▪ The 12 notes of the chromatic scale encapsulate our entire musical world.
▪ The first layer Barry Harris calls mother and father, the 2 whole-tone scales, 6 notes each, which provide balance and symmetry.
▪ The children are the second layer – 3 fully diminished 7th chords. Half of their DNA comes from father and half from mother. The 3 fully diminished 7th 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 fully diminished 7th chords. To find them, move each finger a half-step down from the fully diminished 7th chord. These 4 chords and their roots are family members (and together, they form another diminished chord).
▪ 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.
▪ Roots of the 4 dominants can also be played with their diminished chord of origin.
▪ 16 chords can be created by moving one or two (adjacent and non adjacent) fingers up or down from the fully diminished 7th chord position. Chords with the same fully diminished 7th 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 fully diminished 7 chord (= the family of 4 dominants).
▪ 4 minor-6 chords are created by moving each finger half a step up from the fully diminished 7th 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.
Chords that come from the same extended family have the potential of being borrowed if you eventually resolve back to the harmonic structure.