Barry HarrisThe method
Volume III · Harmony Stage 9, sixth chords and the scales of chords Idea 5 of 1012345678910
9.5

The minor 6th diminished scale and its diminished partner

Flatten the third of the sixth diminished scale and you have the minor sixth diminished scale, C D E♭ F G A♭ A B: harmonic minor plus the sixth. Know at once each minor sixth’s diminished chord, and move between scales a minor third apart.

In plain words

To make the sixth diminished scale minor, play the same scale and flatten the third: C D E♭ F G A♭ A B. Barry pointed out that it contains the harmonic minor scale plus one more note, the sixth, which jazz needs. Classical musicians, he said, used that sixth much less, mostly as an added note; here it belongs to the scale.

Introducing the sixth diminished scale4:064:395:15

Like the major scale it is two chords, a minor sixth chord and a diminished chord, and it is the same diminished chord as in the major version: C6 and Cm6 both go with B diminished. Barry wanted the pairing instant. Asked for B♭ minor 6 you should answer A diminished straight away, not work it out from the major seventh.

Borrowed diminished notes on All the Things You Are6:487:20Practising the sixth diminished scales4:10Howard Rees’ Jazz Workshops, Major & Minor 6th Dim. Scales: Becoming Familiar with the 6th Diminished Scales ¶4

In one class Barry played F minor 6 and G minor 6 each with its diminished chord, sometimes starting from the diminished on top, and said Chopin used this sound at times. In Star Eyes he heard a G half-diminished as B♭ minor with the sixth in the bass and went into the B♭ minor sixth diminished scale.

Practising the sixth diminished scales3:36Star Eyes: a minor sixth for the half-diminished0:00

Then change scales a minor third apart: B♭ minor 6 to D♭ minor 6, A♭ minor 6 to B minor 6, F minor 6 to A♭ minor 6, G minor 6 to B♭ minor 6. Barry sometimes started on the diminished chord and let the left hand make the change, and said what the left hand can do there is unbelievable. Minor sixth chords a minor third apart share one diminished chord, which can act as the pivot between their scales.

Practising the sixth diminished scales11:2412:0012:4114:22Jazz School Online (Howard Rees), Glossary of Terms ¶53jazzguitar.be members (usernames kept per post), Official Barry Harris Thread (jazzguitar.be forum thread) ¶1958

Step by step

  1. Start from the major sixth diminished scale and flatten the third.

    C minor sixth diminished scale, diminished notes marked +
    𝄞♭♭
    1. C
    2. D
    3. E♭
    4. F
    5. G
    6. A♭
    7. A
    8. B

    Introducing the sixth diminished scale4:3926:40Movement, not chords: the sixth diminished scales0:37

  2. Compare it with the harmonic minor: the same seven notes, plus the major sixth.

    C harmonic minor with the added sixth (+)
    𝄞♭♭
    1. C
    2. D
    3. E♭
    4. F
    5. G
    6. A♭
    7. A
    8. B

    Introducing the sixth diminished scale4:39

  3. Pair each minor sixth chord with the diminished chord built a half step below its root: B♭ minor 6 with A diminished, G minor 6 with F♯ diminished.

    B♭m6
    𝄞♭♭
    1. B♭
    2. D♭
    3. F
    4. G
    its diminished: A diminished
    𝄞♭♯
    1. A
    2. C
    3. E♭
    4. F♯

    Borrowed diminished notes on All the Things You Are6:487:20Practising the sixth diminished scales4:10

  4. Minor sixth chords a minor third apart have the same diminished chord, so it can carry you from one of their scales into the next.

    B♭m6
    𝄞♭♭
    1. B♭
    2. D♭
    3. F
    4. G
    D♭m6
    𝄞♭♭♭♭
    1. D♭
    2. F♭
    3. A♭
    4. B♭
    shared diminished: A (= C) diminished
    𝄞♭♯
    1. A
    2. C
    3. E♭
    4. F♯

    Practising the sixth diminished scales11:2414:22Jazz School Online (Howard Rees), Glossary of Terms ¶53jazzguitar.be members (usernames kept per post), Official Barry Harris Thread (jazzguitar.be forum thread) ¶1958

an added note, outside the scale

How he said to practise it

  • Play the C sixth diminished scale contrary from middle C, both thumbs on C, then make it minor.

    Introducing the sixth diminished scale4:06Movement, not chords: the sixth diminished scales0:37

  • Play B♭ minor with the sixth in the bass. Take a note of the chord, borrow the diminished note just below it, and hit the chord again; then go up the scale with one hand and finish on a C chord.

    Borrowed diminished notes on All the Things You Are7:207:52

  • A variation Barry suggested: begin with a diminished note in the bass and the minor sixth on top, come to the full minor sixth, move the top part to the diminished and back, then go on to the final chord. On D♭ minor 6 he then showed a version in which every note moves.

    Borrowed diminished notes on All the Things You Are8:268:599:32

  • Switch between minor sixth diminished scales a minor third apart, starting on the diminished and letting the left hand do the moving.

    Practising the sixth diminished scales11:2412:4114:2214:58

In Barry’s words

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

It’s the exact same scale. All you do is just flat [the] third

Introducing the sixth diminished scale, The Hague, 1989–98. Turning the C sixth diminished scale minor in The Hague 4:39 Watch on YouTube at 4:39

It includes the harmonic minor scale... except it’s got one more note than the harmonic minor scale

Introducing the sixth diminished scale, The Hague, 1989–98. Explaining the sixth that the minor version adds 4:39 Watch on YouTube at 4:39

If I ask you B flat minor 6, you should tell me A [diminished].

