Chris Parks · Stage 6: Line devices

5-4-3-2

Episode 3 · 8:56 · On YouTube · In the lesson player

Chris teaches Barry’s 5-4-3-2 in B flat: four short phrases named after the degree they start from, each a small move you can drop in when a line reaches that degree. He shows each one, chains them, uses them over rhythm changes, and practises them round the cycle of fourths, stressing that they open up choices rather than being stock licks.

Step by step

0:005-4-3-2 names the fifth, fourth, third and second: each degree triggers its own little phrase; work in B flat
0:34The five: from the fifth, drop to the major seventh, then the tonic, the fourth and the third (F, A, B flat, E flat, D)
1:09The four: from the fifth run down to the fourth, then jump to the second and climb chromatically to the third
1:30The three: run down from the fifth to the third, then go up the triad on the low fifth: fifth, major seventh, second
1:52The two: run down from the fifth to the second, then start on the major seventh and climb chromatically to the second
2:27Chain them: five, four, three and two played one after another
3:08Over the B flat major and F7 scales of rhythm changes, pick whichever one fits when your line reaches its degree
4:24Use them as pivots instead of running scales up and down; Barry’s half-step rules (a later episode) keep them in time and landing right
4:59Practise round the cycle of fourths (B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat, G flat, B...) through all 12 keys, metronome on 80
6:55On guitar work them in one position, then several; they fit any major chord, and they are tools for real improvising rather than licks

Chords and notes in this video

Tap a time to jump to it in the video.

Line0:34

F
A
B♭
E♭
D

Line1:09

Line1:52

A
B♭
B
C

Barry’s own words on this

6.8 The 5-4-3-2 (and 4-3, 5-4-3-2-1) phrases 5.7 Coming down to the fourth 14.2 Every key, every degree, every way 13.2 Rhythm changes (‘seven songs in one’)

In the course

Move it in fourths Coming out right: why half steps 5-4-3-2 Freedom and your own voice

Transcript

0:00Hello and welcome to episode 3 of Things I’ve Learned from Barry Harris. In the first two episodes we tackled the scales for the blues and the scales for I Got Rhythm. Today we’re going to do something a little bit different which is this thing that Barry calls 5-4-3-2 which basically is those are the names of the notes the 5th, the 4th, the 3rd, the 2nd and things that it triggers you to do. So for instance, since we were talking about I Got Rhythm in the last episode,
0:34we’ll stay in the key B-flat. So 5, the fifth of B-flat is F. So that’s going to trigger this little phrase that he plays after you hit 5. So 5 is going to be 5, come down and grab major 7, then tonic, then the 4th, then the 3rd. So it’s going to be... That’s 5. So again, here’s five. Now what four is, you start on five again. You’re going to run down to four.
1:09And when you get to four, after you hit five, four, you’re going to run two chromatically to three, which would be this. So again, here’s four. So just to review, here’s five. Here’s four. Now that brings you to three. So we’re gonna again starting on five running down to three and Then we’re gonna do from three. We’re gonna do a triad up from the fifth the low F here Which would be fifth major seven and second. So here would be three
1:52So again, here’s five Here’s four Here’s three. Now, two is going to be five, again running down to the second. And then when you get to the second, you’re going to start on the seven and run chromatically to the second. So here it is. So now you’ve got, here’s five.
2:27Here’s four. Here’s three. Here’s two. And he does this really slick thing where he puts them all together, which would sound like this. So again, here they are all together. which is really great. Now you might be saying, well how do you use these? So to use it as an example of, we were playing I Got Rhythm in episode 2, the scales are B flat major then
3:08F7. All over that you can be using some of these 5 4 3. So even you could start a phrase. Anyway, what’s really pretty about it is you can pick and choose whichever one you want. If I start on, let’s say, tonic of a B-flat, and put one half step to the fifth,
3:51Now I can do any one I want. I’m going to do the one from five. Let’s see. So let’s see. Oh, I didn’t do that, so let’s try again. Anyway, that was five. Maybe this time I’ll do four. Actually, no, that was still five,
4:24but let me do four this time. Anyway, so you see how you could just add all these different things to your playing instead of just running scales up and down. These are little pivots that you can use to do something more interesting that then leads you to something even more interesting. So, we’re going to have an episode about the rules for his half steps too. He has a lot of really interesting rules for half steps, which of course he’s modified over the years. But the basic rules for the half steps are awesome.
4:59They keep you within rhythm, and they make you land right. And in the end, when you’re improvising, that’s all you really need. You’re trying to land correctly, and play beautiful at the same time. Anyway, the way that I practice these, and the way that he has us practicing in the class, Let’s say we’re starting in B-flat. So what he usually does is we just keep moving in fourths. So we’ll start in B-flat, then we’ll move to E-flat, then we’ll move to A-flat, then we’ll move to D-flat, then we’ll move to G-flat, then we’ll move to B, and so on. So I’ll just do a couple of them to show you how I do. I guess I’ll use the metronome again on 80.
5:331, 2, 1, 2. So we’ll start on B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, D-flat, and I guess that’s enough. I’ll just do the first four. But he has us usually go through all 12 keys. So I’ll start off. One, two, one, two, three, four. And then all of them. E flat.
6:12Ab. Anyway, that’s D-flat. But you get the idea.
6:55So, to take something like that, and especially for guitar to try to practice them in one position or in several positions, it’s great. Those are great things to work on. Now, not only rhythm changes, you can play that in. You can play that over any major scale. anything anytime you have a major chord you can use it any of those five four three two and what you’ll find is it opens you up to playing different things all the time and truly improvising rather than having a stock you know five or six major phrases that you end up playing which in the end is the point of the
7:29whole thing I think the thing that is really beautiful about Barry’s method is is he doesn’t just show you licks. So you could say, okay, well, 5, 4, 3, 2, well, those are licks. Well, kind of, but they also open you up to do any number of things. So that’s what I find really beautiful, is that, and this is the thing about his teaching, it’s like Barry’s been teaching for, you know, I mean, he started teaching in Detroit in the 50s, and nobody sounds like that. him. Everybody sounds different. Every student that he’s had, whether it be Charles McPherson
8:09or Lonnie Hillier or you know all of the, I mean Paul, he taught Paul Chambers, you know everybody that he’s taught, everybody has a different sound and that’s what’s so beautiful or at least that I find so beautiful about his methodology is that you take it and you really try to make it into your thing. So anyway I hope you enjoyed that one, 5 4 3 2, the rules for it. They’re really fun to practice after a while. Again, to get to know them on your instrument is great. And leave a comment down below and let me know how you’re doing with them. I’m really interested to find out. And if you have any questions or any comments
8:47or even criticisms, that’s fine by me too. Anyway, thanks and enjoy.