Barry HarrisThe method
Volume II · Lines Stage 5, the added-note rules Idea 3 of 812345678
5.3

Dominant 7th scale descendingRules by starting degree

Barry’s dominant-scale rules for running down from the beat depend on the starting note. From 1, 3, 5 or 7, add one note between the tonic and ♭7 (or three, from 3, 5 or 7); from 2, 4 or 6, none or two.

In plain words

Start on the tonic, third, fifth or seventh and the first rule is one added note, between the tonic and the flat seventh. From the third, fifth or seventh there is a second rule: three added notes, between 3 and 2, 2 and 1, and 1 and ♭7. The tonic has only the one rule.

Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 20:371:121:474:07The half-step rules0:00

Start on the second, fourth or sixth and the first rule is no added notes, just the scale; the second rule is two, between 2 and 1 and between 1 and ♭7. One forum player who charted every rule over a bar of eight eighths found that each one brings a chord tone onto the next downbeat.

Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 22:194:07jazzguitar.be members (usernames kept per post), Official Barry Harris Thread (jazzguitar.be forum thread) ¶1550

The rules assume an eighth-note run that starts on the beat; off-beat and pickup starts change things (next idea). Barry wanted them written down and drilled in time: take each degree of a scale, play each of its rules, and do every scale that way. He doubted the whole round would take as long as fifteen minutes.

Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 22:533:355:22Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 12:52

The positions are not fixed. When people asked why he put the half steps in, Barry said they could go anywhere: with the single one moved to between six and five, or down between the second and the tonic, the run still came out right in time.

The half-step rules0:321:05

Step by step

  1. Starting on the tonic, third, fifth or seventh: one added note, between the tonic and ♭7. From the tonic this is the only rule.

    C7 from C
    𝄞♭
    1. C
    2. B
    3. B♭
    4. A
    5. G
    6. F
    7. E
    8. D
    9. C
    C7 from E
    𝄞♭
    1. E
    2. D
    3. C
    4. B
    5. B♭
    6. A
    7. G
    8. F
    9. E
    C7 from B♭
    𝄞♭♭
    1. B♭
    2. A
    3. G
    4. F
    5. E
    6. D
    7. C
    8. B
    9. B♭

    Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 20:371:124:07

  2. Starting on the third, fifth or seventh, the second rule: three added notes, between 3 and 2, 2 and 1, and 1 and ♭7.

    C7 from E
    𝄞♭♭♭
    1. E
    2. E♭
    3. D
    4. D♭
    5. C
    6. B
    7. B♭
    8. A
    9. G
    C7 from G
    𝄞♭♭♭
    1. G
    2. F
    3. E
    4. E♭
    5. D
    6. D♭
    7. C
    8. B
    9. B♭
    10. A
    11. G

    Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 21:121:47The half-step rules0:00

  3. Starting on the second, fourth or sixth, the first rule: no added notes, just the scale.

    C7 from D
    𝄞♭
    1. D
    2. C
    3. B♭
    4. A
    5. G
    6. F
    7. E
    C7 from A
    𝄞♭
    1. A
    2. G
    3. F
    4. E
    5. D
    6. C
    7. B♭
    8. A
    9. G

    Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 22:19

  4. Starting on the second, fourth or sixth, the second rule: two added notes, between 2 and 1 and between 1 and ♭7.

    C7 from D
    𝄞♭♭
    1. D
    2. D♭
    3. C
    4. B
    5. B♭
    6. A
    7. G
    8. F
    9. E
    C7 from F
    𝄞♭♭
    1. F
    2. E
    3. D
    4. D♭
    5. C
    6. B
    7. B♭
    8. A
    9. G

    Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 22:19

  5. Use a rule to reach a target. Barry’s call: start on the third of B♭7, put in one half step (or three), and run down to the third.

    B♭7 from D, one added note
    𝄞♭♭♭
    1. D
    2. C
    3. B♭
    4. A
    5. A♭
    6. G
    7. F
    8. E♭
    9. D
    B♭7 from D, three added notes
    𝄞♭♭♭♭
    1. D
    2. D♭
    3. C
    4. B
    5. B♭
    6. A
    7. A♭
    8. G
    9. F
    10. E♭
    11. D

    Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 25:57

  6. In a line: for the minor ii–V into F minor (G half-diminished to C7), Barry took E♭7 from its tonic with one added note and ran down to E, the third of C7.

    E♭7 from E♭ down to E (third of C7)
    𝄞♭♭♭♭
    1. E♭
    2. D
    3. D♭
    4. C
    5. B♭
    6. A♭
    7. G
    8. F
    9. E

    The 1998 workshop, part 30:001:13Tom Cleary (University of Vermont), What is this scale called: Charlie Parker ¶4Tom Cleary (University of Vermont), What is this scale called: Charlie Parker ¶6

an added note, outside the scale

How he said to practise it

  • Write all the rules down so you know exactly what to practise, then practise them rhythmically, in time.

    Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 12:52

  • Go through a whole scale: start on each degree in turn and play each rule for it, twice. Then do every dominant scale the same way.

    Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 22:533:35

  • Have someone call runs the way Barry did (start on this degree, use this many added notes, run down to that note, then play a chord up) and play them straight away.

    Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 25:57

In Barry’s words

Each one plays from the moment he says it. Every other moment he teaches it is listed below.

