Lesson notes: 0:21 - Half step rules Starting on root = one half step (between 6 to 5) Non chord tones 2 and 4 = no half steps, or 2 half steps between 6th and 5th, and the 2nd and root note. Chord tones besides the root= one half step rule like the root, or three half steps (3-2, 2-1, 6-5) Sixth degree = one half step 6-5, or three half steps 6-5, 3-2, 2-1 Seventh degree = one half step 6-5 (ending on seventh), or two half steps 6-5 and 2-1 (ending on root), or two half steps 3-2 + 2-1, or two half steps 7-6 and 6-5 6:25 - Runs and which rule to use If you run up the scale and back down, use the rule for the note you STARTED ON 13:30 - Run up by a third If you go up by a third and resolve down a note, you will use the note YOU RESOLVE DOWN TO as the rule, so if you went from 1-3-2, you would use the rule for the 2nd degree. 15:30 - Run up a triad Apply the rule for the note you start on or the note you resolve to (so either the 1st or 3rd note of the chord) 20:07 - Run up a seventh chord For example, go from C - E - G - B and then resolve down to A, use the rule for the A note. Do this for every chord, but you don't resolve up, just down a note from the seventh of the chord. 23:27 - Changing rules in the middle of a line Sometimes this is necessary because if a line goes for too long, it may end up on a non-chord tone. So the solution is to combine different rules and chain them together basically. 24:25 - Pivoting Playing a seventh chord but putting the first note up an octave, so C5 - E5 - G5 - B5 would become C6 - E5 - G5 - B5 and then a rule based on the note you resolve to, in this specific case A5. 25:52 - Harmonic Minor If you start on the tonic, there is no possible half step you can put between the tonic and seventh because they are a half step apart, so you go up a note from the tonic, then immediately to the seventh, then continue down. Starting on second, either no half steps or two half steps between second and tonic, THEN JUMP BACK UP to the second, then continue on the seventh and downwards. Starting on third, 1 half step (jump up from the tonic) OR three half steps (jump up to next available scale tone) land on two, half step between 2 - 1, then same trick on one again. Starting on fourth, either no half steps or 2 half steps, between second and tonic, then jump up from tonic Starting on fifth, same rules as starting on third once you hit the third degree going downwards. Starting on sixth, same as starting on fourth once you hit the fourth degree going downwards Starting on seventh, either one half step jump up from tonic, or 3 half steps, jump up from 3 -> half step between 2-1 + jump up from tonic 29:50 - Putting the harmonic minor stuff from the tonic chord over the 5 chord in the minor. Can be G7, altered, literally doesn't matter as long as it resolves back to C minor 6. 31:06 - Minor descending lines can be played over a minor 5 leading to a major tonic, basically a hyper-jazz picardy third 32:14 - Running up and back down from each scale degree, always use rule for the note you START ON 37:18 - Practicing doing the same thing, running up triads 39:25 - Practicing doing the same thing, running up seventh chords
I'm a high school music teacher in Canada. This is THE BEST explanation of creating bebop lines I've EVER HEARD. You have distilled Barry's method into such an amazingly functional method. Please, please continue with these videos. It would be nice to see some of these ideas linked together into standards. I already assign it as a task for my students. Interested to hear your take on more "modern" soloing techniques (using 4ths and pentatonics)
Although I haven't taken the time to get into Barry's concept, I have been watching bits of his master classes available on YT for around 5 years, and I have also seen several videos explaining his concepts. This channel is light years ahead. Nobody comes close to explaining 'in detail' how to get to grips with the basics in order to start making 'meaningful' progress with Barry's ideas. Thank you. This is the first time I'm considering taking a deeper look and actually sitting down and practicing this approach.
Great lesson, thank you from Italy! Just one question...you told us the rules are for discending scales. What about ascending scales? Are there other rules to consider ?
Say you have a progression in a major key, like E - G#m - C#m. To achieve a bebop sound over this, would you only use the E major scale with the half step rules?
