Barry Harris Workshop Video

• Barry Harris Workshop Video

The more I learn about Barry Harris' jazz theory system the more interesting it becomes. Some thoughts after watching Barry Harris' Workshop videos Vols. I and II: They're hours of video featuring Barry Harris a pianist who was 'there' in bebop from the beginning.

I chanced upon a youtube video of Barry Harris working with (astonished) students and he did a similar thing except he played them over the bebop major scale. While paying strict attention to voice leading, each of the four voices, leads to the next note in the scale, creating a very interesting take on the bebop scale. Get this from a library! The Barry Harris workshop video Part 1. Barry Harris; Jim MacDonald; L Chilton; Howard Rees; Bop City Productions.; Jazzworkshop Productions.; - Course covers the ABC's of bebop improvisation, application of theory and scale ideas to key song forms, Harris' harmonic approach for the piano and guitar, tips for the rhythm section, and a clinic.

This professionally produced product comprises over 4 hours of video and includes a 112 page workbook. It is the successful culmination of a two year project to document for the first time, the legendary teachings of Barry Harris.

The following areas are highlighted, each presented in a ‘clinic’ setting:The ABC’s of the jazz vocabularyThe opening section features an in-depth examination of scales and deals with the topic of both what and how to practice. 60 mins.Application of the above to key song formsPresented here are methods of turning scales into unlimited sources of improvisational ideas- applied to the blues, rhythm changes, Cherokee, Indiana and How High The Moon. 60 mins.Movable Chords for the piano and guitarBarry’s unique approach to chord voicing and movement is outlined here demonstrated on several standards. 45 mins.Focus on the Rhythm SectionHere, accompaniment is addressed, along with the function and interaction of each instrument in the rhythm section. 45 mins.VocalizingKey points for the vocalist including warm-ups, phrasing, breathing, improvising and presentation are demonstrated and applied to a beautiful ballad. “I guess you could say Barry Harris is one of the very last of the bebop purists that we have on piano.

He is a living and brilliant extension of Bud Powell.”Walter Bishop Jr.“I’ve always thought that if Charlie Parker had played piano, he would sound exactly like Barry Harris. Or is it the other way around? Musician Testimonials“Barry’s Workshop Video is a valuable educational tool for anyone interested in the inner workings of modern jazz.”Kenny Burrell“A fine workshop for striving pianists and serious students who want to play modern harmonies in the style of Charlie Parker.”Tommy Flanagan“This package offers information that hasn’t been given before. It is a very practical and organized way of looking at chord movement applied to the areas of accompaniment, arranging and composition. Customer Testimonials“I just received mine about a week ago, and I am thrilled with it.

I am fifty years old and a pro pianist, and (Barry) talks about and demonstrates an approach that for me is already changing my playing. I watched all the dvds through several times (which really helps to see his over-all approach) before I began using the dvds with the workbook. I am still on the first page of the workouts but I already have a very different perception and skill that is popping out. This is one of the best investments I have ever made!!!!”“If you are interested in bop purchase it.Barry Harris is a great pianist and a great educator.”“I’ve read every book I could find on bop (Levine, Baker, Coker etc) and even took some private lessons.

I managed to pick up some understanding and some skill for improv, but I was left with more questions than answers and after some years of playing I felt like I was in a rut. Now this is where Barry walks in, takes me by the hand and says “Here is what you do”.“The power of this video is Barry the teacher, he was there when bop was born, and it is evident when you watch him teaching and playing that he knows exactly what this is all about, and he knows exactly how to pass what he knows on to you. Working with this less than two weeks, the exciting part has been watching how much is already creeping into my playing.

I am climbing out of old perspectives and into new ones. This video was the grail I had been looking for!!! If you even have the thought that this method sounds interesting, don’t hesitate, “Buy It “.Hi Howard,“I got all the materials in the mail several days ago. They are excellent. I have been studying these methods for some time using the information from your articles and whatever else I could find on the web. These videos really fill in the gaps of my knowledge.”“I guess you could say Barry Harris is one of the very last of the bebop purists that we have on piano. He is a living and brilliant extension of Bud Powell.”Walter Bishop Jr.“I’ve always thought that if Charlie Parker had played piano, he would sound exactly like Barry Harris.

Or is it the other way around? Chapter 1: The Basics. Foreword. Scale practice or “the ABC’s”. Expanatory Notes. The Harris Half-Step Practice Model. The Dominant 7th Scale Half-Step Rules.

The Major Scale Half-Step Rules. The Minor Scale Half-Step Rules.

Chromatic Scale Breakdown Chart. The Diminished Chord and its 4 ‘Related’ Dominant 7ths. The Diminished Scale.

Related Dominant 7th Scales = Chord Movements. The Minor7 Flat5 Chord. The ‘5-4-3-2’ Phrases. ‘5-4-3-2’ on the Major Scale.

‘5-4-3-2’ on the Dominant 7th Scale. ‘5-4-3-2’ on the Minor Scale.

