TILF Barry Harris Episode 29 Half step rules for Harmonic Minor

/ tilfbarryharris
This is the Twenty Ninth in several episodes discussing the things i've learned from Barry Harris I started studying with Barry in 1993 and still learn from his teaching every day. I hope I can use this channel to help other musicians who are interested in Jazz but find it a little too cerebral. I think Barry's method, while being cerebral, is also direct and most important beautiful. Please Subscribe and feel free to comment below on how I can improve this channel I'm available for skype lessons if you prefer.
I'm playing A Fender Custom Shop through a Tone King Imperial MKII

[@danloughrin7510]

wow! this is so incredibly helpful. I can't wait to dig into some of barrys recordings and see what i can hear/find! thank you!

[@kamaismusic]

Wow, great lesson. Thank you.

[@alexd.alessandro5419]

Thanks for a fantastic lesson and this also answered that question I had about starting on the offbeat. And if I understand it correctly it just the opposite of starting on the beat.

[@AntarblueGarneau]

Reminds me of the rule that governs the Hindustani Raga system: 1. The top note of an ascending phrase is the first note of the subsequent descending phrase and 2. The bottom note of a descending phrase is the first note of the subsequent ascending phrase. In this case harmonic minor with added half steps is Hindustani Raga Mishra Kirwani ))

[@paulcotman2551]

“The rules are more important than the scales”. Sage advice!

[@sandyfisher2618]

Thanks So much for sharing what you've learned, you are a very humble teacher and it is a very thick subject ,if you will, for me to wrap my head around... I am playing a lot of gypsy jazz so this particular episode was much appreciated, and I am still reading your back pages,Cheers

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

Thanks for the kind words Sandy. I hope you enjoy some of the other episodes as well. Please share with your musician friends.

[@NikhilHoganShow]

Great job, thanks for posting.

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

Thanks Nikhil.

[@tadasuyamato930]

Thanks Chris! Harmonic minor remains me Diango . I dig it!

[@JavierTijuana]

Great lesson. Thank you

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

Thanks Javier.

[@dillolechat4976]

Thank you so much for these great videos, they are so inspiring! You 've mentionned using the chromatic scale using harmonic minor, have you made an episode about this particular topic? Like some other guys here i'm wondering how to deal with that min 3rd between the b6 and major 7th... Anyway, thank you so much for all these videos they are absolutely brillant!

[@KramerStephan]

Lots more to practice...good sound!! Thank you so much!

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

I really have to start practicing this more too man. It's really pretty.

[@KramerStephan]

@@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616 It is really pretty!! And what ever you did, the guitar sound is awesome now! But what happened to the Frankensuper400 and the Rivera Jazz amp? Did you see the questions you have in discussions? People want to take lessons!!

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

@@KramerStephan I sold those a while ago.

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

@@KramerStephan I'm giving skype lessons now. Spread the word Brother!

thanks alot

[@DavidVesga]

Hello! Awesome videos, thank you for sharing all this knowledge. I see you have exposed rules for descending 7, major and harm minor scales.. and I'd like to ask what's the deal with the ascending rules? same scale won't work? thanks for your help

[@PeteMartinMandolin]

Thanks. Nice tree!

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

You're welcome Pete. More to come.

[@adamroberts4960]

Great videos!!! Do you have a video or are you planning one to talk about passing chords in minor ii-Vs? I'm feeling good with a lot the major and dominant things, but got totally stuck on ii-7b5s when trying to harmonize the passing tones.

[@AntarblueGarneau]

What chord movement situation would you use harmonic minor scale on?

[@osvaldolopez9894]

Hi Chris! Great job!! I´m trying to put all this things together over the phrygian dominant. Is the same scale ( harmonic minor) but with another tonal center. I mean, thinking over the dominant V7 chord. The point es that what was 1,3,5,7 in Am ts all the way round over E7. It s difficult to think or establish a raltiomship. Any idea? Thanks a lot!! Osvaldo from Argentina.