Thanks so much! There are very few sources I could find on the major half step rules, and the ones I found treat starting note 6 like 2 and 4, and 7 like 3 and 5, which led to problems for me. Your version treating 6 like 3/5 and your 7 rules work greatly. Did you deliberately modify the "original" rules, or do you have some source for your version of the rules?
Hi Bill, Learning a lot from your lessons. May I ask, at 11:55, running up the scale an octave from G, using the 3 half steps rule, why weren't the half steps played when running down the scale at 12:00 and only played at the octave below?
Thanks. Good question. At this point, we’re using Barry’s idea that you can start on any note, run up to any other note and run back down, and once you get back down to the note you started on start applying the half step rule.
Great stuff man, a friendly suggestion might be to turn down the mic gain a little or move it a few inches further from your mouth. Super helpful content though!
So basically, you can go wherever you want but where you start or resolve to you must follow the rule for that scale degree. Wow! See, I knew about Barry Harris during my schooling but I didn't KNOW about Barry Harris.
Using the C Harmonic over the G7: 30:00 FWIW, this is an old chord-scale trick. I once heard a guy play the entirety of Bluesette, using the tonic harmonic minor over every ii-V.
Bill, I've been breaking my head over this--aren't Barry's major and minor scales the same as his major/minor 6th diminished scales too? By that I mean, over any major or minor chord that is the I (i), can't I also use the 6th diminished scale to create lines? That would mean that, instead of just focusing on CEGB-DFAC and so on, I'd also have to consider CEGA-DFAbB as well. I've heard numerous people talk about the 6th diminished scale for creating chords and while it is pretty, I keep hearing it used for lines. The only video I've ever seen that even comes close to this topic is TILF Barry Harris's channel, where Chris talks about using the E minor 6th dim scale to create lines. But shouldn't that also work for the major? Apologies for the long comment. I've been confused about this for a while because Barry's literature and stuff on the Internet seems to be rather quiet on this topic.
The answer to the first question is yes. Adding a chromatic passing tone (Ab/G#) between 7 and 6 of the (C) major scale is the (same as the) so-called major diminished/sixth scale. Adding a "chromatic" passing (A-nat) between the 7 and 6 of the (C) harmonic minor scale is the (same as the) so-called minor sixth diminished scale. I think the answer to the second question is yes, also.
Hi. I certainly didn't follow the explanation well because I don't understand why you play a C-6 chord on the left hand, on a harmonic minor scale... Could you explain to me please?
Thanks for making these! Really appreciate you clarifying the videos Barry made on Jazz Academy. Episode 1 really opened up the concepts and how to apply them to changes. Just saw you're Atlanta based, as am I. Is there a way to contact you for lessons (if you do those) or just to check out your live playing? Thanks... Todd Smyth (guitarist)
Thanks Todd. If you're based in Atlanta, we could work out some in person lessons if you'd prefer those to skype. I mainly offer the skype lessons so that I can teach people wherever they are. Whichever you'd prefer. Thanks.
At 3:15 min you talk about descending from the 6th scale degree and adding 1 half step or 3 half steps. I was thinking the rule for 2,4,6 was the same -- no 1/2 steps or two 1/2 steps. Is this an exception to the rule or am I misunderstanding the rules? Also, when you go from A to G in.two octaves, why do you only play the Ab in the lower octave? (around 9:40 min)
The reason for Bill's version MIGHT exactly be the problems you get in the original rules when starting from 6 or 7. Isaac Raz explains in his video on how to "wait" until the bottom of the run is reached before applying the rules. Bill's version does not need this hack!
Hi Bill, Thanks for the lessons, they've made things a lot clearer since Iv'e started watching them. The half-step rules seem to work great for 8th note lines, but how do they change/how do you apply them to different rhythms, e.g. adding rests/triplets? Thanks!
