Barry HarrisThe method

Learn with Chris Parks · Volume IX of XIII

9The four scales of chords

Barry’s harmony: sixth chords, the four eight-note scales of chords, and which scale of chords goes over each chord, including the minor 6s over a dominant.

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Map of this module what each idea builds on
Two prongs: the piano c…Sixth chords rule: mino…Barry's four scales of …The major 6 diminished …The minor 6 diminished …The dominant 7 diminish…The dominant 7 flat 5 d…The diminished diminish…Every chord belongs to …Each diatonic chord has…Six on the fifth: two s…The minor 6 on the fift…Minor ii-V-i as three m…Scales of chords for a …Don't alter your domina…Infinite ways to play I…The same few notes acro…Barry's creation theoryThe diminished scale: a…The family of dominantsA half-diminished means…Minor 6 chords from the…Think the dominant: put…The tritone's minor
Ideas in this module 17
  1. 1Two prongs: the piano class and the horn class
  2. 2Sixth chords rule: minor 7 is major 6, half-diminished is minor 6
  3. 3Barry’s four scales of chords
  4. 4The major 6 diminished scale
  5. 5The minor 6 diminished scale
  6. 6The dominant 7 diminished scale
  7. 7The dominant 7 flat 5 diminished scale
  8. 8The diminished diminished scale
  9. 9Every chord belongs to a scale of chords
  10. 10Each diatonic chord has its own scale of chords
  11. 11Six on the fifth: two sixth chords for a major chord
  12. 12The minor 6 on the fifth: don’t think C9
  13. 13Minor ii-V-i as three minor 6 chords
  14. 14Scales of chords for a dominant
  15. 15Don’t alter your dominant
  16. 16Infinite ways to play I-VI-II-V
  17. 17The same few notes across several octaves

Idea 1 of 17

Two prongs: the piano class and the horn class

Chris sees Barry’s method as two connected but separate systems, matching how his classes were split: the piano (harmony) class used the eight-note scales of chords, while the horn class built single-note lines on plain seven-note scales and thought of the dominant. A common mistake online is to solo with the sixth-diminished scales, which Barry did not do except for minor 6 diminished over a real minor. So over A minor to D7 Chris comps from the scales of chords but solos on D7, and over A half-diminished to D7 he solos F7 into D7.

Builds onThink the dominant: put the ii awayA half-diminished means the dominant whose third it is

Barry’s own pages0.1 How a Barry class worked7.1 Think in scales and phrases, not chords8.1 Put the ii chord away

More on this 10 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called Two prongs: piano class and horn class, Two ways of thinking: chording and soloing, harmony versus single notes, piano class, horn class, compartmentalise harmony and single-note lines

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 6:44Don’t Alter Your Dominant · Episode 90
    Scales of chords are harmonic; soloing is thought of differently
  2. 7:17Don’t Alter Your Dominant · Episode 90
    A minor D7 means D7 stuff; A half diminished to D7 means F7 stuff to D7
  3. 12:04Using Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 108
    This is the harmonic system; Barry has a separate, simpler system for single-note lines
  4. 2:49What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    First mistake: the scales of chords are not what Barry soloed with; they are harmony
  5. 16:31What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    For soloing Barry talks about seven-note scales, mostly major and dominant
  6. 0:00Harmony versus soloing: what you’re getting wrong · Episode 154
    Barry’s method is two-pronged: one way to look at harmony, one way to look at single-note soloing
  7. 0:42Harmony versus soloing: what you’re getting wrong · Episode 154
    Class structure: piano (harmony) class, singers’ class where each singer sang in their own key, and the horn class where Barry made up lines on a standard
  8. 1:57Harmony versus soloing: what you’re getting wrong · Episode 154
    A minor 7 to D7 in the piano class (C6 diminished, D7 diminished, Eb minor 6 diminished) versus the horn class (just the D7 scale)
  9. 10:58Harmony versus soloing: what you’re getting wrong · Episode 154
    The only overlap: minor 6 diminished as a soloing scale over a real minor
  10. 2:42The 3 scales you need for Barry’s scale outlines · Episode 169
    Barry’s single-note work uses plain seven-note scales, not six diminished

Idea 2 of 17

Sixth chords rule: minor 7 is major 6, half-diminished is minor 6

Barry reads every minor 7 chord as the major 6 a minor third above (A minor 7 is C6, F minor 7 is A flat 6) and every half-diminished chord as the minor 6 a minor third above (A minor 7 flat 5 is C minor 6); as Monk said, a half-diminished is just a minor 6 with the 6 in the bass. Sixth chords are small, invert easily and lead straight into the scales of chords, so the rule puts all these chords inside one of them. Chris uses it in almost every harmony lesson.

Practise it: Every time a minor 7 or half-diminished chord comes up, name its sixth chord and play through that scale of chords before resolving.

Line
𝄞♭♭
C4GCE♭B♭
  1. E♭
  2. G
  3. B♭
  4. C

Builds onTwo prongs: the piano class and the horn class

Barry’s own pages9.1 Sixth chords rule9.6 Half-diminished = minor with the sixth in the bass; major -> relative minor -> minor/6

More on this 42 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called Every minor 7 is a major 6; every minor 7 flat 5 is a minor 6, Minor 7 is major 6, half-diminished is minor 6, Minor 7 is a 6 chord, Sixth chords rule, major 6 a minor third above, A minor 7 is C6, A half diminished is C minor 6 with the 6 in the bass, D minor 7 is F6, no such thing as a half diminished, minor 6 with the 6 in the bass

