2. Family
Recap: The Barry Harris method is confined to the chromatic scale, the 12 notes of the octave. The first layer Barry Harris calls mother and father, the 2 whole tone scales, 6 notes each.
The second layer is the children, 3 diminished chords with 4 notes each. Half of their DNA comes from their father and half from their mother. The 3 diminished chords create an additional layer of symmetry in the 12-note chromatic system.
The family of 4 dominants: There are 4 dominant chords that come from each of the 3 diminished chords. To find them, move each finger a half-step down from the diminished chord. These 4 chords and their roots are family members (and together, they form another diminished chord).
Note that the family of dominants isn’t related in terms of dominant chords, it is related in terms of dominant scales.
▪ The 4 dominant chords of the family and especially their roots, are interchangeable in various situations.
▪ When playing a dominant chord in the RH, you can play a root of another dominant from the same family of 4 dominants in the bass.
The roots of dominant chords can also be played with their diminished chord of origin (e.g: C+ C♯ diminished chord, also known as a flat9 chord).
16 chords can be created by moving one or two (adjacent and non adjacent) fingers up or down from a diminished chord position. Chords with the same diminished chord as their origin, are part of the extended family. They have the potential of working well together if placed in the right context. Here they are:
4 dominant chords are created by moving each finger a half-step down from each diminished chord (= the family of 4 dominants – see video above).
4 minor-6 chords are created by moving each finger half a step up from the diminished chord.
▪ 1 major 6 chord is created by moving fingers i and ii DOWN a half step.
▪ 1 major 6 chord is created by moving fingers i and ii UP a half step.
▪ 1 major 6 chord is created by moving fingers ii and iii DOWN a half step.
▪ 1 major 6 chord is created by moving fingers ii and iii UP a half step.
▪ 1 major 6 chord is created by moving fingers i and iv DOWN a half step.
▪ 1 major 6 chord is created by moving fingers iv and iii DOWN a half step.
▪ 1 major 6 chord is created by moving fingers iv and iii UP a half step.
▪ 1 major 6 chord is created by moving fingers i and iv UP to get a half step.
Tip: when practicing chords that come from the same diminished family, notice that many movements “around” the diminished (meaning: moving 1 or 2 fingers up/down, back to their diminished chord, and then in the opposite direction) can create harmonic movements. For example: from the major VI chord on the 5th to the major VI chord on the I. Or from a minor vi chord to the dominant on its I.
▪ Chords that come from the same extended family have the potential of being borrowed if you eventually resolve back to the harmonic structure.