Episode 4: Taking the Elevator (to Borrow From the Neighbors) (Barry Harris)

Hello everyone!
Thanks so much for taking an interest in these videos. "Labyrinths" has over 100 subscribers as of this week!
In this episode, we are going back to the Elevator and using it to gain some powerful perspectives on "borrowing". Borrowing 3 notes can be quite perplexing, but the elevator gives us a fast and easy way to do it. Since I realized that the Elevator can be used in this way, I have found so many new sounds, and I hope you will too!
I'm really grateful for the constructive comments that I received for the first two episodes! Please keep the comments coming, and share anything that might add to the discussion. While later episodes will deal with a variety of subjects, these first ones are dedicated to the ideas of Barry Harris, who is, in my view, one of the most important musical thinkers alive today.
Here is the link for the PDF for this episode:
www.thomasechols.com/scores/e...
The Labyrinth of Limitations app, for exploring all of these concepts in a fun, educational, and inspiring way, can be found here:
www.thomasechols.com/labyrinth
Patreon:
/ labyrinthoflimitations
If you would like to contact me about online lessons, you can email me at [e-mail]
Take care,
Tom

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

Fantastic Lesson! Bravo Tom. A lot to work on here. Very inspiring brother. Keep them coming.

[@TheLabyrinthofLimitations]

Thanks, chris! I've got a couple more that should come out this weekend! Making these has been so fun. What a great thing Barry's given us:)

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

@@TheLabyrinthofLimitations He's the one.

[@davidjordan5175]

Thanks so much.TILFB got me here.70 minutes got me almost halfway through this video. !!! thanks for the notation. Obviously people who gloss over Barry's concepts Have Not put the work in. Thanks for opening some more doors.

[@TheLabyrinthofLimitations]

I'm glad you're finding the notation useful! As someone who is making use of that, I'd be interested to know if you think the little labyrinth episodes are useful as well. The idea is that the little labs are a space for showing realtime improvising through the smaller details, and they are referencing bigger ideas that are documented with other episodes. . . Also, being able to do some episodes without notation allows me to do more regular installments, since they are less time consuming on my end.

[@evanlebow-wolf6035]

More beautiful ideas! This just made me realize I need to practice the scales of chords in all the floors of the elevator. I especially love the smaller shapes- shells, octave chords, etc. Seems like a ton of applications for comping and improvising chord melodies.

[@TheLabyrinthofLimitations]

Thanks, Evan! Yes, exactly! Learning to move by parallel motion, then move up or down a floor for contrary motion really opens a lot of things up. The small chords are where it's at. Finding the smaller chords within the larger chords is super valuable in creating movement in addition to borrowing. For instance, shell shapes are found within the voices of drop 2, when you consider either the highest or the lowest 3 strings as a set, the bottom 3 strings of a drop 2 and 3, and in the top 3 strings of a drop 3. Drop 2 and 4 can either be seen as a pair of scalar 5ths or as an incomplete drop 2 (considering either the highest 3 or lowest 3 notes of the chord). When you play any of these chords, you can move that little chord-within-the-chord, with any relative motion to create some really beautiful inner voice movement. Try playing the melody notes in the top voice and doing this sort of thing with the little chords in the lower voices, for instance. Lots of fun to be had

[@tpop9]

Absolutely brilliant! Thanks so much for sharing all this invaluable information. I love the elevator formula and concept, totally inspiring. I have just recently become introduced to the Barry Harris stuff, and have now found TILF Barry Harris and your Labyrinth! You guys are killing it! Thanks again...

[@TheLabyrinthofLimitations]

Thank you! I'm glad to be of help. The importance of what Barry has given us really can't be overstated, so I'm really happy to help folks get to know it

[@LUig43]

there's a gold mine there,,thank you so much to taking the time to show us your work in developing these concepts,,thank you

[@TheLabyrinthofLimitations]

You’re very welcome, Luigi!

[@willzang3000]

Man what a lovely channel ❤

[@jameserenberger3425]

I was looking at the drop 2&3 voicings, and I was wondering how you would treat these in the elevator? Would you substitute drop 2 or drop 3 voicings so you don't have repeated intervalic distances? Does that mean drop 2&4 chords don't have contrary Motion with drop 2&3 chords as well? The voicings are really useful, but I wanted to try to integrate them into my elevator practice routine. What was your reasoning? Amazing channel! Thanks!

[@chordmelodypfeil7728]

Thanks, which video talks about the elevator. I did not get tnhe idea. Best regards

[@TheLabyrinthofLimitations]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4rShI2njLGbbac

[@TheRealSandleford]

Is the Elevator something Barry taught as well? Ive not yet seen anyone else talk on it...

[@TheLabyrinthofLimitations]

The elevator is my system

[@TheRealSandleford]

@@TheLabyrinthofLimitations I like it, also that it gets to exploring voicings