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 3:17Minor sixth diminished chords in drop 2 · Episode 12
    Yesterdays: E minor 7 flat 5 is G minor 6 with the 6 in the bass (Monk’s view).
  2. 5:19Minor sixth diminished chords in drop 2 · Episode 12
    B flat minor 6 is really G minor 7 flat 5.
  3. 0:46Borrowing notes · Episode 17
    Star Eyes: F minor 7 is A flat 6.
  4. 1:55Comping All the Things You Are · Episode 23
    All the Things You Are: F minor 7 is A flat 6; B flat minor 7 is D flat 6.
  5. 5:10Minor 6th Diminished Chord Ideas · Episode 28
    C minor 6 is also A minor 7 flat 5, so it serves A half-diminished to D7.
  6. 0:00Comping Ideas with 6th Diminished · Episode 30
    A flat 6 is also F minor 7, surrounded by two diminished chords.
  7. 2:31Practicing the G Minor 6th Diminished Scale · Episode 45
    G minor 6 from the sixth is E minor 7 flat 5.
  8. 1:49Endless ways to play I-VI-II-V with the scale of chords · Episode 46
    G6 and E minor 7 are the same four notes in a different inversion.
  9. 6:29Endless ways to play I-VI-II-V with the scale of chords · Episode 46
    A minor 7 is played from the C6 diminished scale.
  10. 8:47Endless ways to play a minor I-VI-II-V with the scale of chords · Episode 47
    A minor 7 flat 5 is C minor 6.
  11. 3:39Using the scale of chords to make a chord melody · Episode 55
    E minor 7 flat 5 is G minor 6.
  12. 1:52Lines Using Drop 2 on Rhythm Changes · Episode 68
    Rhythm changes: G minor is B flat 6; C minor 7 is E flat 6 (E flat, G, B flat, C).
  13. 6:51Triads · Episode 70
    G6 is also E minor 7.
  14. 0:41Blues Comping Using All 4 Scales of Chords · Episode 71
    The usual B flat 9 chord is F minor 6; the E flat 9 is B flat minor 6.
  15. 2:38Blues Comping Using All 4 Scales of Chords · Episode 71
    The ‘E9’ is B minor 6.
  16. 6:52Half step below is beautiful: scales and sixth chords · Episode 72
    F minor 7 is A flat 6, so F minor 7-B flat 7 is A flat 6 diminished.
  17. 1:15Using Barry’s Scales of Chords on a 2-5 · Episode 79
    D minor 7 in a ii-V-I in C is F6
  18. 0:00A Minor 7 Is Beautiful · Episode 82
    A minor 7 is the same chord as C6
  19. 1:14A Minor 7 Is Beautiful · Episode 82
    1-6-2-5 in C: A minor 7 as C6 and D minor 7 as F6
  20. 2:25A Minor 7 Is Beautiful · Episode 82
    A minor 7 as the ii of G, going E7, A minor 7, D7, G
  21. 0:00A Minor 7 Flat 5 Is Beautiful · Episode 86
    A minor 7b5 is C minor 6; diatonic only as the vii of Bb, whereas A minor 7 is ii of G, iii of F and vi of C
  22. 3:20A Minor 7 Flat 5 Is Beautiful · Episode 86
    Autumn Leaves: the A half diminished is immediately transposed to C minor 6
  23. 4:03Where Do I Use Barry’s Minor 6th Diminished Scale? · Episode 92
    A half diminished is C minor 6 with the 6 in the bass, so it takes the C minor 6 diminished scale
  24. 1:16Using Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 108
    Every minor 7 is a major 6 a minor third higher: D minor 7 and F6 are the same
  25. 6:50Using Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 108
    B minor 7b5 is D minor 6, so F6 can move to D minor 6 with one note moving
  26. 9:02Drop 2s are more than you think · Episode 111
    A minor 7b5 and C minor 6 are the same, used in a 1-6-2-5 in G minor
  27. 3:03Why do we all play this? Comping on I Got Rhythm · Episode 121
    C minor 7 in the I Got Rhythm turnaround is E-flat 6.
  28. 5:35Why do we all play this? Comping on I Got Rhythm · Episode 121
    Bb6 and G minor are the same chord, both found in the B-flat 6 diminished scale.
  29. 3:25Playing with the family: dominant triads and minor sixes · Episode 128
    ii-V in A minor: B minor 7 flat 5 is D minor 6.
  30. 6:36Drop 2 with a pretty twist · Episode 136
    Monk, via Barry: B minor 7 flat 5 is the minor 6 with the 6 in the bass, so it is D minor 6.
  31. 2:46Chord melodies from Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 138
    D minor 7 flat 5 is really F minor 6.
  32. 0:38A beautiful way to play a minor blues · Episode 139
    Minor blues: D half-diminished comes from F minor 6.
  33. 5:10Reasons to practise major 6th to major 6th chords · Episode 140
    A major 6 is always a minor 7: G6 is E minor 7, the iii chord in C.
  34. 1:21Barry’s beautiful borrowing · Episode 145
    E half-diminished is G minor 6, so it comes from the G minor 6 diminished scale.
  35. 7:28Thirds in pairs: an idea I didn’t think of · Episode 150
    In Confirmation (F), E half-diminished to A7: E half-diminished is G minor 6
  36. 4:50What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    D minor 7 is F6 and belongs to F6 diminished; B minor 7 flat 5 is D minor 6
  37. 5:45Chords hidden in the minor 6 diminished scale · Episode 155
    C minor 6 is the same as A minor 7 flat 5, so it serves the minor ii-V in G minor
  38. 1:46Six must-know ii-Vs · Episode 158
    In a ii-V in G, A minor 7 is C6
  39. 4:41First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    C minor 7 is Eb6, a minor third up; it comes from Eb6 diminished (Eb6 plus F diminished)
  40. 8:28First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    C minor 7 flat 5 is Eb minor 6, from Eb minor 6 diminished
  41. 14:34First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    In time you prefer thinking F6 when you see D minor 7, because you know what to do on F6
  42. 1:08No more comping 4’s: small moves with sixth chords · Episode 167
    Barry believed in sixth chords because they are small and invertible, so they move by small steps

Idea 3 of 17

Barry’s four scales of chords

Barry’s harmony rests on four eight-note scales: major 6 diminished, minor 6 diminished, dominant 7 diminished and dominant 7 flat 5 diminished. Each joins the four notes of its chord to the four notes of a diminished chord a step above the root (Chris counts it from the 2nd, Barry from the major 7th), so when harmonised in four-note chords the named chord and the diminished take turns up the scale. All four on one root share that diminished and come from the three diminished chords of the creation theory, and Barry, who was not just ‘the sixth diminished guy’, wanted all four learned, not only the first two.

Practise it: Learn all four scales on one root, in single notes and in chords, then on every root, and apply one or more of them to every chord in a tune.

C6D°C6/EF°C6/GA♭°C6/AB°in C
Major 6 diminished
Cm6D°Cm6/E♭F°Cm6/GA♭°Cm6/AB°in C
Minor 6 diminished
C7D°C7/EF°C7/GA♭°C7/B♭B°in C
Dominant 7 diminished
C7♭5D°C7♭5/EF°C7♭5/G♭A♭°C7♭5/B♭B°in C
Dominant 7♭5 diminished

Tap a chord on a wheel to hear it.

Line
𝄞♭♯
C4GABCDEE♭G♭
  1. G
  2. A
  3. B
  4. C
  5. D
  6. E♭
  7. E
  8. F#
Line
𝄞♭♭♯
C4GACDEB♭E♭G♭
  1. G
  2. A
  3. B♭
  4. C
  5. D
  6. E♭
  7. E
  8. F#
C6
𝄢
CEGAC4
  1. C
  2. E
  3. G
  4. A
Cm6
𝄢♭
CGAC4E♭
  1. C
  2. E♭
  3. G
  4. A
C7
𝄢♭
CEGC4B♭
  1. C
  2. E
  3. G
  4. B♭
C7b5
𝄢♭♭
CEC4G♭B♭
  1. C
  2. E
  3. G♭
  4. B♭

Builds onSixth chords rule: minor 7 is major 6, half-diminished is minor 6Barry’s creation theory

Barry’s own pages9.8 The 7th diminished and 7th flat 5 diminished scales9.3 The major 6th diminished scale (a major scale with one more note)9.5 The minor 6th diminished scale and its diminished partner9.4 Playing the scale of chords (block chords up and down the 6th dim scale)

More on this 35 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called major 6 diminished, minor 6 diminished, dominant 7 diminished, dominant 7 flat 5 diminished, not the ‘sixth diminished guy’, four scales, sixth diminished scales, eight-note scales, six diminished scales, scales of chords

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 0:43Barry’s four scales of chords · Episode 6
    Ordinary G major gives seven chords: Gmaj7, Am7, Bm7, Cmaj7, D7, Em7, F#m7b5.
  2. 1:22Barry’s four scales of chords · Episode 6
    Add a flat 6 and the chords become G6, diminished, G6, diminished...
  3. 2:01Barry’s four scales of chords · Episode 6
    Flatten the third for G minor 6 diminished; E minor 7 flat 5 appears as an inversion.
  4. 2:48Barry’s four scales of chords · Episode 6
    G7 diminished and G7 flat 5 diminished, with the same diminished chord between.
  5. 4:41Barry’s four scales of chords · Episode 6
    Don’t neglect the dominant 7 and 7 flat 5 scales.
  6. 9:09Comping for A Night in Tunisia · Episode 19
    Comping with the E flat 7 diminished scale of chords into D minor 6.
  7. 12:29Comping All the Things You Are · Episode 23
    E flat 7 diminished and E flat 7 flat 5 as further options after D flat 6.
  8. 0:04Practising and making lines with the E minor 6th diminished scale · Episode 39
    Major 6 dim, minor 6 dim, dominant 7 dim, dominant 7 flat 5 dim.
  9. 9:57Endless ways to play I-VI-II-V with the scale of chords · Episode 46
    For D7: D7 diminished, D7 flat 5 diminished, a minor 6 diminished or the tritone’s minor.
  10. 1:11What is the name of this chord? · Episode 51
    Every chord comes from one of the four scales of chords.
  11. 1:42How to create minor lines · Episode 65
    Dominant 7 dim has a flat seventh; dominant 7 flat 5 has a flat seventh and flat fifth; Barry isn’t ‘the sixth diminished guy’.
  12. 1:11Autumn Leaves with Barry’s 4 Scales of Chords · Episode 69
    Autumn Leaves in B flat: B flat 6, E flat 6, F7 diminished, C minor 6, D7 flat 5 diminished, G minor 6.
  13. 10:22Blues Comping Using All 4 Scales of Chords · Episode 71
    The first bars of a blues already use all four.
  14. 13:23Half step below is beautiful: scales and sixth chords · Episode 72
    Half step below applies to all four scales.
  15. 2:52Using Barry’s Scales of Chords on a 2-5 · Episode 79
    G7b5 diminished, which is the same as Db7b5 diminished, used on the V of a ii-V
  16. 13:41A Minor 7 Flat 5 Is Beautiful · Episode 86
    Every diatonic chord can take one or more of the four scales of chords
  17. 7:51Don’t Alter Your Dominant · Episode 90
    For chording, Chris thinks only through the four scales of chords
  18. 0:00There’s more to it than 6th diminished · Episode 106
    Many channels reduce Barry’s harmony to ‘six diminished’; that leaves out half or more of it
  19. 1:58There’s more to it than 6th diminished · Episode 106
    It is not the major bebop scale, and ‘major scale plus flat 6’ does not say where it comes from
  20. 2:38There’s more to it than 6th diminished · Episode 106
    G and E from Db diminished plus C and A from C diminished make C6; D diminished is left over
  21. 3:50There’s more to it than 6th diminished · Episode 106
    G from Db diminished plus C, Eb, A from C diminished make C minor 6, again with D diminished
  22. 4:25There’s more to it than 6th diminished · Episode 106
    G, Bb, E from Db diminished plus C make C7: the C7 diminished scale
  23. 5:39There’s more to it than 6th diminished · Episode 106
    Bb, E from Db diminished plus C, Gb from C diminished make C7b5
  24. 6:57There’s more to it than 6th diminished · Episode 106
    Apply them to every diatonic chord: C major 7 can take C6 diminished or G6 diminished (the six on the fifth)
  25. 8:49There’s more to it than 6th diminished · Episode 106
    Ask why: why a flat 6 and not a flat 5? The creation theory answers it
  26. 2:12Weekly guitar workshops at Open Studio
    Chris’s harmony class at Open Studio is to be built on Barry’s four scales of chords
  27. 1:25Barry’s most beautiful move: changing key · Episode 146
    Bb6 diminished, Bb minor 6 diminished and Bb7 diminished (Bb7 plus C diminished) set out side by side
  28. 11:57Barry’s most beautiful move: changing key · Episode 146
    Names all four scales (major 6, minor 6, dominant 7 and dominant 7 flat 5 diminished) as the tools for changing key
  29. 0:00The scale we never talk about: dominant 7 diminished · Episode 148
    Points out that the dominant 7 and dominant 7 flat 5 diminished scales get overlooked because Barry only came up with them in the 80s
  30. 0:33What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    The diminished always sits on the major 7 or the 2nd; Chris counts it from the 2nd, Barry from the 7th
  31. 1:07What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    C major 6 diminished spelled as C6 plus D diminished
  32. 1:42What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    C minor 6 diminished and C7 diminished, both with the same D diminished
  33. 2:17What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    C7 flat 5 diminished, ‘the trickiest one’, which Barry used less often
  34. 0:42Harmony versus soloing: what you’re getting wrong · Episode 154
    Barry’s piano (harmony) class was built on these eight-note scales, sometimes with the full diminished scale too
  35. 10:05First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    Lists the four scales of chords and sets the diminished-diminished scale apart from them