Some things that are considered fundamentals in jazz lines are foremost chord tones rule and you can see that these 8th note lines are constructed so that you get a cgordie on a downbeat and the passing tones on the off beats. And so it follow then that you'd like to land on a chord tone in passing through your progression on a new chord. The 3rd is the steamiest the root the blandest and you can break up these arpeggios and step wise lines by landing on your first approach note or maybe your only approach note . It might be the first of a bracket like a scale tone from above and a chromatic line from below. The 7th is used often as it leads right into the 3rd of the new chord. I love Bill's playing and he is so dilligent about practicing eery example it seems his mind is encyclopedic in practically spontaneously thinking a few steps ahead and then eecuting it. I don't see how that could be done without a lot of pointed practicing. Obviously not taking the time to shave. lol I love him---ecellent musician and educator. Happy shredding.
From 3:16 I think you got the half step rule for sixth degree wrong? It should have been 0 and 2 half steps based on a pdf I managed from somewhere but you are using 1 and 3 half steps. Can you please confirm if this is a mistake or a modification?
I checked the pdf on your website about this as well. Even that says it should be 0 and 2 half steps for the sixth degree. Can you please clarify? I am using your videos to practice and build my knowledge of improvisation so I need to know if this is correct or incorrect.
I left a comment on part one with links to two transcripts I made of that entire 35 minute lesson, but it is shadow banned. (no one can see the comment except me). Are you aware of this?
Thanks for pointing that out. I don't know why youtube shadow banned those comments, but I just found them and made them public. By the way, you can always feel free to post any transcriptions you do of my videos publicly if you'd like.
Great lessons which opened up for me a whole new ground to study! Thanks a lot! What you recommend study first: this major7 stuff or Dom7 scales from previous lesson? And how to practice this - all variations in one key then move to another or one key a day? I just feel very inspired and very overwhelmed at the same time .
Thanks Ilya! I’d start with getting the dominant rules together, and then the major and minor rules shouldn’t be too difficult to add. Practice as many ways as you can think of. Sometimes stay in one key and play as many different variations as you can think of. Sometimes take one little thing through all 12 keys.
I don't know if it's for everybody, but I just recently did a classical exam. I used a randomizer app to pick a random key, play one scale, arpeggio or whatnot, then picked another random key, played another thing, etc. It really helped my reaction time and kept all keys sharp.
is it possible to use minor 6/ dim scale on I minor tonic instead of harmonic minor? In simple words use the same as major bebop scale but with lowered third
The answer must be yes. To be clear, Barry's rules are based on extensive listening to other bebop players and are chosen to be idiomatic. If you want Barry's ear and idiomatic bebop check out the series TILF Barry Harris. With that SAID.... we can make up our own rules. For example METHOD 1: using the same tricks as the harmonic minor scale, we can choose our half steps to fit the ascending melodic minor scale, and preference the #5 as our first added half-step. METHOD 2: Free play Once we understand the 6th-diminshed scale alternates invariably between chord tones and diminished tones, it is easy to create our own rules for tonic chords. For example, we may ADD a half step to shift which chord (tonic or diminished) falls on the beat. Hence, consider the following rule on a MINOR TONIC chord 1. If the starting note is a diminished note, ADD ONE half step (only once!) and then continue down the scale unaltered. 2. If the starting note is a chord tone, do nothing or ADD THREE half steps We can expand these rules using leaps and rests, triplets and fives. For example 3. A leap to ANY NOTE can substitute for an extra half step. 4. A PIVOT to any note of the SAME TYPE (tonic or diminished) will shift which chord is on the beat. (you could use this rule, for example, to descend with the diminished chord on the beat... and pivot at the end to finish with a chord tone.) 5. An eighth rest, a triplet or five can ABSORB one EXTRA half step. And so on. You of course want to experiment to see what sounds good. But the essence of Barry's sixth-diminished system is that no one can stop you from using it however you want.