Borrowed diminished notes on All the Things You Are, The Hague, 1989–98. On knowing each minor sixth’s diminished partner instantly 6:59 Watch on YouTube at 6:59

What you can do with the left hand is just unbelievable

Practising the sixth diminished scales, The Hague, 1989–98. Changing from one minor sixth diminished scale to another a minor third up 12:41 Watch on YouTube at 12:41

Where this comes from

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

Every moment he teaches it12 moments in 6 recordings

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

Introducing the sixth diminished scale

The Hague, 1989–98 — 27 min On YouTube

  1. 4:39

    Same scale with a flat third: the harmonic minor plus the sixth, which classical players rarely used.

    Watch on YouTube at 4:39

Borrowed diminished notes on All the Things You Are

The Hague, 1989–98 — 17 min On YouTube

  1. 6:48

    Know at once which diminished goes with each minor sixth: B♭ minor 6, A diminished.

    Watch on YouTube at 6:48

  2. 7:20

    A student plays B♭ minor with the sixth in the bass and borrows the diminished note below.

    Watch on YouTube at 7:20

  3. 8:26

    Diminished note in the bass, minor sixth on top; then D♭ minor 6 with every note moving.

    Watch on YouTube at 8:26

Practising the sixth diminished scales

The Hague, 1989–98 — 31 min On YouTube

  1. 3:36

    F minor 6 and G minor 6, each with its diminished; Chopin used this sound.

    Watch on YouTube at 3:36

  2. 4:10

    G minor 6 goes with F♯ diminished; practise contrary, then fill it in.

    Watch on YouTube at 4:10

  3. 11:24

    Practises B♭ minor 6 to D♭ minor 6, changing in one hand.

    Watch on YouTube at 11:24

  4. 12:00

    F minor sixth diminished scale to A♭ minor sixth diminished scale.

    Watch on YouTube at 12:00

  5. 14:22

    G minor 6 to B♭ minor 6, starting on the diminished.

    Watch on YouTube at 14:22

Star Eyes: a minor sixth for the half-diminished

The Hague, 1989–98 — 1 min On YouTube

  1. 0:00

    Star Eyes: B♭ minor with the sixth in the bass, a B♭ minor sixth diminished scale.

    Watch on YouTube

Movement, not chords: the sixth diminished scales

2 min On YouTube

  1. 0:37

    Has a student play the C sixth diminished scale, then make it minor.

    Watch on YouTube at 0:37

The 23 May Zoom class, part 1

Online, from New Jersey), 2020 — 31 min On YouTube

  1. 21:31

    Says he started with two scales, major and minor sixth diminished, before moving to New York.

    Watch on YouTube at 21:31

From the lessons2 lessons, 5 points

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

The minor sixth diminished scale and its diminished partner

  1. Idea

    To make the scale minor, play exactly the same scale and flatten the third: C D E-flat F G A-flat A B. Barry notes that it contains the harmonic minor scale plus one more note, the sixth (A natural), which jazz needs. Classical musicians, he says, used the sixth much less, mostly as an added note, but here it belongs to the scale.

    Introducing the sixth diminished scale4:064:395:15

  2. Idea

    Each minor sixth chord pairs with one diminished chord, and you must know which one immediately, without working it out from a major seventh. Asked for B-flat minor 6, you should answer A diminished (A, C, E-flat, F-sharp); G minor 6 goes with F-sharp diminished. Barry showed F minor 6 and G minor 6 each with its diminished partner, sometimes starting from the diminished chord on top, and noted that Chopin sometimes used this sound.

    Borrowed diminished notes on All the Things You Are6:487:20Practising the sixth diminished scales3:013:36

  3. Exercise

    Play B-flat minor with the sixth in the bass. Then take a note of the chord, borrow the diminished note just below it, and hit the chord again.

    Borrowed diminished notes on All the Things You Are7:20

Moving through minor sixth diminished scales

  1. Exercise

    Building on the B-flat minor sixth exercise, a student went up the scale with one hand and then hit a C chord. Barry suggested a variation: she starts with a diminished note in the bass and the minor sixth on top, comes to the full minor sixth, then takes the top part and moves it to the diminished, back to the minor sixth, and then on to the final chord. He then showed something similar on D-flat minor six in which every note moves.

    Borrowed diminished notes on All the Things You Are7:528:269:32

  2. Exercise

    Switch from one minor sixth diminished scale to the one a minor third up, letting the left hand make the change. Barry’s examples: B-flat minor 6 to D-flat minor 6, A-flat minor 6 to B minor 6, F minor 6 to A-flat minor 6, and G minor 6 to B-flat minor 6. Start on the diminished, then change; he says what the left hand can do with these changes is remarkable.

    Practising the sixth diminished scales11:2412:0012:4114:22

In writing7 notes

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

How other teachers explain it10 videos, 65 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.

Bebop-JazzGuitarTV at NYC

Chris Juergensen

DSG_Studio

Howard Rees Jazz Workshops

Isaac Raz

JazzSkills

Kay Benyarko

Mike Hayes Guitar

Pete Martin

The Labyrinth of Limitations

Things I’ve Learned From Barry Harris

Read further6 links

These open on the web.

Free to read

Books and paid courses