Idea 4 of 17

The major 6 diminished scale

The four notes of a major 6 chord plus the diminished chord a whole step above its root (C E G A plus D F A flat B): a major scale with a flat 6 added, though Chris prefers to see it as ‘major 6 plus diminished’. Harmonised, it alternates the 6 chord and the diminished in successive inversions. Since a minor 7 is a major 6 and a major 7 is the 6 with one note borrowed from the diminished, it covers the major chord, its relative minor 7 and any ii that is really a 6 chord, and it is the basis of Barry’s comping.

Practise it: Learn it in drop 2 on every string set in the keys your tunes need, then through the other floors of the elevator, and move it parallel, oblique and contrary.

C6D°C6/EF°C6/GA♭°C6/AB°in C
Major 6 diminished, in C. Tap a chord to hear it.
357912EFGAbABCDEABCDEFGAbADEFGAbABCDGAbABCDEFGBCDEFGAbABEFGAbABCDE
CDEFGABCDEFGABA♭A♭

rootthe major 6 chordthe diminished chord

G6
××G6
C2GC3DEB
G6
××G6
C3DGBC4E
C6
××C6
C2GCEA
C6
7fr××C6
CGAC4E
Line
𝄞♭
CDEFGABC6A♭
  1. C
  2. D
  3. E
  4. F
  5. G
  6. A♭
  7. A
  8. B
Line
𝄞♭♭♭
C4GCFBC6DE♭B♭A♭
  1. E♭
  2. G
  3. B♭
  4. C
  5. F
  6. A♭
  7. B
  8. D

Builds onBarry’s four scales of chords

Barry’s own pages9.3 The major 6th diminished scale (a major scale with one more note)9.4 Playing the scale of chords (block chords up and down the 6th dim scale)

More on this 24 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called Major 6 diminished scale, Major 6 diminished, sixth diminished scale, major scale with an added flat 6, 6 dim, C6 diminished scale, 6 diminished, a major scale with a flat 6, major sixth diminished, 6 diminished scale

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 1:22Barry’s four scales of chords · Episode 6
    G major plus a flat 6; the chords alternate G6 and diminished.
  2. 0:38G6 and C6 diminished scale of chords · Episode 15
    G6 diminished in drop 2: G6 on strings 6-3.
  3. 1:22G6 and C6 diminished scale of chords · Episode 15
    G6 on the middle strings.
  4. 2:45G6 and C6 diminished scale of chords · Episode 15
    C6 diminished in drop 2, starting with the fifth in the bass.
  5. 3:21G6 and C6 diminished scale of chords · Episode 15
    C6 on the middle strings, or on the sixth-string root if the stretch is too wide.
  6. 2:29Comping All the Things You Are · Episode 23
    A flat 6 diminished: an A flat major scale with an extra note.
  7. 2:05Using Barry’s Scales of Chords on a 2-5 · Episode 79
    F6 diminished as the scale for D minor 7 in a ii-V-I in C
  8. 0:38A Minor 7 Is Beautiful · Episode 82
    C6 diminished scale: like C major with a flat 6, chords alternating C6 and diminished
  9. 1:52A Minor 7 Is Beautiful · Episode 82
    Moving through C6 diminished to land on D minor 7 (F6)
  10. 3:33Finding Your Own Voice (Darn That Dream) · Episode 103
    G6 diminished is G6 plus A diminished, used for the G major of Darn That Dream
  11. 1:50Using Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 108
    D minor 7 played as F6 diminished drop 2s, with parallel, oblique and contrary motion
  12. 0:35What can I do from the 3rd? · Episode 114
    C major 6 diminished: harmonised it gives C6, D diminished, then inversions of those two.
  13. 6:09Every guitar player should know this: inside the drop 2 · Episode 119
    C major 6 diminished spelled out: C, E, G, A plus D, F, A-flat, B.
  14. 1:53The Barry Harris scale no one plays: 7 flat 5 diminished · Episode 127
    G major 6 diminished is G major 6 plus A diminished, one of the four scales of chords.
  15. 1:22Chord melodies from Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 138
    E-flat 6 diminished: Eb, G, Bb, C plus F, Ab, B, D.
  16. 8:08Chord melodies from Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 138
    Practise scales of chords in the keys of real tunes (E-flat, A-flat), not only C and G.
  17. 0:33Reasons to practise major 6th to major 6th chords · Episode 140
    G6 diminished (G B D E plus A C Eb Gb) and C6 diminished (C E G A plus D F Ab B).
  18. 0:48Barry’s most beautiful move: changing key · Episode 146
    Barry’s intro to Bud Powell’s ‘I’ll Keep Loving You’ starts on the diminished of the Bb6 diminished scale
  19. 1:57Harmony versus soloing: what you’re getting wrong · Episode 154
    In the piano class A minor 7 is played from C6 diminished: parallel, contrary, oblique and borrowed moves
  20. 2:32First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    C major 7 (drop 2: C G B E) traced to C6 diminished; the B is one borrowed note from D diminished
  21. 2:48First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    C6 diminished described as C6 plus D diminished rather than a major scale with a flat 6
  22. 10:39First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    Moving C6 diminished parallel in drop 2s, then borrowing notes to turn it into A minor 7 sounds
  23. 2:12No more comping 4’s: small moves with sixth chords · Episode 167
    F minor 7 read as Ab6, from the Ab6 diminished scale (Ab6 plus Bb diminished)
  24. 3:20No more comping 4’s: small moves with sixth chords · Episode 167
    Bb minor 7 read as Db6, from Db6 diminished (Db6 plus Eb diminished)

Idea 5 of 17

The minor 6 diminished scale

The four notes of a minor 6 chord plus the diminished a whole step above its root (C E flat G A plus D F A flat B). It holds the flat 6 of harmonic minor, the major 6 of melodic minor and the major 7, which is why Chris calls it greater than both, and harmonised it alternates minor 6 and diminished chords. It is Barry’s main minor sound and the one scale of chords he also used for soloing, over a real minor; it also covers the half-diminished a minor third below its root and, as the tritone’s minor, a dominant a half step below.