For a tonic minor sound, harmonic or melodic minor (or Barry's minor 6th diminished scale, which is like melodic minor with an extra note inbetween 5 and 6,) are good choices to play. I don't think there's any reason to talk at all about modes in the context of a tonal progression like a ii-V-I. I definitely wouldn't play dorian on the i of a minor ii-V personally.
well kinda - using only thumb and index is very ineffecient and tires these fingers. see fingerings for the major scale and mix that fingering with the fingering for the chromatic scale, and you should be good to go
@aretium1231...or should that be art tatum1231 ?...I would suggest getting a few lessons on fingering from a classical music teacher. They have all that covered regardless of musical genre. That´s one of the virtues of a classical music education
This is just my take. There are different considerations. You can always end on a chord tone (3 & 7, more rarely the 1 & 5 because it's so obvious, but it works sometimes) and on a standard extension (9, 13). Sometimes you can end on a more out-there extension (#11, b9, b13), but listen to how it sounds first. As for ending on a note that changes the character of the chord (maj3 when it's a minor chord or vice versa, maj7 when it's a minor or dominant chord, min7 on a major chord, etc.), you'd do that if you were intentionally trying to muddy up the harmony. But, e.g., blues does that a lot. That leaves just the 11, which is called the "avoid note" because you're not supposed to use it except in passing, and least of all as the stop note (with the caveat that in a minor I, the 11 is actually the 9 in the complementary major. So you can definitely stop on an 11 for a minor I; but then the avoid note is the 13, what would be the 11 in the complementary major. So just think of what major scale you're on for the avoid note). The short answer then is basically any note can work except the avoid note, but test the out-there extensions first, and end on a harmony-changing note only if you're intentionally muddying up the harmonic character of the chord. Aside from that, it's a matter of what beat in the measure you want to end a run and what note, or closest note, according to the above principles you're on at that point. For that you should read up on jazz phrasing more generally, but one rule of thumb is if you end on an "and" up-beat, any one of them, it usually pops in a cool way, and ending on the down-beat is kind of dull and heavy by comparison, but it's not "wrong". The next consideration is how long do you want your line to be? A longer line is 5+ measures, 3~5 measures for a medium line, then 1~2 measures is a short line. You should mix up the line length with longer and shorter lines, with not too many of one type in a row. Then the final consideration, which is really the overarching first consideration, is just use your ear. Follow all of these kinds of rules and principles, and then stop when it "sounds right".
Lesson notes:
0:21 - Half step rules
Starting on root = one half step (between 6 to 5)
Non chord tones 2 and 4 = no half steps, or 2 half steps between 6th and 5th, and the 2nd and root note.
Chord tones besides the root= one half step rule like the root, or three half steps (3-2, 2-1, 6-5)
Sixth degree = one half step 6-5, or three half steps 6-5, 3-2, 2-1
Seventh degree =
one half step 6-5 (ending on seventh),
or two half steps 6-5 and 2-1 (ending on root),
or two half steps 3-2 + 2-1,
or two half steps 7-6 and 6-5
6:25 - Runs and which rule to use
If you run up the scale and back down, use the rule for the note you STARTED ON
13:30 - Run up by a third
If you go up by a third and resolve down a note, you will use the note YOU RESOLVE DOWN TO as the rule, so if you went from 1-3-2, you would use the rule for the 2nd degree.
15:30 - Run up a triad
Apply the rule for the note you start on or the note you resolve to (so either the 1st or 3rd note of the chord)
20:07 - Run up a seventh chord
For example, go from C - E - G - B and then resolve down to A, use the rule for the A note. Do this for every chord, but you don't resolve up, just down a note from the seventh of the chord.
23:27 - Changing rules in the middle of a line
Sometimes this is necessary because if a line goes for too long, it may end up on a non-chord tone. So the solution is to combine different rules and chain them together basically.
24:25 - Pivoting
Playing a seventh chord but putting the first note up an octave, so C5 - E5 - G5 - B5 would become C6 - E5 - G5 - B5 and then a rule based on the note you resolve to, in this specific case A5.
25:52 - Harmonic Minor
If you start on the tonic, there is no possible half step you can put between the tonic and seventh because they are a half step apart, so you go up a note from the tonic, then immediately to the seventh, then continue down.
Starting on second, either no half steps or two half steps between second and tonic, THEN JUMP BACK UP to the second, then continue on the seventh and downwards.
Starting on third, 1 half step (jump up from the tonic) OR three half steps (jump up to next available scale tone) land on two, half step between 2 - 1, then same trick on one again.