If you start on the tonic, the first rule you should know is one half step between tonic and seventh.

Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 2, The Hague, 1989–98. Barry lists the dominant-scale rules in a short lesson. 0:37 Watch on YouTube at 0:37

Now we’ve got three other degrees of the scale. Second, fourth, and sixth. The first rule is no half-steps. That means just the scale notes.

Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 2, The Hague, 1989–98. Moving from the chord-tone starts to the other three degrees. 2:19 Watch on YouTube at 2:19

The first rule for the tonic is one [half] step... That’s the only rule for the tonic.

Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 2, The Hague, 1989–98. Recapping after playing every rule through a whole scale. 4:07 Watch on YouTube at 4:07

All of you should write down the rules so that you’ll know what to practice.

Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 1, The Hague, 1989–98. End of a lesson on which rule applies to pickups and triplets. 2:52 Watch on YouTube at 2:52

Where this comes from

Everything above is drawn from these. Open any one to check it.

Every moment he teaches it12 moments in 4 recordings

Each time opens the transcript there; the video plays when you are online.

Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 2

The Hague, 1989–98 — 8 min On YouTube

  1. 0:37

    From the tonic, third, fifth or seventh: one half step between the tonic and the seventh; plays each.

    Watch on YouTube at 0:37

  2. 1:12

    Second rule for the third, fifth and seventh: three half steps (3–2, 2–1, 1–♭7).

    Watch on YouTube at 1:12

  3. 1:47

    Has the class recite the three-half-step rule until it sticks.

    Watch on YouTube at 1:47

  4. 2:19

    Second, fourth and sixth: no half steps, or two (2–1, 1–♭7); recaps the whole set.

    Watch on YouTube at 2:19

  5. 2:53

    Plays through a whole scale, every degree and every rule, each twice.

    Watch on YouTube at 2:53

  6. 4:07

    Says the tonic has only one rule and that the drill teaches rhythm.

    Watch on YouTube at 4:07

  7. 5:57

    Example calls: start on the third of B♭7, one or three half steps, down to the third, chord up.

    Watch on YouTube at 5:57

  8. 0:00

    Says he practises the seventh scale with its rules, and starts explaining them.

    Watch on YouTube

The half-step rules

The Hague, 1989–98 — 3 min On YouTube

  1. 0:00

    The class plays the one- and three-half-step rules; Barry asks for them again.

    Watch on YouTube

  2. 0:32

    Half steps could go anywhere: a student moves the single one to six–five or two–one.

    Watch on YouTube at 0:32

Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 1

The Hague, 1989–98 — 3 min On YouTube

  1. 2:52

    Tells everyone to write the rules down and practise them rhythmically.

    Watch on YouTube at 2:52

The 1998 workshop, part 3

The Hague, 1989–98 — 76 min On YouTube

  1. 0:00

    E♭7 from the tonic, one half step, down to the third of C, for the minor ii–V into F minor.

    Watch on YouTube

From the lessons1 lesson, 5 points

Notes taken from Barry’s classes, each tied to the moment it comes from.

The dominant scale and its half-step rules

  1. Idea

    Barry reminded his class that every dominant seventh scale is a major scale: the F7 scale is the B-flat major scale. So when he asked them to start on the third of F7 and run down to the tonic of B-flat, they were simply playing the B-flat major scale.

    Fast phrases for Perdido2:52

  2. Exercise

    Barry’s half-step rules for running a dominant seventh scale down depend on the note you start on. From the tonic, third, fifth or seventh, the first rule is one half step, placed between the tonic and the seventh. From the third, fifth or seventh there is also a second rule: three half steps, between the third and second, the second and tonic, and the tonic and seventh. Practise each version and play it again.

    Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 20:371:121:47The half-step rules0:00

  3. Exercise

    From the second, fourth or sixth, the first rule is no half steps: just the scale notes going down. The second rule is two half steps, between the second and tonic and between the tonic and seventh. The whole set: tonic, 3, 5 and 7 take one half step (1 to 7); 3, 5 and 7 can also take three (3 to 2, 2 to 1, 1 to 7); 2, 4 and 6 take none, or two (2 to 1, 1 to 7).

    Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 22:19

  4. Exercise

    Barry told everyone to write all the half-step rules down so they know exactly what to practise, beginning with tonic, third, fifth and seventh: one half step. Then practise the rules rhythmically, not just as notes.

    Half-step rules on the dominant scale, part 12:52

  5. Idea

    People asked Barry why he puts those half steps in, and he answered that they could go anywhere. Starting on the tonic, he had the student put the single half step between the six and the five instead of between the tonic and seventh, or, once you get down low, between the second and the tonic, and he called the result rhythmically correct.

    The half-step rules0:321:05

In writing5 notes

What his interviews, his students’ class notes and other teachers’ articles add.

How other teachers explain it10 videos, 14 series episodes

Barry’s students, and their students, teaching it their way. A second opinion, not Barry.

In the teaching series

Episodes on this idea in the long series by other teachers. Each name opens that whole series in order.

Connor Jones

DSG_Studio

Howard Rees Jazz Workshops

Isaac Raz

JazzSkills

Things I’ve Learned From Barry Harris

Where the accounts differ1 point
Read further6 links

These open on the web.

Free to read

Books and paid courses