Practise it: Play it up to the tonic and down, in thirds, triads and four-note chords (up on the minor 6, down on the diminished), then learn its chords in drop 2, drop 3 and drop 2 and 4. Use it on the minor chord, on the half-diminished a minor third below and over the dominant a half step below.

Cm6D°Cm6/E♭F°Cm6/GA♭°Cm6/AB°in C
Minor 6 diminished, in C. Tap a chord to hear it.
357912FGAbABCDEbABCDEbFGAbADEbFGAbABCDGAbABCDEbFGBCDEbFGAbABFGAbABCDEb
CDFGABCDFGABE♭A♭E♭A♭

rootthe minor 6 chordthe diminished chord

Dm6
××Dm6
C2AC3DFB
Line
𝄞♯♯♯
C4EGABCEG♭D♭E♭
  1. E
  2. F#
  3. G
  4. A
  5. B
  6. C
  7. C#
  8. D#
  9. E
E minor 6
𝄞♯
C3EBC4GD♭
  1. E
  2. B
  3. C#
  4. G
Line
𝄞♭♭♯
C4GACDEB♭E♭G♭
  1. G
  2. A
  3. B♭
  4. C
  5. D
  6. E♭
  7. E
  8. F#
G minor 6
××G minor 6
C2GC3DEB♭
diminished from the 8th fret
7fr××diminished from the 8th fret
CAC4G♭E♭

Builds onBarry’s four scales of chords

Barry’s own pages9.5 The minor 6th diminished scale and its diminished partner4.3 Minor

More on this 52 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called Minor 6 diminished, Minor 6th diminished scale, Minor 6 diminished scale, C minor 6 diminished, minor 6 plus the diminished a whole step up, greater than harmonic or melodic minor, minor sixth diminished scale, minor sixth diminished, minor 6 dim

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 5:22Barry’s four scales of chords · Episode 6
    G minor 6 diminished as single notes: scale, thirds, triads, chords.
  2. 1:18Scales for How High the Moon · Episode 14
    G minor 6 has the flat 6 and the major 6 in it.
  3. 0:37Scales and soloing for A Night in Tunisia · Episode 18
    D minor 6 is a minor scale with both a flat 6 and a major 6.
  4. 0:55Comping for A Night in Tunisia · Episode 19
    D minor 6 diminished in drop 2 for Night in Tunisia.
  5. 1:09Soloing with the Diminished · Episode 21
    F minor 6 chord plus a diminished chord gives an eight-note scale.
  6. 0:34Chord Ideas in C Major · Episode 27
    A minor scale made of a minor 6 chord and a diminished chord, in drop 2.
  7. 1:13Practising and making lines with the E minor 6th diminished scale · Episode 39
    E minor 6 (E, G, B, C sharp) plus F sharp diminished (F sharp, A, C, D sharp).
  8. 1:49Practising and making lines with the E minor 6th diminished scale · Episode 39
    The eight notes of E minor 6 diminished.
  9. 3:33Practising and making lines with the E minor 6th diminished scale · Episode 39
    Triads with the middle note played again.
  10. 4:45Practising and making lines with the E minor 6th diminished scale · Episode 39
    Chords up the scale: minor 6, then diminished, alternating.
  11. 9:33Practising and making lines with the E minor 6th diminished scale · Episode 39
    Barry plays the top note of a triad first, then the triad.
  12. 10:41Practising and making lines with the E minor 6th diminished scale · Episode 39
    Drop 2 of the first chord: E, B, C sharp, G on top.
  13. 0:38Practicing the G Minor 6th Diminished Scale · Episode 45
    G minor 6 (G, B flat, D, E) plus A diminished (A, C, E flat, F sharp).
  14. 1:13Practicing the G Minor 6th Diminished Scale · Episode 45
    The scale notes on the sixth string: frets 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15.
  15. 1:53Practicing the G Minor 6th Diminished Scale · Episode 45
    Drop 2 on strings 6 to 3 from G.
  16. 2:31Practicing the G Minor 6th Diminished Scale · Episode 45
    Drop 2 from C: diminished.
  17. 3:07Practicing the G Minor 6th Diminished Scale · Episode 45
    Drop 2 from F sharp: diminished from the major 7, then back to G minor 6.
  18. 3:43Practicing the G Minor 6th Diminished Scale · Episode 45
    Single notes of G minor 6 only, ten notes across all six strings from the third fret.
  19. 4:16Practicing the G Minor 6th Diminished Scale · Episode 45
    A diminished across six strings from the 5th fret; all diminished shapes look the same.
  20. 7:20Practicing the G Minor 6th Diminished Scale · Episode 45
    Chord, then triplets up and down each shape, metronome at 100 (start at 50).
  21. 9:14Practicing the G Minor 6th Diminished Scale · Episode 45
    Then up a fourth in the same area: C minor 6, F minor 6, through all keys.
  22. 0:40Endless ways to play a minor I-VI-II-V with the scale of chords · Episode 47
    G minor 6 diminished covers G minor 6 and E minor 7 flat 5 in a minor I-VI-II-V.
  23. 0:34How to create minor lines · Episode 65
    Barry’s sound for minor tunes such as If I Should Lose You, Yesterdays, Just One of Those Things.
  24. 1:10How to create minor lines · Episode 65
    Contains both the harmonic and the melodic minor.
  25. 0:34Barry’s scale outline for a C minor blues · Episode 85
    C minor 6 diminished: root, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, 6, major 7
  26. 1:09Barry’s scale outline for a C minor blues · Episode 85
    It contains both the harmonic minor and the melodic minor sounds
  27. 1:42Barry’s scale outline for a C minor blues · Episode 85
    C minor 6 plus D diminished; practise it up and down, in thirds, triads and chords
  28. 1:54A Minor 7 Flat 5 Is Beautiful · Episode 86
    Know C minor 6 diminished in drop 2, drop 3, drop 2-and-4, thirds, triads and octave chords
  29. 0:43Where Do I Use Barry’s Minor 6th Diminished Scale? · Episode 92
    G minor 6 diminished spelled by degree; Autumn Leaves in Bb
  30. 1:13C Minor 6th Diminished (with Thomas Echols’s Floors) · Episode 98
    C minor 6 (C, Eb, G, A) plus D diminished (D, F, Ab, B)
  31. 0:00Pivots are pretty: the minor sixth diminished scale · Episode 105
    A minor 6 (A, C, E, F#) plus B diminished (B, D, F, Ab)
  32. 1:41Pivots are pretty: the minor sixth diminished scale · Episode 105
    In thirds: E to F# is really a second (‘diminished third’); only C to E is a major third
  33. 3:19Pivots are pretty: the minor sixth diminished scale · Episode 105
    Triads and chords alternate minor 6 and diminished; the name tells you what is in it
  34. 5:35Pivots are pretty: the minor sixth diminished scale · Episode 105
    Up a minor 6, down the next diminished, alternating up and down the scale
  35. 6:29Drop 2s are more than you think · Episode 111
    Only one major third in the whole minor 6 diminished scale
  36. 5:22Don’t think altered, think family · Episode 112
    A-flat minor 6 diminished over G7 holds both melodic and harmonic minor, plus the flat 6.
  37. 0:00Every guitar player should know this: inside the drop 2 · Episode 119
    C minor 6 diminished: C, E-flat, G, A plus D, F, A-flat, B.
  38. 1:09Do you know your minor 6th diminished scale? · Episode 123
    Drop 2s up the C minor 6 diminished scale, first voicing C G A E-flat, alternating C minor 6 and D diminished.
  39. 8:38Do you know your minor 6th diminished scale? · Episode 123
    Use it on C minor 6 or A minor 7 flat 5, as in the bridge of All the Things You Are.
  40. 1:10Drop 2 with a pretty twist · Episode 136
    D minor 6 diminished: D, F, A, B plus E, G, B-flat, D-flat.
  41. 4:51Drop 2 with a pretty twist · Episode 136
    D minor 6 in three places: real D minor after E half-diminished A7, B half-diminished, and in place of G7.
  42. 0:00Barry’s beautiful borrowing · Episode 145
    G minor 6 diminished: G, B-flat, D, E plus A, C, E-flat, G-sharp.
  43. 0:36We don’t know triads · Episode 147
    A minor 6 diminished spelled: the four notes of A minor 6 plus B diminished
  44. 0:00Thirds in pairs: an idea I didn’t think of · Episode 150
    D minor 6 diminished: D minor 6 plus E diminished
  45. 4:30Thirds in pairs: an idea I didn’t think of · Episode 150
    D minor 6 with the 6th in the bass is B half-diminished, so it covers Bm7b5 - E7 - A minor
  46. 16:31What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    The only eight-note scale Barry soloed on, apart from occasional diminished and whole-tone
  47. 10:58Harmony versus soloing: what you’re getting wrong · Episode 154
    In a real minor tune such as Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise in C minor, Barry treated minor 6 diminished as a soloing scale
  48. 2:59Chords hidden in the minor 6 diminished scale · Episode 155
    C minor 6 diminished: C minor 6 plus D diminished, minor 6 and diminished in turn
  49. 1:42Must-know minor ii-V’s in drop 2 · Episode 159
    E minor 7 flat 5 belongs to G minor 6 diminished, which also contains melodic and harmonic minor
  50. 2:37G minor 6 diminished: drop 2s with single notes and thirds · Episode 168
    G minor 6 diminished in drop 2s, combined with single notes and thirds
  51. 7:09G minor 6 diminished: drop 2s with single notes and thirds · Episode 168
    Where to use it: any real G minor, and any E half-diminished
  52. 5:55The 3 scales you need for Barry’s scale outlines · Episode 169
    For a real F minor (as in Indiana or Donna Lee in Ab), Barry soloed on F minor 6 diminished, which holds melodic and harmonic minor