Stumbled upon this Youtube channel run by 'Chris', a guitarist who has studied with Barry Harris since 1993.This is Episode 1. I learn something new every day - today it's that Barry Harris thinks of a scale run as tonic to 7th only - Barry don't do tonic to tonic. He also states that Barry approaches the V chord only in a ii-V change. The way he practices scales is different from anything I've seen too, feeling the metronome on 2 and 4 instead of the 1 or 3:I actually found this video first, which is Episode 3 - 5-4-3-25-4-3-2 is a Barry Harris concept. Didn't quite get it, so decided to check out Episode 1 first.

Click to expand.From what I gather, Barry's methodology spans several topics - from arranging to bebop lines.I'd assume those that took his workshops have more of a grasp on the methodology than those that haven't. So take opinion/analysis from 'the internet' with a grain of salt - including this post. 'movement' (you'll see that keyword in some of those YT lessons) topics are semi-arranging lessons (multiple voices moving from one place to another) - but also within an improv setting (like spontaneous arrangement).Some of the movement topics are detailed - like moving from a specific chord to another specific chord (and how to improv that on the instrument)Included in 'movement'/arrangement is the concept of 6th diminished 'scales', but 6th diminished can also fall under 'lines' category. (see lesson 17 - 'borrowing notes'). It was during a bit of a whirlwind weekend sleeping on various couches in London, and I had a belter of a hangover so was there mostly to absorb the delicious boppy vibe. Quite a piano centric course, with lots on his approach to harmony in terms of comping.

Barry Harris Workshop Video

Still, I have some notes on this scribbled down, which read (in chord tones) as:5: 5 7 1 11 3 (5 as the highest note)4: 11 9 #9 3 (I'm guilty of using this one far too much!)3: 3 5 b7 92: 9 b7 7 11: R 7 b7 9 13 5 (This is a really classic bebop lick, used all the time! 9 down to 13 btw)So those are the phrases to be used on dominant chords to not just play the bebop mixolydian scale. They start on, you guessed it, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.

They're basically just nice little phrases to break up purely scale-based playing. Click to expand.It's consistent with what Tom Cleary (the UVM teacher) wrote - all 4 phrases starting on the 5.No idea if 'Hector', who attended a 2013 workshop then wrote about the 5-4-3-2-1 phrases what omit starting on the 5 all the time, received more recently updated instruction from Barry than the other two authors.I've started working with the exercise taught in the Episode 1 video, as it's different enough from how I've practiced before. I almost always used the metronome with the loudest beat marking the 1, and didn't think about just setting it to a steady 8th or quarter note pulse until I'd played a locally organized performance of Terry Riley's 'In C'. Those who have played it know that the piece changes to a wide variety of time signatures, but the pulse never changes.It was noted that using a metronome to click the 2 and 4 instead of 1 is not unique to how Barry Harris or his students practice.

Nevertheless, I doubt it's that common a practice, and I'm certainly not in the habit of practicing that way, though perhaps this will change soon. Click to expand.I got tired of rewinding the video, so I started compiling my own notes. ^Watching now. It will be interesting to see Chris (guitarist in the OP) take when I get to it. He's made over 30 videos in this series.EDIT: The Bill Graham video is indeed quite informative and useful. I'll have to revisit it later, personally.

First order of business is to play along in time with the scale exercise in Chris' Episode 1 video. I can play the scales individually at tempo, but the 2&4 thing w/ the metronome and uneven division of the beat throws me off.

So I got to get a handle on that first.Next is to be able to play along w/ the rhythm changes exercise on Episode 2. Then the licks in Episode 3. Click to expand.What I do in similar situations is rip the video to mp3 and load it into Transcribe! In transcribe, there are several markers that can be used for annotation: section, measure, beat.This makes it way easier to document, randomly select, loop, slow-down any section I want to work on.Youtube does have some speed controls though.Transcribe! Section marker labels can be edited for a semi-useful description. By default sections are labeled alphabetically.the process can be done with videos as well, but I've not found a case where I need the visual information, and the audio only track is easier to work with.There are better apps for annotating audio (maybe intended for transcribing lectures). The music transcription apps have their own advantages.

Click to expand.My first guitar teacher had me practice to a metronome but not w/ the click on 2 and 4. He wasn't really a jazz player anyway. My 2nd guitar teacher never brought up metronome practice at all.

I guess he just assumed I was doing it on my own?I got into the jazz improvisation class once at the university - the big 'all instruments' one. We just played along with whoever was playing in the rhythm section.

I don't remember any mention of how to practice with a metronome. Then again the instructor for that quarter was a guest instructor who had taken over the class that year - he marched to a beat of a different drummer, to say the least.If you run into Tom, tell him I really appreciate his article. Granted, a lecture/lesson type 'transcription' is different than music transcription.For example, lectures might just require marking points in the lecture with some way of annotating them. Whereas music transcription might want a section/measure/beat paradigm.But for both music and lesson transcription, a slow down feature is useful.I've found in some situation 'speed up' is also nice if its a long lecture and its not too information dense. (also can be used on audiobooks with a slow narrator, or for the impatient).

I got tired of rewinding the video, so I started compiling my own notes.