking about Barry’s rules and analysis of harmony. I miss Barry so much, but this is pretty close to that Tuesday night workshop that Barry led for years. Thank you!
So happy to see Chris! What a fantastic lesson!
I spent a lot of time learning these rules, but after learning Barry’s chromatic scales I rarely use these. I find the chromatic scales much more useful and intuitive. They generate great enclosures and melodic ascending and descending lines, and the octatonic dim6 scales cover the whole ‘landing on a chord tone’ issue just fine.
Man as a pianist, I have learned so much from Chris!
LOVE THIS! A great concept simply explained. Time to go shed... 🎷
laughing with joy watching this...magical :) thanks
I'm legit practicing this right now this is so cool
So much love for these guys and BH.
so good! the joy of music these two have is inspiring! thanks for sharing.
ok, ok...
This is incredible. Holy smokes.
caught some musical magic right there. great lesson and great vibe
Great stuff. Should be taught in any first or maybe second year jazz program. Instant bop!
It would mess with their already made up theories and they do not want to mess with that.
Never seen this explained so well
Adam! machine! right on
Bass player here - so a bass player question follows…at around the 4:25 mark Chris says pivot a chord - does that mean play an arpeggio that lands on the note below (or above) where you are. In this ex, Adam finishes the scale on the Eb (flat 7) then plays an ascending Gmin arp from below to end on a D (the scale tone BELOW the Eb). Am I in the right ball park with the word pivot?
Take any 7th chord arpeggio within the F7 scale. Let's use the one starting on E♭, so E♭-G-B♭-D. Instead on going up a third each time, take the last three notes (G-B♭-D) and play them an octave lower, but leave the E♭ in its original position. The result is what Barry Harris calls a pivot.
Check the notation and you'll see it's just a 7th chord arpeggio starting on E♭, but with the octave shift on the last three notes.
So helpful! This drill really cleans things up!
This is amazing !!! Fantastic
Super cool lines!
Awesome, man.
Great concept, the way I see it the Ab, b6 tone derives from the cycle of thirds, C E Ab C or B (if leaning towards natural intervals) and you could similarly use chords based on the cycle of thirds as well, Amaj7 Abmaj7 Cmaj7 instead of thinking in terms of the cycle of fifths exclusively.
Great stuff as always!
Never is too much from barry, pls more!
Wow, that was a great video
Joy!
More!!!
Can You please do this over a minor 2-5-1?
Barry as in Harris?
Another thing that he will probably mention in the course is that you can put any note instead of the chromatism. On a guitar (and I imagine on other instrument) i can be useful in some position to grab another note.
Bruh! Thx for that!!!
Gold
💯🙏🏻Barry 💚💚💚
3:53 bananas
Long live Barry
I'm lost. Why is the 1st note F notated as a G instead of F? Am I missing something? Or is this just a note typo?
This is well covered in David Bakers book , Jazz Improvisation : A comprehensive method for all musicians
I was thinking the same thing
i'll send this to all video who hate jazz
I'm trying to understand what just happened? I don't quite follow
My brain hurts now.
Adam, Chris, thanks for the pdf Barry Harris half steps download. Problem is the download has color and multiple pictures embedded with the pdf. All I need is the content offered, the required ink to print the pdf would force me to reorder cartridge ink @ $108.00 dollars. Please in the future no color, no pictures needed just the measure notations.
Select black and white when you set up printing, likely in printer properties.
What the holy hell was that?
So many rules !!! I don't like rules that much. When I improvise, I try to have no time between the following steps : 1/ I hear a note (inspiration) 2/ I know its name (relative to the previous note I was playing, I don't have absolute ear but rather relative ear which imho is less constraints) 3/ I know how to play it. How do you find the time to think about rules and apply them when you're improvising ? You just can't. To me you have to focus on the 3 steps I mentionned, and carefully think about what rules you'll try to remember (cause of course sometimes it's important to know the clinics). But then after, you have to forgot them and ... play !
What Chris is teaching is a fraction of Barry Harris's method for improv; just because you have to learn the rules doesn't mean they can't be intuitive... By your reasoning, no Instrument would be possible to play at all because they all encase some level of "rules" to play properly... Don't limit your potential as a musician by limiting your learning!
@@LuxLucidOfficial Learning is indeed important, but my point focuses in a purely creative context (writing music, but especially improvising, where you don't have time to think too hard) : then you have to switch on another engine : inspiration. So if you have previously learned many lessons, now it's time to see if they can eventually have an influence in the way you improvise, that is : can you apply these rules without even thinking too much. That's crucial because improvising without effort is the best way to sound natural and musical.
My point is : in your working process, beside learning the rules, you should always take time to work on your ear, because when you're able to know for sure the note name immediately after your hear it in your head, then that's the way to freedom. Sure if you have learned rules besides that, then that's fine, but improvisation should also be linked to some form of freedom. For future improvisers, I think it's very useful to spend time on working your ear; when I see tons of videos on theory that unveils complexities of the music : that's fine, but perhaps you could have find that particular note the rule tells you, just by training your ear.
Sus’s move me :-)
A lesson in how to make things more confusing by remembering rules for each chord
So much more confusing than aimlessly meandering the scale
You're missing the point. Use the rules to make lines you like. Then use those lines to improvise with.
@@impaccno I’m not
there's only two sets of rules: one for the even notes and one for the odd notes
What you're kind of missing is the fact that technically you only have to learn this for 12 dominant chords. Because you can use these lines over 2-5's as well by just thinking in terms of the dominant. You're covering a wide variety of chord progressions and eventually these sounds stick to your ears and fingers and youre nit even thinking about it. Put in the work before bashing it.
I don't really understand but I guess it's a formula for soloing
It’s a way to descend the scale and always have the chord tones on the strong beat, having the chromatics on the weak beats. At the end of the day you use them without thinking, and combine them with tons of other stuff. Cause just doing this on its own would be boring and predictable.
@@danielmazur940 I get it, but this is something I worked on before I ever even heard of Barry Harris. Just seems like common sense for anybody trying to learn bebop and if you're learning lines off of records than this info is all there
WTF !? When Adam or Peter show something it is always musical and inspiring, related to music. This Chris guy only talk about bebop scale formulas and chromaticism. Chris, take your axe and PLAY dude, we don't give a f**k about your bepop scale formulas. The great Jerry Bergonzi has alreasy done an awesome book about this topic. Who are you Chris ? Give a link to hear you PLAY !