Idea 6 of 17

The dominant 7 diminished scale

A dominant 7 chord plus the diminished a whole step above its root (D7 plus E diminished, G7 plus A diminished). In chords it alternates the dominant and the diminished, and in thirds it has one major third, minor thirds and one second, because of the chromatic run from the flat 7 through the major 7 to the root. Chris thinks it gets overlooked, and uses it to let a plain dominant move just as the sixth-diminished scales do.

Practise it: Take it through the same routine as the major and minor 6 scales (single notes, thirds, triads, shells, octave chords, drop 2, drop 3, drop 2 and 4) and use it in turnarounds on the V chord.

C7D°C7/EF°C7/GA♭°C7/B♭B°in C
Dominant 7 diminished, in C. Tap a chord to hear it.
357912EFGAbBbBCDEBbBCDEFGAbDEFGAbBbBCDGAbBbBCDEFGBCDEFGAbBbBEFGAbBbBCDE
CDEFGBCDEFGBA♭B♭A♭B♭

rootthe dominant 7 chordthe diminished chord

C7
𝄞♭♭
CEGC6DFBB♭A♭
  1. C
  2. E
  3. G
  4. B♭
  5. D
  6. F
  7. A♭
  8. B
G7
𝄞♭♭
C4GBC5DFACE♭G♭
  1. G
  2. B
  3. D
  4. F
  5. A
  6. C
  7. E♭
  8. G♭

Builds onBarry’s four scales of chords

Barry’s own pages9.8 The 7th diminished and 7th flat 5 diminished scales

More on this 13 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called Dominant 7 diminished scale, 7th diminished scale, C7 diminished, D7 diminished scale, dominant plus the diminished a whole step up

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 2:05Using Barry’s Scales of Chords on a 2-5 · Episode 79
    G7 diminished and Db7 diminished on the V of a ii-V in C
  2. 0:45Don’t Alter Your Dominant · Episode 90
    D7 diminished: D7 plus E diminished, a diminished every other chord
  3. 4:57Don’t Alter Your Dominant · Episode 90
    Triads in the D7 diminished scale: major, diminished, 3-5-b7, diminished, 5-b7-1, diminished, b7-1-3
  4. 3:33Finding Your Own Voice (Darn That Dream) · Episode 103
    Eb7 diminished is Eb7 plus F diminished, used in Darn That Dream
  5. 3:34Using Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 108
    G7 diminished scale: G7 plus A diminished
  6. 4:47Using Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 108
    Db7 diminished: Db7 plus Eb diminished, used on the same G7
  7. 0:38The scale we never talk about: dominant 7 diminished · Episode 148
    C7 diminished spelled as C7 plus D diminished, then played in drop 2s
  8. 2:03The scale we never talk about: dominant 7 diminished · Episode 148
    The scale in thirds: one major third, minor thirds and one second, from the chromatic between the flat 7, the major 7 and the tonic
  9. 10:34The scale we never talk about: dominant 7 diminished · Episode 148
    We alter dominants all the time, but the plain dominant seen through this scale has plenty of options
  10. 9:00What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    G7 diminished: G7 plus A diminished
  11. 9:35What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    G7 diminished and Db7 diminished share a diminished, so they are family
  12. 11:59Six must-know ii-Vs · Episode 158
    The D7 and Ab7 reached in the six ii-V moves each lead into their own dominant 7 diminished scale
  13. 5:54First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    C7 belongs first to the C7 diminished scale, which Barry added in the 80s

Idea 7 of 17

The dominant 7 flat 5 diminished scale

The fourth scale of chords: a dominant 7 flat 5 chord plus the diminished a step above the root (G7 flat 5 plus A diminished), giving root, 2, 3, 4, flat 5, flat 6, flat 7 and major 7. G7 flat 5 and D flat 7 flat 5 share the same four notes, so its triads repeat halfway up. Chris calls it the trickiest of the four; Barry used it less and only talked about the two dominant scales from the 1980s, but it is available whenever there is a dominant, beside the dominant 7 diminished.

Practise it: Play it in single notes, thirds and triads (Thomas Eccles’ elevator), then move the triads in parallel or contrary motion over D minor 7 to G7. Chris uses these two scales whenever he comps on a dominant.

C7♭5D°C7♭5/EF°C7♭5/G♭A♭°C7♭5/B♭B°in C
Dominant 7♭5 diminished, in C. Tap a chord to hear it.
357912EFGbAbBbBCDEBbBCDEFGbAbDEFGbAbBbBCDAbBbBCDEFGbBCDEFGbAbBbBEFGbAbBbBCDE
CDEFBCDEFBG♭A♭B♭G♭A♭B♭

rootthe dominant 7♭5 chordthe diminished chord

Line
𝄞♭♭♯
C4GABCFD♭E♭G♭
  1. G
  2. A
  3. B
  4. C
  5. D♭
  6. E♭
  7. F
  8. F#
C7b5
𝄞♭♭♭
CEC6DFBG♭B♭A♭
  1. C
  2. E
  3. G♭
  4. B♭
  5. D
  6. F
  7. A♭
  8. B

Builds onThe dominant 7 diminished scale

Barry’s own pages9.8 The 7th diminished and 7th flat 5 diminished scales8.8 Whole tone in practice

More on this 9 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called Dominant 7 flat 5 diminished scale, 7th flat 5 diminished, the scale no one plays, 7th flat 5 diminished scale

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 2:32The Barry Harris scale no one plays: 7 flat 5 diminished · Episode 127
    G7 diminished is G7 plus A diminished; G7 flat 5 diminished is G7 flat 5 plus A diminished: G A B C Db Eb F F#.
  2. 3:15The Barry Harris scale no one plays: 7 flat 5 diminished · Episode 127
    The scale in thirds: major, minor, second, minor, repeated.
  3. 4:21The Barry Harris scale no one plays: 7 flat 5 diminished · Episode 127
    Its triads: major with flat 5, diminished, then one with the third, flat 5 and 7, then diminished; they repeat from D-flat.
  4. 5:07The Barry Harris scale no one plays: 7 flat 5 diminished · Episode 127
    Triads and thirds from the scale over a D minor 7 to G7 turnaround.
  5. 7:42The Barry Harris scale no one plays: 7 flat 5 diminished · Episode 127
    He uses the dominant 7 and 7 flat 5 diminished scales on every dominant when comping.
  6. 8:14The Barry Harris scale no one plays: 7 flat 5 diminished · Episode 127
    Barry knew the major and minor 6 scales in the 50s, but the two dominant scales only came in the 80s.
  7. 11:57Barry’s most beautiful move: changing key · Episode 146
    Whenever you use a dominant you can use the dominant 7 flat 5 diminished as well
  8. 5:07The scale we never talk about: dominant 7 diminished · Episode 148
    The dominant voicings are pretty with a flat 5 too, saved for another video
  9. 2:17What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    C7 flat 5 diminished: C E Gb Bb plus D diminished

Idea 8 of 17

The diminished diminished scale

Two diminished chords a step apart, put together as eight notes. Chris treats it as where a plain diminished chord comes from, almost a fifth scale of chords. Barry sometimes showed it in the piano class, and Bud Powell soloed with it more than Barry did.