Starting on fourth, either no half steps or 2 half steps, between second and tonic, then jump up from tonic
Starting on fifth, same rules as starting on third once you hit the third degree going downwards.
Starting on sixth, same as starting on fourth once you hit the fourth degree going downwards
Starting on seventh, either one half step jump up from tonic, or 3 half steps, jump up from 3 -> half step between 2-1 + jump up from tonic
29:50 - Putting the harmonic minor stuff from the tonic chord over the 5 chord in the minor.
Can be G7, altered, literally doesn't matter as long as it resolves back to C minor 6.
31:06 - Minor descending lines can be played over a minor 5 leading to a major tonic, basically a hyper-jazz picardy third
32:14 - Running up and back down from each scale degree, always use rule for the note you START ON
37:18 - Practicing doing the same thing, running up triads
39:25 - Practicing doing the same thing, running up seventh chords
Thank you very much , appreciate.cheers
so simple
man this Barry Harris stuff is GOLD
I'm a high school music teacher in Canada. This is THE BEST explanation of creating bebop lines I've EVER HEARD. You have distilled Barry's method into such an amazingly functional method. Please, please continue with these videos. It would be nice to see some of these ideas linked together into standards. I already assign it as a task for my students.
Interested to hear your take on more "modern" soloing techniques (using 4ths and pentatonics)
Bless you.
man you are so unbelievably in depth, thank you, im really greatfull for this videos
Although I haven't taken the time to get into Barry's concept, I have been watching bits of his master classes available on YT for around 5 years, and I have also seen several videos explaining his concepts. This channel is light years ahead. Nobody comes close to explaining 'in detail' how to get to grips with the basics in order to start making 'meaningful' progress with Barry's ideas. Thank you. This is the first time I'm considering taking a deeper look and actually sitting down and practicing this approach.
I hit a gold mine with this, now bop lines make sense. Barry Harris really had ideas. Thanks
I think you're the only channel where this bebop sound is explained so accurately. Make sens from A to Z. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing. This really helps hear and think in complete phrases
Thank you very much. Please Continue making these videos
Great lesson, thank you from Italy! Just one question...you told us the rules are for discending scales. What about ascending scales? Are there other rules to consider
?
I'm fairly certain you can use whatever modes and scales are appropriate. This is just so you don't get stuck playing the same modes up and down.
So, this is how the jazzers/beboppers get those long, flowing lines that sound like a scale and yet not like a scale, both at the same time?
Don Exactly.
nice I feel like Sonny Clark uses that sort of sound often: The harmonic minor resolving to major
Did Barry Harris also use the melodic minor scale? I never saw him talk about it?
Say you have a progression in a major key, like E - G#m - C#m. To achieve a bebop sound over this, would you only use the E major scale with the half step rules?
Thanks so much!
There are very few sources I could find on the major half step rules, and the ones I found treat starting note 6 like 2 and 4, and 7 like 3 and 5, which led to problems for me.
Your version treating 6 like 3/5 and your 7 rules work greatly. Did you deliberately modify the "original" rules, or do you have some source for your version of the rules?
Hi Bill,
Learning a lot from your lessons. May I ask, at 11:55, running up the scale an octave from G, using the 3 half steps rule, why weren't the half steps played when running down the scale at 12:00 and only played at the octave below?
Thanks. Good question. At this point, we’re using Barry’s idea that you can start on any note, run up to any other note and run back down, and once you get back down to the note you started on start applying the half step rule.
Great stuff man, a friendly suggestion might be to turn down the mic gain a little or move it a few inches further from your mouth. Super helpful content though!
Thanks for the tip. I'm still pretty new to making videos, so I still have plenty of things to improve.
Great lesson!
Thanks Charles!
Good job
hey bill would you kindly explain why you can add exactly those halfsteps and no others - who created that rule?
You want to know WHY ????? Vecause the master said!
In all seriousness, the rules assure that every beat is a chord tone.
So basically, you can go wherever you want but where you start or resolve to you must follow the rule for that scale degree. Wow! See, I knew about Barry Harris during my schooling but I didn't KNOW about Barry Harris.
