Barry HarrisThe method

Chris Parks · Stage 5: The added-note rules

Reversing the rules

Episode 56 · 10:57 · On YouTube · In the lesson player

Chris works through Barry’s idea of reversing the half-step rules. When a descending phrase starts on the ‘and’ instead of the beat, the rule for each starting degree swaps (one or three half steps becomes none or two, and the other way round), so the chord tones still land on the beat. Practising both versions on the E flat 7 scale teaches you to feel phrases that begin off the beat.

Step by step

  1. 0:40Set the metronome to quarter notes and play the descending rules on the E flat 7 scale: from the tonic, one half step between tonic and seventh
  2. 1:17From the second, no half steps or two (2 to 1, 1 to 7); from the third, one half step or three (3 to 2, 2 to 1, 1 to 7)
  3. 1:51Tip: 1, 3, 5 and 7 share a rule (one or three half steps); 2, 4 and 6 share the other (none or two)
  4. 2:59Reverse the rules: start on the ‘and’ of one and the tonic now takes no half steps; feel it with the metronome
  5. 3:31Off the beat, the second takes one half step and the third takes none or two; carry on up the scale
  6. 4:38Up a third, then down: on the beat, use the rule for the note after the third (tonic, third, then second: none or two half steps)
  7. 5:44Starting the same figure on the ‘and’, use the rule for the top note of the third instead
  8. 6:18Triads: on the beat, use the rule for the note you end on (1-3-5 ends on 5: one or three half steps); off the beat, none or two
  9. 7:58Run up from a note and back down: on the beat, use the starting note’s rule; on the ‘and’, the opposite rule
  10. 10:04The aim is to start phrases off the beat and still come out right when improvising

Barry’s own words on this

5.4 Off the beat, pickups and triplets5.3 Dominant 7th scale descending5.5 Rules from every degree, ascending rules, several added notes, harmonic minor5.8 Rule drills in time

In the course

The descending half-step rules for the dominantStart on the ‘and’ and the rules reverseStarting phrases on different beats

Transcript

  1. 0:04hello and welcome to episode 56 of things I’ve learned from Barry Harris today I thought we would talk about something I’ve been looking at a lot lately that Barry’s brought up a million times which is taking the rules but reversing them so what he was talking what he’s usually referring to when he talks about that is if we take let’s say his rules for the half steps and let’s in this instance we use a dominant scale E flat seven scale which he likes to play tonic to seven but if we start
  2. 0:40doing our descending patterns we’ll say the first rule is that there’s a half step between tonic and seven and let me actually get a little metronome here so we can do it together in tempo so you get to feel it I usually put this on two and four and pad on one and three but I think for the purposes of this to be less confusing we’ll just keep this on quarter notes so we’ll say one two three four is the first rule which is one half
  3. 1:17steps between tonic and seven but then we’ll do the second the rule for the second is no half steps so starting on the second no half steps for the second or two half steps between second and tonic tonic and so [Music] and we have the rule for the third which
  4. 1:51is the same as the tonic except you’re gonna the rule for the third also has 3 & 2 & 2 & 1 & tonic and 7 so it’s 1/2 step between tonic and 7 or 3 half steps between 3/2 - 1 tonic and 7 - 3 4 2 3 4 up with 3 half steps now a tip about these rules are the 1 the 3 the 5 and the 7 all go together where it’s either
  5. 2:25the 1/2 step of the 3 half steps the to the for the 6 all go together also those are either no half steps or two half steps I think we’ve I’ve done those in previous videos but what’s interesting about reversing the rules is it makes you feel what starting a phrase on the end of the bead is instead of always starting on a B and it also makes you feel how to come out right it really forces you to do that so his idea of the rules are reversed is pretty obvious
  6. 2:59that now if I’m starting on an end like if I started a tonic on the end of one let’s say now I’m gonna do no half steps so let’s see what that sounds like and more important let’s see what that feels like 1 2 3 4 1 really feel it 2 3 4 now the rules for the two is normally two half-steps second and tonic tonic at
  7. 3:31seven but since we’re starting on the end the rules reversed so we’re going to use the rule for the one three five or seven which would be one half step let’s try that one starting on the second on the end of one one two three four one no use we’ll start on the three the normal three is either one half step or three half steps but in this case the rule is reversed to fit to so we’re gonna put no half steps
  8. 4:05at first then we’ll try two half steps again we’re starting on the end of one two three four one two three four one that’s what we call not feeling it so here let me feel one two three four one now two half steps I gotta feel it one two three four now four is gonna be four three or one or five or seven one half step or three half
  9. 4:38steps we’ll see one half step one two three four one three half steps and four and so on so you continue that up the scale another thing is the rule for when you’re playing a normal when you’re playing a third you would if you play up a third and then you descend you’re
  10. 5:12gonna use the rule for the next note after you play the third so in this case of B tonic third and then we’re gonna end on the second so we’re gonna use the rule for the second which is either two half steps with no half steps now that’s if you start on the beat so let’s just hear that two three four three four or no half steps two three four now if we start on and the rules gonna reverse
  11. 5:44which means now instead of using the rule for the note that we end after the third we’re going to use the highest note of the third which would be 3 so 1 2 so watch let’s see if I can feel this right 1 2 3 4 1 [Music] three four one the second two times I did three half steps and so on so you
  12. 6:18see when you reverse you start to feel oh what does it feel like if I start a phrase on the end instead of on to B and then all these rules just reverse it’s really great so the normal rule for the Triad let’s say would be you have to use the rule for the note that you let end on so if I did a triad from the root three five of the foot seven we’re going to end on the five which means I’m going to use the the half step rule for the five which would be one half step or
  13. 6:51three half steps let’s see what it sounds like one half step one two three four so both of those are beautiful you take those on every degree of the scale but the point of this exercise is to say okay if I’m going to start and on the if I start in the end the rules are reverse which means now instead of one half step or three half steps it’s going to be no half step or two half steps let’s see if
  14. 7:24it sounds right let’s see if I can do it on two three four one I already messed up one two three four one three four two half-steps that one feels good okay and so on need you try it and then you start let’s see one two three four one
  15. 7:58oh that’s a nice one too so if you start on any note I’d even think of this one I skipped over it so if normally if you start on a note and run up to any other note and then descend back down you’re gonna use the rule for the note you’re starting on so for instance if I start on tonic and I run up to second or third or fourth or wherever we’re still gonna use the rule for the tonic which would be one half step so for instance let me do a few one two three four that’s the second here’s the third fourth and so on I could also put three half steps
  16. 8:46that’s really pretty also things you should practice but now the opposite is true fiestar in the end now I’m gonna use the note the rule for the I guess I’ll use the rule for the opposite so whatever I run up to now I still have to use the opposite rule so if I started on tonic if I start on a beat it would be one half step but if I start on a tonic and start on the end it’s gonna be no half steps or three half steps let’s see if that’s correct I haven’t tried before say 1 2 3 4 now [Music]
  17. 9:31it’s 2 2 half steps 1 2 3 4 1 I like that one starting on tonic running up to 3 so on man those are great well I really have to practice those too but
  18. 10:04this is just to show you that even for people like myself who’s who studied with Barry for a long time you always go back to the well and can learn all these new ways to look at it a scale and to create lines you know again all these are great exercises but the purpose of these exercises are to create lines for improvisation so that you could be one of the better improvisers I mean reversing the rules is so special it’s really special
  19. 10:39it’s another gem you know the gem that Barry gave us so anyway I hope you enjoyed episode 56 which is reversing the rules until next time thank