Builds onBarry’s four scales of chordsThe diminished scale: a diminished plus four tonics

Barry’s own pages8.6 The diminished scale as diminished chord + four dominant roots

More on this 3 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called Diminished diminished scale, the diminished scale, almost a fifth scale of chords

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 14:29What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    Barry’s ‘diminished scale’, two diminisheds in a row, is almost like a fifth scale of chords
  2. 10:05First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    C diminished comes from C diminished plus D diminished, not from one of the four scales of chords
  3. 7:46The 3 scales you need for Barry’s scale outlines · Episode 169
    Bud Powell soloed with the full diminished scale; Barry didn’t use it much

Idea 9 of 17

Every chord belongs to a scale of chords

Barry’s outlook, which Chris calls unique to him: a chord symbol is never one fixed grip but four notes from one or more of the eight-note scales of chords. Major 7 comes from major 6 diminished, minor 7 from the major 6 a minor third up, half-diminished from the minor 6 a minor third up, and a dominant from dominant 7 diminished or two minor 6s. Once you see the scale, everything you have practised on it (inversions, thirds, triads, motion, borrowing) is available whenever the chord comes up, and the chord’s name becomes the least important thing about it.

Practise it: Whenever you see a chord symbol, name its scale of chords and ask what you can already do on that scale in the time the chord lasts; then run one scale into the next rather than thinking of chord symbols.

Builds onBarry’s four scales of chordsThe major 6 diminished scaleThe minor 6 diminished scale

Barry’s own pages3.3 Every chord takes the scale it comes from9.1 Sixth chords rule9.4 Playing the scale of chords (block chords up and down the 6th dim scale)9.10 The extended family and the musical universe

More on this 28 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called Every chord belongs to a scale, A chord is not a stagnant chord, What is the name of this chord?, scales are greater than chords, I don’t believe in chords, I believe in scales, no stagnant chords, scale is bigger than chord, scales are more important than chords, C6 diminished scale is greater than A minor 7, seeing scales instead of chords

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 0:04What is the name of this chord? · Episode 51
    We name chords on sight; Barry would say we have it backwards.
  2. 0:35What is the name of this chord? · Episode 51
    The scale of chords a group of notes comes from matters more than its label.
  3. 3:35What is the name of this chord? · Episode 51
    Barry can take ten random notes on the piano and say which scale of chords they belong to.
  4. 9:05What is the name of this chord? · Episode 51
    One chord could be called E flat major with a sharp five; naming it ‘sounds stupid’.
  5. 12:14What is the name of this chord? · Episode 51
    Naming is second; what matters is which scale of chords it comes from.
  6. 0:41Blues Comping Using All 4 Scales of Chords · Episode 71
    Barry doesn’t look at chords numerically.
  7. 5:29Using Barry’s Scales of Chords on a 2-5 · Episode 79
    Barry instantly translates D minor 7 into F6 and uses everything he has practised on F6
  8. 9:03Using Barry’s Scales of Chords on a 2-5 · Episode 79
    Chris decides to think of harmony only through the scales of chords
  9. 1:25Don’t Think C9 · Episode 81
    A chord seen as part of a scale is movable; inversions alone are limiting
  10. 3:02A Minor 7 Is Beautiful · Episode 82
    A minor 7 played as moving drop 2s through the C6 diminished scale instead of one stagnant chord
  11. 12:15A Minor 7 Is Beautiful · Episode 82
    ‘C6 diminished scale is greater than A minor 7’
  12. 1:18A Minor 7 Flat 5 Is Beautiful · Episode 86
    A minor 7b5 is one chord along the C minor 6 diminished scale, so it can move
  13. 0:36Using Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 108
    Transform your thinking from chord to scale: scale is bigger than chord
  14. 12:04Using Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 108
    The main lesson: no more thinking in chords; think scales
  15. 11:07What can I do from the 3rd? · Episode 114
    Do this from every degree and in all four scales of chords so you sound like yourself.
  16. 1:04You’re going to have fun with this: the Lady Bird turnback · Episode 130
    Lady Bird turnback needs four scales of chords: C6, Eb7, Ab6 and Db7 diminished.
  17. 7:24A beautiful way to play a minor blues · Episode 139
    Each minor 6 in the minor blues belongs to its own minor 6 diminished scale, so everything from that scale fits.
  18. 8:44A beautiful way to play a minor blues · Episode 139
    Running one scale into the next means not thinking about which alteration a chord makes.
  19. 11:17What is short? · Episode 141
    Seeing A half-diminished as C minor 6 diminished; the name of a borrowed chord is insignificant.
  20. 16:12What is short? · Episode 141
    Every chord can belong to one or more of Barry’s four scales of chords.
  21. 7:34Barry’s beautiful borrowing · Episode 145
    E minor 7 flat 5 is not a stagnant chord but part of a scale; in Barry’s world every chord belongs to a scale.
  22. 13:52What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    ‘You don’t see chords anymore, you see scales’: each chord can belong to one or more scales of chords
  23. 0:34Scale outlines: the first step to improvising · Episode 163
    A chord symbol tells the comper what to play, but a Barry player also knows which eight-note scale it comes from
  24. 1:08First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    Barry: ‘I don’t believe in chords, I believe in scales’ — he still played chords, but heard them as coming from a scale
  25. 9:32First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    Summary: maj7 is major 6, m7 is major 6, dominant is dominant 7 diminished or two minor 6s, half-diminished is minor 6, diminished is diminished diminished
  26. 12:50First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    If you already have your own harmonic habits, add this on top of them; it is a cure for getting sick of your own playing
  27. 15:06First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    Barry could look at ten fingers dropped anywhere on the piano and name them as a scale of chords with borrowed notes
  28. 12:20G minor 6 diminished: drop 2s with single notes and thirds · Episode 168
    The purpose of the harmonic concept: a chord belongs to a scale, so move freely around it

Idea 10 of 17

Each diatonic chord has its own scale of chords

A common mistake is to think Barry ‘reharmonised’ the seven chords of the major scale by putting C6 and D diminished on every degree. In fact each diatonic chord belongs to a different scale of chords. In C: C major 7 comes from C6 diminished, D minor 7 from F6, E minor 7 from G6, F major 7 from F6, A minor 7 from C6 or A minor 6 diminished, B minor 7 flat 5 from D minor 6 diminished, and G7 from several scales.

Practise it: Go through a key’s diatonic chords and name the scale of chords for each one.

Builds onEvery chord belongs to a scale of chords

Barry’s own pages3.2 A chord on every degree; how many keys each chord type belongs to3.3 Every chord takes the scale it comes from9.1 Sixth chords rule

More on this 4 moments where Chris teaches it

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 3:29What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    The mistaken idea: adding one note to the major scale and putting C6 and D diminished on every degree
  2. 4:13What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    Cmaj7 to C6 diminished, Dm7 to F6, Em7 to G6, Fmaj7 to F6 diminished
  3. 5:28What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    Am7 is C6, or A minor 6 diminished when it acts as a real minor; Bm7b5 is D minor 6 diminished
  4. 6:40What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    Summary of the scales of chords you need to play through the key of C the Barry way

Idea 11 of 17

Six on the fifth: two sixth chords for a major chord

Over a major chord you can play its own 6 chord or the major 6 built on its fifth: G6 over C gives the 5th, 9th, 3rd and major 7th, a major 7 with 9 sound. The two sixth chords are only two notes apart, and moving those two notes a half step instead of a whole step gives the diminished between them, a pretty comping movement. Barry also gets the major 7 sound by borrowing the seventh from the diminished.

Practise it: Alternate the tonic sixth chord with the six on the fifth in every drop 2 inversion by the closest route, add the diminished in between, then use them to harmonise a melody.