Major descending-- added 1/2 steps between various notes of pentatonic scale with some variations
Using the C Harmonic over the G7: 30:00
FWIW, this is an old chord-scale trick. I once heard a guy play the entirety of Bluesette, using the tonic harmonic minor over every ii-V.
Bill, I've been breaking my head over this--aren't Barry's major and minor scales the same as his major/minor 6th diminished scales too? By that I mean, over any major or minor chord that is the I (i), can't I also use the 6th diminished scale to create lines? That would mean that, instead of just focusing on CEGB-DFAC and so on, I'd also have to consider CEGA-DFAbB as well. I've heard numerous people talk about the 6th diminished scale for creating chords and while it is pretty, I keep hearing it used for lines. The only video I've ever seen that even comes close to this topic is TILF Barry Harris's channel, where Chris talks about using the E minor 6th dim scale to create lines. But shouldn't that also work for the major?
Apologies for the long comment. I've been confused about this for a while because Barry's literature and stuff on the Internet seems to be rather quiet on this topic.
Well, why don't you simply try it and see what comes from it? I mean, there is nothing stopping you from using it.
The answer to the first question is yes.
Adding a chromatic passing tone (Ab/G#) between 7 and 6 of the (C) major scale is the (same as the) so-called major diminished/sixth scale. Adding a "chromatic" passing (A-nat) between the 7 and 6 of the (C) harmonic minor scale is the (same as the) so-called minor sixth diminished scale.
I think the answer to the second question is yes, also.
Great stuff
Thanks so much!
Hi.
I certainly didn't follow the explanation well because I don't understand why you play a C-6 chord on the left hand, on a harmonic minor scale...
Could you explain to me please?
Thanks for making these! Really appreciate you clarifying the videos Barry made on Jazz Academy. Episode 1 really opened up the concepts and how to apply them to changes. Just saw you're Atlanta based, as am I. Is there a way to contact you for lessons (if you do those) or just to check out your live playing? Thanks... Todd Smyth (guitarist)
Scratch that question. I just saw your Skype lesson email above. Thanks again for the content
Thanks Todd. If you're based in Atlanta, we could work out some in person lessons if you'd prefer those to skype. I mainly offer the skype lessons so that I can teach people wherever they are. Whichever you'd prefer. Thanks.
Deus abençoe professor
At 3:15 min you talk about descending from the 6th scale degree and adding 1 half step or 3 half steps. I was thinking the rule for 2,4,6 was the same -- no 1/2 steps or two 1/2 steps. Is this an exception to the rule or am I misunderstanding the rules? Also, when you go from A to G in.two octaves, why do you only play the Ab in the lower octave? (around 9:40 min)
I agree Dean. This segment is confusing.
The reason for Bill's version MIGHT exactly be the problems you get in the original rules when starting from 6 or 7. Isaac Raz explains in his video on how to "wait" until the bottom of the run is reached before applying the rules. Bill's version does not need this hack!
Hi Bill, Thanks for the lessons, they've made things a lot clearer since Iv'e started watching them. The half-step rules seem to work great for 8th note lines, but how do they change/how do you apply them to different rhythms, e.g. adding rests/triplets? Thanks!
Some things that are considered fundamentals in jazz lines are foremost chord tones rule and you can see that these 8th note lines are constructed so that you get a cgordie on a downbeat and the passing tones on the off beats. And so it follow then that you'd like to land on a chord tone in passing through your progression on a new chord. The 3rd is the steamiest the root the blandest and you can break up these arpeggios and step wise lines by landing on your first approach note or maybe your only approach note . It might be the first of a bracket like a scale tone from above and a chromatic line from below. The 7th is used often as it leads right into the 3rd of the new chord. I love Bill's playing and he is so dilligent about practicing eery example it seems his mind is encyclopedic in practically spontaneously thinking a few steps ahead and then eecuting it. I don't see how that could be done without a lot of pointed practicing. Obviously not taking the time to shave. lol I love him---ecellent musician and educator. Happy shredding.
