9. Improvisation
All instruments and vocals are rhythmic at their core. Barry Harris once said that his best music comes from playing primarily through a rhythmic awareness.
▪ Major chords get their own major scales in improvisation.
▪ Dominant chords get their own dominant scales in improvisation.
▪ Minor 6th chords are on a dominant scale, and get their own dominant scale in improvisation (the minor 6th chord being on the V of a given dominant on the I)
Using the scale of chords, and borrowing in the scale of chords, are two central improvisation techniques in the Barry Harris method. Every section of a tune (e.g. the ii in a ii-V-I), gets its own scale of chords for improvisation. Find the relevant six-chord (see six chords chapter), improvise and borrow in that section.
You can also use single note lines on the Barry Harris 8-note scale, or any other choice of notes (2/3/4 at a time) in the right context.
▪ The root of the chord should typically be lowest in the bass (or it should resolve to root) along with the shell voicing of choice.
▪ Finger positions: play what comes most natural to you. If that doesn’t work well, change finger positions.
▪ Scale of chords for melody: entire tunes can be played by using scales of chords — with the highest note in the RH being the highest note of the 6th chord or the highest note of the diminished chord.
One of the 3 diminished chords is the diminished chord of the scale of chords. The other 2 are for movement (e.g: the diminished chord above or below the ii in a ii-V-I).
▪ We can play a major chord on the 5th of any major chord (better to keep the root of the original chord in the bass). You can also play the scale of chords on the 5th scale degree with the original major (e.g: G6-dim-G6(1)-dim(1)… for C6).
Improvising with a “diminished scale” (also known as half-whole/whole half scale – a misguided definition that doesn’t provide context). The diminished scale consists of a diminished chord + the roots of the 4 dominants that come from it (which form another diminished chord). It is better to view it as two related diminished chords that go well together.
Tip: view the diminished scale as a minor scale of chords with the possibility of flattening the fifth of the minor-6 chord.
▪ Dominant chords and their whole-tone scales: the whole tone scale of a dominant chord is the one that begins on its root and vice-versa. (e.g: C7 with whole tone scale C-D-E-F#-Ab-Bb and this whole tone scale with C as its root position indicates a C7 context). You can play notes of the whole tone scale in one hand and the notes of the dominant chord in the other — as long as you treat this dominant as a V that needs to resolve to a I.
♯5 dominant chords and ♭5 dominant chords are not chords as they are not intervals on a major or dominant scale. They should be viewed as being derived from the whole tone scale, and they too, like the whole tone scale, must be resolved to the respective I. #5 & ♭5 moves are prevelant in traditional Jazz.
▪ The pentatonic major scale is best viewed as a pattern on the major scale. These intervals are prevalent in Western music and can be integrated into the Barry Harris method (sparingly).
▪ The pentatonic minor scale is very similar to the Blues scale, so it is best viewed in this context. It is prevalent in Western music and can be integrated into the Barry Harris method (sparingly).
Suspended chords (sus): Suspended chords are in a dominant chord context. The essence of the sus move is 1+4 resolving to 1+3 (e.g: C+F resolving to C+E). The complete move is when we resolve the sus chord to the minor 6th on the 5th scale degree of the dominant chord while keeping the original root. E.g.: Bass: C. RH: B♭6, Gm6 (f moves to e). It creates suspense and release.
▪ The great performers of Jazz Standards were heavily influenced by the Blues, and these influences can be felt in their performances to varying degrees.
Blues, Soul, and Gospel music (all deeply related to Jazz) are dominant-centric.
The Blues is integrated melodically (not harmonically) in Jazz Standards.
Flattening the 3rd in major and dominant contexts creates a blue sound.
▪ Blues scale moves (e.g. C,Eb,F,F#,G,Bb,C) can be integrated into all Jazz harmonic structures but should be used sparingly.
▪ In Blues, Gospel, Soul: the I can be a major 6 chord.
▪ Blue notes can be used in most situations, but they fit naturally around a dominant (V) and especially following a dominant part – leading to the I.
▪ 3-7-5 is a classic Blues move (e.g: B, F, D in the G7 scale). And try playing two of the notes together. Note: This is a melodic move for a dominant context, for decoration.
Moving from one dominant of the Family to another dominant of the family. Here is Connor Jones playing this move:
Tritone Dominants: Notes that are a tritone away from each other (and therefore on the same diminished family), can substitute one another. An example of a ii-V-I move that use tritone dominants as substitutes: Dm7/Dm7♭5, C#7 (instead of G7), C/C6/Cm6.