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

I'm available for skype lessons. Email me at [e-mail]

[@geoffep8784]

Chris, thanks again for a great video. One of the the things I am unclear about is, when does Barry make use of the harmonic minor scale? On minor 2 5 1 s you have shown that he tends to go with the 'dominant' scale a M3 below the root of the minor flat V and then continue with this over the dominant chord. Over the tonic minor he then uses a 'minor sixth' scale (effectively a melodic minor scale with an added flat 6 passing note). So in what situations would Barry make use of the harmonic minor scale?

[@abath07]

I don't recall Barry ever advocating playing harmonic minor.

[@stangetz534]

Maybe move Barry's picture from behind the tv. How about the harmonic minor chromatic scale. What is your view on half step vs chromatic rules for major scales? Same for harmonic minor?

[@vincentchen5341]

Chris, I knew Barry doesn’t like modes. But I just come up with a ideas that if we could use half step rules for every scale we know, would that be interesting?

[@Pablo.Degregori]

HELLO! I HAVE A QUESTION.... IS THE HALF STEP RULE (ON ANY SCALE) ON A DESCENDING FASHION ONLY? IS THERE HALS STEP RULES FOR ASCENDING? THANK YOU!

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

Descending only. For Ascending I made a video about Barry's "Chromatic" scale. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f32wgWaXiMdqack

[@markeliasof1830]

Hi Chris, hope you are doing great this holiday season! thanks again for all your videos.. ive been thinking about the harmonic minor scale lesson, and I'm wondering your thoughts about applying the chromatic scale to it? Its the augmented 2nd (b6 and nat7).. coming down i was using the b7 as the chromatic tone between nat 7 and b6, and i was using hte b7 as the 1/2 scale bit from b6. For example decending from the 2nd: 2, b2, R, 2, nat7, b7, b6, b7, 5. Your thoughts? I keep checking your page for new videos, hope you have the time soon!

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

Hey Mark, I actually have a lot of thoughts about this. I was actually talking with Barry about the idea of half steps recently. I'm going to make a video about this topic eventually. Happy holidays brother.

[@markeliasof1830]

Thanks Chris, wishing you and your family a very happy holiday season!

[@markeliasof1830]

Yeah, ive been experimenting with the 1/2 steps on diminshed and WT scales too.

[@fun1111]

​@@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616 Thanks for these wonderful lessons Chris!!! I've been thinking about this very question (esp with half step already btw 6 and 5) and meaning to post it for the past week. I'm so excited to see you plan to address it. I'd love to know your thoughts on how to come down the harmonic minor from the b6 (with 4 or 6 half steps) or down from the maj 7 with all the half steps. Everything you share is deeply appreciated! Thanks! Happy Holidays!

[@sandyfisher2618]

So when you are soloing after having learned th rules, can you apply them real time or is it something that you've worked out ahead of time and developed into licks?

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

I would say a little bit of both.

[@markeliasof1830]

Chris, your lessons are terrific. A quick question about this one (before i've really explored them). These seem to be for an Am chord.. Would the rules shift as to 1/2 steps if we use this scale on an E7 chord?

[@markeliasof1830]

Im rethinking, as this does work on E7 too.. but your thoughts?

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

I'm not sure what you mean?

[@markeliasof1830]

Hi Chris, sorry if i wasn't clear. The A harmonic scale is most often used on E7 in key of Am... Have you ever used E7 dominant rules on that scale, considering it as an E7 (b9 b13)?

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

@@markeliasof1830 Barry uses G7 down to the 3rd of E7. Not a plain E7. This is where Barry differs from Bird. Bird will play an E7 the same if it is resolving to a Major, Minor or Dominant Chord. Barry plays G7 down to the 3rd of E7 when resolving to a Minor chord.

[@markeliasof1830]

Right, ive been going over your lessons alot since our private lesson and this is the area i most need to relearn! thanks

[@jonasaras]

do you all these things notated?

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

No. I've never written any of these out.

[@mucha766]

Sounds like Yngwie, except less leather pants and more soul patch

[@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616]

Also, my frets aren't scalloped.

[@Malcolm.Y]

Something a little confusing. With the major scale, you covered rules for V-chord (or dominant) and then rules for 1-chord. With the harmonic, you only gave rules for the 1-chord. Are there no rules for V-chords (or dominant) in harmonic minor?