From 3:16 I think you got the half step rule for sixth degree wrong? It should have been 0 and 2 half steps based on a pdf I managed from somewhere but you are using 1 and 3 half steps. Can you please confirm if this is a mistake or a modification?
I checked the pdf on your website about this as well. Even that says it should be 0 and 2 half steps for the sixth degree. Can you please clarify? I am using your videos to practice and build my knowledge of improvisation so I need to know if this is correct or incorrect.
Again Great stuff! My only question is how to practice these things starting on the "and". How does it affect the rules?
I presume the starting note then should be considered as an approach note and the real target note would be the one on the following downbeat
The rules reverse.
you could also think of applying the rule that would fit for the (not played) note immediately before the "and"
Thank you for your helpful videos. May I ask why did you choose harmonic C minor with 7 notes and not 6th diminished C minor scale with 8 notes?
Is it because target tones of C minor seventh chord are C,E flat, G and B?
I left a comment on part one with links to two transcripts I made of that entire 35 minute lesson, but it is shadow banned. (no one can see the comment except me). Are you aware of this?
Thanks for pointing that out. I don't know why youtube shadow banned those comments, but I just found them and made them public. By the way, you can always feel free to post any transcriptions you do of my videos publicly if you'd like.
Thanks! I was being careful not to steal eyeballs from your channel.
That's very considerate of you, but if anything, I think it would drive more traffic my way. Thanks!
@@billgrahammusic I'm here. ;-)
hi! do you have the transcription of this video?
Hey Bill, is this also taught in your book?
It’s not, but it will form the majority of my next book, just as soon as I get it done. Thanks!
Sweet! Thank you
Great lessons which opened up for me a whole new ground to study! Thanks a lot! What you recommend study first: this major7 stuff or Dom7 scales from previous lesson? And how to practice this - all variations in one key then move to another or one key a day? I just feel very inspired and very overwhelmed at the same time
.
Thanks Ilya! I’d start with getting the dominant rules together, and then the major and minor rules shouldn’t be too difficult to add. Practice as many ways as you can think of. Sometimes stay in one key and play as many different variations as you can think of. Sometimes take one little thing through all 12 keys.
@@billgrahammusic Thank you for your reply, Bill! Really apreciate it! Keep up good work and cheers from Russia!
Ilya Malov Practice BeBop, skip Be Best, and stay away from the I R A!
@@Osnosis Sounds good to me!
I don't know if it's for everybody, but I just recently did a classical exam. I used a randomizer app to pick a random key, play one scale, arpeggio or whatnot, then picked another random key, played another thing, etc. It really helped my reaction time and kept all keys sharp.
Melodic minor, 4 tone arpeggio from the fourth use B instead of C. Is that to fit the dominant chord? Or is there any other reason? 41:30 ish.
I'm curious about this also
If there a similar trick for ascending the scale
Examples on 'Stella by Starlight' or 'Days of wine and roses' would be nice!
Great content and really useful. Now I have a lot of stuff to practice and work on :) thanks!
Thanks so much. Happy to help!
ON 5th degree using half step between 6 & 5, question is why it didn't land to chord tone? It landed on 6th.
My opinion is that when you start on 5 and use one half step betw. 6 and 5 you indeed do land on 5.
is it possible to use minor 6/ dim scale on I minor tonic instead of harmonic minor? In simple words use the same as major bebop scale but with lowered third
The answer must be yes.
To be clear, Barry's rules are based on extensive listening to other bebop players and are chosen to be idiomatic. If you want Barry's ear and idiomatic bebop check out the series TILF Barry Harris. With that SAID.... we can make up our own rules. For example
METHOD 1: using the same tricks as the harmonic minor scale, we can choose our half steps to fit the ascending melodic minor scale, and preference the #5 as our first added half-step.