Builds onThe major 6 diminished scaleSixth chords rule: minor 7 is major 6, half-diminished is minor 6

Barry’s own pages9.2 Two sixth chords for every major chord (6 on the 1, 6 on the 5)10.6 Colour from the family

More on this 10 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called Six on the fifth, Two sixth chords for a major chord, major 6 on the fifth, two sixth chords for every major chord, 6 on the 1 and 6 on the 5, D6 over G major

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 2:29Comping for How High the Moon · Episode 16
    D6 over G major: the 5th, 9th, major 3rd and major 7th of G.
  2. 3:06Comping for How High the Moon · Episode 16
    The movement D6 to G6, rhythmically.
  3. 4:17Comping for How High the Moon · Episode 16
    Lower D6 a half step and you get a diminished between D6 and G6.
  4. 8:26Comping All the Things You Are · Episode 23
    For A flat you can play A flat 6 or E flat 6.
  5. 3:24You’re going to have fun with this: the Lady Bird turnback · Episode 130
    C major 7 two ways: borrow from the diminished, or play G6 over C (the six on the fifth).
  6. 5:41You’re going to have fun with this: the Lady Bird turnback · Episode 130
    The six on the fifth of A-flat is Eb6: G6 to C6, Eb7, then Eb6 to Ab6, Db7.
  7. 6:23Chord melodies from Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 138
    Barry liked B-flat 6 over E-flat: 5th, 9th, 3rd and major 7th, two notes away from Eb6.
  8. 6:59Chord melodies from Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 138
    Harmonising There Will Never Be Another You by alternating Eb6 and Bb6 instead of Eb6 and diminished.
  9. 3:58Reasons to practise major 6th to major 6th chords · Episode 140
    In C, G6 over C is what Barry called six on the fifth: a major 7 with a 9th.
  10. 6:20Reasons to practise major 6th to major 6th chords · Episode 140
    Barry pointed out that the original Donna Lee (Bud on piano) opens with the six on the fifth going to the six.

Idea 12 of 17

The minor 6 on the fifth: don’t think C9

The sixth chord on the fifth of a dominant is a minor 6: D minor 6 over G7 holds its 3rd, 7th, 9th and 5th, so it is G9 without the root, and the guitarist’s C9 is simply G minor 6 with C in the bass (F9 is C minor 6, E flat 9 is B flat minor 6). Seeing it this way puts a whole minor 6 diminished scale under your fingers whenever a dominant or ninth chord comes up, and an added ‘13’ becomes one borrowed note. Together with the tritone’s minor a half step above the root, it gives every dominant two minor 6 chords to move between.

Practise it: Over each dominant, find the minor 6 on its fifth and the minor 6 a half step up, then play anything you know on their minor 6 diminished scales; in a C blues, try G minor 6 diminished for C9 and C minor 6 diminished for F9.

C9
𝄞𝄢♭
CEC4DGB♭
  1. C
  2. E
  3. B♭
  4. D
  5. G

Builds onThe minor 6 diminished scaleMinor 6 chords from the diminishedThe tritone’s minor

Barry’s own pages9.7 The important minor and the tritone’s minor (minor 6 dim over a dominant)10.6 Colour from the family9.5 The minor 6th diminished scale and its diminished partner

More on this 22 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called The minor six on the fifth of a dominant, The minor 6 on the fifth and the tritone’s minor, Don’t think C9, the dominant’s important minor, six on the fifth of a dominant, minor six on the fifth of every dominant, two minor sixes for a dominant, C9 is G minor 6 with C in the bass, the top four notes of a ninth chord are a minor 6

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 0:00Don’t Think C9 · Episode 81
    C9 spelled: C, E, Bb, D, G
  2. 0:41Don’t Think C9 · Episode 81
    The top four notes are G minor 6 with C in the bass; five-note chords are hard to invert
  3. 2:04Don’t Think C9 · Episode 81
    C blues: C9 played as G minor 6 diminished drop 2s
  4. 2:39Don’t Think C9 · Episode 81
    F9 is C minor 6 with F in the bass
  5. 4:32Don’t Think C9 · Episode 81
    C’s tritone F#7, its ninth played as Db minor 6
  6. 7:45Don’t Think C9 · Episode 81
    Everything you need to know on G minor 6 to play over one C9
  7. 5:58Don’t Be Bored of the Blues · Episode 91
    Eb9 without its root is Bb minor 6, so bars 1-2 become Bb major to Bb minor
  8. 6:06Using Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 108
    D minor 6 with G in the bass is the G9 guitarists play all the time
  9. 7:45Don’t think altered, think family · Episode 112
    G9 is D minor 6, the important minor on the fifth of G7.
  10. 6:48Why do we all play this? Comping on I Got Rhythm · Episode 121
    F9 written as C minor 6 at the end of the I Got Rhythm turnaround.
  11. 11:21Why do we all play this? Comping on I Got Rhythm · Episode 121
    B7’s important minor on its fifth: Bb6, A-flat minor 6, Eb6, F-sharp minor 6.
  12. 6:17You’re going to have fun with this: the Lady Bird turnback · Episode 130
    Lady Bird: the six on the fifth of Eb7 is B-flat minor 6, so play C6 to B-flat minor 6.
  13. 7:00You’re going to have fun with this: the Lady Bird turnback · Episode 130
    Db7 becomes A-flat minor 6: C6, B-flat minor 6, Ab6, A-flat minor 6.
  14. 8:39Drop 2 with a pretty twist · Episode 136
    D minor 6 in place of G7: the same notes as G9 without the G (3rd, flat 7th, 9th, 5th).
  15. 8:55Barry’s most beautiful move: changing key · Episode 146
    Every dominant has a minor 6 on its fifth: Bb minor 6 for Eb7, adding a 9 on top
  16. 10:05Barry’s most beautiful move: changing key · Episode 146
    E minor 6, the tritone’s minor, takes Bb6 to Ab major
  17. 11:17What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    Ab minor 6 over G7, with Ab minor 6 diminished in place of ‘Ab melodic minor’
  18. 12:48What almost everyone gets wrong about Barry’s harmony · Episode 151
    Moving around in Ab minor 6 diminished over G7 without naming each note’s interval
  19. 2:23Six must-know ii-Vs · Episode 158
    C6 to A minor 6, the minor 6 on the fifth of D7
  20. 8:56Six must-know ii-Vs · Episode 158
    C6 to Eb minor 6, the minor 6 on the fifth of the tritone, gives D7 with flat 9 and raised 5
  21. 6:46First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    G minor 6 over C7 is the familiar C9 shape: the minor 6 on the fifth
  22. 7:19First step to understanding Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 164
    Db minor 6 over C7 is the tritone’s minor, giving the flat 9 (Db) and the raised 5 (Ab)

Idea 13 of 17

Minor ii-V-i as three minor 6 chords

In a minor ii-V-i every chord can be a minor 6: the half-diminished is the minor 6 a minor third above it, the dominant takes the tritone’s minor a half step above it, and the tonic is its own minor 6. So E half-diminished, A7, D minor becomes G minor 6, B flat minor 6, D minor 6, and in Autumn Leaves (G minor) the three are C minor 6, E flat minor 6 and G minor 6. Moving between them gives rich, altered sounds with very little movement, and one minor 6 diminished idea, practised once, can be placed in all three spots.

Practise it: Work out a run or a voicing on one minor 6 diminished scale, then move it to the half-diminished and the dominant of the same minor key and resolve each, connecting the chords by the nearest inversion in time.