METHOD 2: Free play
Once we understand the 6th-diminshed scale alternates invariably between chord tones and diminished tones, it is easy to create our own rules for tonic chords. For example, we may ADD a half step to shift which chord (tonic or diminished) falls on the beat. Hence, consider the following rule on a MINOR TONIC chord
1. If the starting note is a diminished note, ADD ONE half step (only once!) and then continue down the scale unaltered.
2. If the starting note is a chord tone, do nothing or ADD THREE half steps
We can expand these rules using leaps and rests, triplets and fives. For example
3. A leap to ANY NOTE can substitute for an extra half step.
4. A PIVOT to any note of the SAME TYPE (tonic or diminished) will shift which chord is on the beat. (you could use this rule, for example, to descend with the diminished chord on the beat... and pivot at the end to finish with a chord tone.)
5. An eighth rest, a triplet or five can ABSORB one EXTRA half step.
And so on. You of course want to experiment to see what sounds good. But the essence of Barry's sixth-diminished system is that no one can stop you from using it however you want.
Is there any chance you can put the table of contents time stamps back please?
I forgot to make timestamps for this video. Thanks for reminding me, I'll do that as soon as I get a chance.
Hey, I was taught to resolve with the dorian minor ii Vs. Are you saying here to resolve to the harmonic minor? thanks
For a tonic minor sound, harmonic or melodic minor (or Barry's minor 6th diminished scale, which is like melodic minor with an extra note inbetween 5 and 6,) are good choices to play. I don't think there's any reason to talk at all about modes in the context of a tonal progression like a ii-V-I. I definitely wouldn't play dorian on the i of a minor ii-V personally.
@@billgrahammusic Thank you
By all means!
Why no rules for ascending ?
Anyone got tips on fingerings. I seem to just use my thumb and index
you have to figure out what's comfortable for you i guess...
well kinda - using only thumb and index is very ineffecient and tires these fingers. see fingerings for the major scale and mix that fingering with the fingering for the chromatic scale, and you should be good to go
@aretium1231...or should that be art tatum1231 ?...I would suggest getting a few lessons on fingering from a classical music teacher. They have all that covered regardless of musical genre. That´s one of the virtues of a classical music education
@@Gerard_2024 true but I don't remember any fingerings regarding these half step scales. I've figured it out anyway.... For now
@@@BirdBop...you might find it helpful to check out these fingerings for chromatic scales... www.pianisttopianist.com/?p=486
How do you decide on stopping notes?
This is just my take. There are different considerations. You can always end on a chord tone (3 & 7, more rarely the 1 & 5 because it's so obvious, but it works sometimes) and on a standard extension (9, 13). Sometimes you can end on a more out-there extension (#11, b9, b13), but listen to how it sounds first. As for ending on a note that changes the character of the chord (maj3 when it's a minor chord or vice versa, maj7 when it's a minor or dominant chord, min7 on a major chord, etc.), you'd do that if you were intentionally trying to muddy up the harmony. But, e.g., blues does that a lot. That leaves just the 11, which is called the "avoid note" because you're not supposed to use it except in passing, and least of all as the stop note (with the caveat that in a minor I, the 11 is actually the 9 in the complementary major. So you can definitely stop on an 11 for a minor I; but then the avoid note is the 13, what would be the 11 in the complementary major. So just think of what major scale you're on for the avoid note).
The short answer then is basically any note can work except the avoid note, but test the out-there extensions first, and end on a harmony-changing note only if you're intentionally muddying up the harmonic character of the chord.
Aside from that, it's a matter of what beat in the measure you want to end a run and what note, or closest note, according to the above principles you're on at that point. For that you should read up on jazz phrasing more generally, but one rule of thumb is if you end on an "and" up-beat, any one of them, it usually pops in a cool way, and ending on the down-beat is kind of dull and heavy by comparison, but it's not "wrong".
The next consideration is how long do you want your line to be? A longer line is 5+ measures, 3~5 measures for a medium line, then 1~2 measures is a short line. You should mix up the line length with longer and shorter lines, with not too many of one type in a row. Then the final consideration, which is really the overarching first consideration, is just use your ear. Follow all of these kinds of rules and principles, and then stop when it "sounds right".
Seems like a lot to think about when improvising...
after 40 years of playing it becomes second nature :p
Don’t diatonic scale theory and basic chord substitutions also seem that way before practicing it for years?
It really isn't if you practice it.
Nice video, but your audio is kind of hard to hear.