Builds onSixth chords rule: minor 7 is major 6, half-diminished is minor 6The minor 6 diminished scaleThe tritone’s minor

Barry’s own pages9.5 The minor 6th diminished scale and its diminished partner9.6 Half-diminished = minor with the sixth in the bass; major -> relative minor -> minor/69.7 The important minor and the tritone’s minor (minor 6 dim over a dominant)

More on this 9 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called Three places for one minor 6 diminished, Minor 6 to minor 6, minor 6 on the minor, the half diminished and the dominant, D-6 to G-6 to B flat-6, minor ii-V as three minor 6 chords

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 0:37Minor sixth diminished chords in drop 2 · Episode 12
    Why D, G and B flat minor 6: Yesterdays starts D minor, E half-diminished, A7, D minor.
  2. 11:32Minor sixth diminished chords in drop 2 · Episode 12
    E minor 7 flat 5 to B flat minor 6 to D minor 6, in every inversion.
  3. 12:53Minor sixth diminished chords in drop 3 and drop 2-4 · Episode 13
    ‘D-6 to E-7b5 to A7 is really D-6 to G-6 to B flat-6.’
  4. 6:03Comping for A Night in Tunisia · Episode 19
    Night in Tunisia: B flat minor 6 (inside E flat 7) into D minor 6.
  5. 5:58Barry’s scale outline for a C minor blues · Episode 85
    Minor blues: everything you know in C minor 6 and F minor 6
  6. 0:00Where Do I Use Barry’s Minor 6th Diminished Scale? · Episode 92
    Autumn Leaves in Bb: C minor, F7, Bb, Eb, A half diminished, D7, G minor
  7. 4:03Where Do I Use Barry’s Minor 6th Diminished Scale? · Episode 92
    Same run on C minor for the A half diminished
  8. 6:06Where Do I Use Barry’s Minor 6th Diminished Scale? · Episode 92
    Eb minor 6 over D7, a half step above the dominant
  9. 7:25Where Do I Use Barry’s Minor 6th Diminished Scale? · Episode 92
    Learn to apply one idea in many places so practice time pays off

Idea 14 of 17

Scales of chords for a dominant

Instead of thinking of alterations (flat 9, sharp 5, 13) on a V chord, choose a scale of chords from its family: G7 diminished, Db7 diminished, G7b5 diminished, D minor 6 diminished or Ab minor 6 diminished. Because all of these come from one diminished, Chris says this explains every alteration you will ever make to a G7. Naming the intervals is something to do afterwards; the scale of chords is the first thought.

Practise it: Over D minor 7 to G7 to C, keep F6 diminished on the ii and swap in each scale of chords on the V, moving each time to the closest drop 2.

Builds onThe family of dominantsThe minor 6 on the fifth: don’t think C9The dominant 7 flat 5 diminished scale

Barry’s own pages9.8 The 7th diminished and 7th flat 5 diminished scales9.7 The important minor and the tritone’s minor (minor 6 dim over a dominant)8.3 Four dominants from every diminished chord9.9 Chords from the diminished

More on this 7 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called Scales of chords on a 2-5, the diminished explains every alteration, labelling is an afterthought

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 2:05Using Barry’s Scales of Chords on a 2-5 · Episode 79
    ii-V in C: F6 diminished, then G7 diminished or Db7 diminished
  2. 3:25Using Barry’s Scales of Chords on a 2-5 · Episode 79
    D minor 6 diminished and Ab minor 6 diminished on the V
  3. 4:09Using Barry’s Scales of Chords on a 2-5 · Episode 79
    Drop 2s from the D minor 7 at the fifth fret, moving to the closest voicing of each scale
  4. 6:19Using Barry’s Scales of Chords on a 2-5 · Episode 79
    Think only which scales of chords to use, not alterations
  5. 8:09Using Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 108
    A chord others call b9 13 is just borrowing within a scale; the label is an afterthought
  6. 11:30Using Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 108
    The diminished G7 comes from is more important than G7 itself
  7. 12:43Using Barry’s scales of chords · Episode 108
    Barry’s system explains why, which other systems cannot

Idea 15 of 17

Don’t alter your dominant

Chris spent years altering every dominant because it sounded ‘jazzy’, and missed how beautiful a plain dominant is. Every altered sound comes from one of the other scales of chords anyway, while the plain dominant has its own scale of chords (dominant 7 diminished) to move through. He credits Thomas Eccles’ playing for showing him this.

Practise it: Play turnarounds in a major and a minor key where the V chord is always a plain dominant moving through its dominant 7 diminished scale.

Builds onThe dominant 7 diminished scale

Barry’s own pages9.8 The 7th diminished and 7th flat 5 diminished scales11.6 Comping

More on this 5 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called just play a plain D7

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 0:00Don’t Alter Your Dominant · Episode 90
    The mistake of always altering D7 in A minor to D7
  2. 1:27Don’t Alter Your Dominant · Episode 90
    Turnarounds in G with a plain D7 each time
  3. 2:20Don’t Alter Your Dominant · Episode 90
    Turnarounds in G minor: A half diminished from C minor 6 diminished, then plain D7
  4. 4:22Don’t Alter Your Dominant · Episode 90
    Hearing Thomas Eccles play plain dominants changed Chris’s ear
  5. 8:28Don’t Alter Your Dominant · Episode 90
    Pretty is pretty on any guitar; you don’t always have to alter D7

Idea 16 of 17

Infinite ways to play I-VI-II-V

Read a progression as scales of chords instead of four chords. In G, G major and E minor 7 are both the G6 diminished scale and A minor 7 is the C6 diminished scale; in G minor, G minor 6 and E minor 7 flat 5 are the G minor 6 diminished scale and A minor 7 flat 5 is C minor 6 diminished. You can then improvise with chords as freely as with single notes.

Practise it: On each scale of chords use drop 2, drop 3 and drop 2-and-4, thirds, sixths, tenths and contrary motion; start on diminished chords as well as sixth chords.

Builds onEvery chord belongs to a scale of chords

Barry’s own pages9.4 Playing the scale of chords (block chords up and down the 6th dim scale)10.3 Moving a chord through its scale into the next chord (6-6-6 instead of ii-V-I)

More on this 9 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called scale of chords on a progression

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 0:39Endless ways to play I-VI-II-V with the scale of chords · Episode 46
    I-VI-II-V in G: two scales of chords, G6 diminished and C6 diminished.
  2. 2:28Endless ways to play I-VI-II-V with the scale of chords · Episode 46
    Just playing up the scale of chords in drop 2s.
  3. 9:57Endless ways to play I-VI-II-V with the scale of chords · Episode 46
    G major to E minor 7 is G6 diminished, A minor 7 is C6 diminished; many options for D7.
  4. 11:38Endless ways to play I-VI-II-V with the scale of chords · Episode 46
    Starting on diminished chords instead of sixth chords.
  5. 12:46Endless ways to play I-VI-II-V with the scale of chords · Episode 46
    Even a short turnaround can be made special; everyone’s versions will differ.
  6. 0:03Endless ways to play a minor I-VI-II-V with the scale of chords · Episode 47
    Minor I-VI-II-V in G: G minor 6, E minor 7 flat 5, A minor 7 flat 5, D7.
  7. 3:41Endless ways to play a minor I-VI-II-V with the scale of chords · Episode 47
    C minor 6 diminished covers the A minor 7 flat 5.
  8. 11:22Endless ways to play a minor I-VI-II-V with the scale of chords · Episode 47
    The scales of chords let you improvise with chords the way you improvise single notes.
  9. 6:52Half step below is beautiful: scales and sixth chords · Episode 72
    Star Eyes: F minor 7-B flat 7 as A flat 6 diminished.

Idea 17 of 17

The same few notes across several octaves

Many dazzling Art Tatum, Bud Powell or Barry runs are just a small group of notes repeated up several octaves. On guitar, take three to five notes of a minor 6 diminished scale (1-b3-5-6, 1-2-3-5, 7-1-3-5, 3-2-1-b6-5 or just 1-5) and run them over three octaves; uneven groups land differently on the beat. Chris notes they work even with ordinary technique.

Practise it: Pick a small cell from G minor 6 diminished, run it over three octaves, hit each note twice, then move it to C minor 6 for the half diminished and Eb minor 6 for D7.

Gm6
𝄞♭
C3GC4DEB♭
  1. G
  2. B♭
  3. D
  4. E

Builds onThe minor 6 diminished scaleMinor ii-V-i as three minor 6 chords

Barry’s own pages9.5 The minor 6th diminished scale and its diminished partner14.3 Learn from the masters by ear; study the small things

More on this 6 moments where Chris teaches it

Also called piano runs on the guitar

Where Chris teaches it

  1. 6:59The Six-Note Scale Idea · Episode 78
    The six-note scale run up several octaves
  2. 1:29Where Do I Use Barry’s Minor 6th Diminished Scale? · Episode 92
    Tatum, Bud and Barry runs are often the same few notes across the piano
  3. 2:06Where Do I Use Barry’s Minor 6th Diminished Scale? · Episode 92
    G minor 6 notes (1, b3, 5, 6) over several octaves; then 1-2-3-5, 7-1-3-5
  4. 3:20Where Do I Use Barry’s Minor 6th Diminished Scale? · Episode 92
    A five-note cell, 3-2-1-b6-5, falls on the beat differently each octave
  5. 4:42Where Do I Use Barry’s Minor 6th Diminished Scale? · Episode 92
    Just root and fifth; hitting each note twice
  6. 9:49Where Do I Use Barry’s Minor 6th Diminished Scale? · Episode 92
    With normal-human technique (not Pasquale’s) the sound still works