Barry HarrisThe method
Volume II · Lines Stage 6, line devices Idea 8 of 1012345678910
6.8

The 5-4-3-2 (and 4-3, 5-4-3-2-1) phrases

The 5-4-3-2 phrases are four short stock phrases named after the scale degree they start from. Whenever a line reaches that degree you can drop the phrase in, and they can be chained; Barry taught them on major, dominant and minor scales.

In plain words

Each phrase takes its name from a degree: whenever your line arrives on the fifth you can use the ‘five’, on the fourth the ‘four’, and so on. In class Barry hummed each one and the students echoed it, first the five, then the four and the three, before he had them string 5, 4, 3, 2 together.

The 5-4-3-2-1 phrase0:000:361:442:553:294:14The 1998 workshop, part 31:10:07

The ‘four’ is the one Barry spelled out most plainly in a 1998 workshop: coming down any scale, dominant or major, when you reach the fourth, play the second and go up chromatically to the third. The ‘three’ goes up the chord from the third. On a dominant scale the seventh in it is flat, and Barry said the five, four and three are otherwise the same on a dominant as on a major scale.

The 1998 workshop, part 31:10:071:10:395-4-3 phrases on Cherokee1:352:11

They are meant to be used in tunes. On the bridge of Cherokee Barry had the band play the four and then the three and stop there to feel it. The workbook for his workshop video sets out the phrases on the major, the dominant seventh and the minor scale.

5-4-3 phrases on Cherokee0:000:43Barry Harris (on video); Howard Rees (producer, The Barry Harris Workshop Video ¶15

Players who studied the material report that Barry presented the phrases as a way of ‘getting out of trouble’: a ready-made shape that rescues a line or finishes one off. Teachers have traced the same shapes at the start, middle and end of phrases by Charlie Parker and in Barry’s own solos.

Music Player Network members (Jazz+, Best online Jazz Training workshops ever! ¶8jazzguitar.be members (usernames kept per post), Official Barry Harris Thread (jazzguitar.be forum thread) ¶350Tom Cleary (University of Vermont), Charlie Parker and Alan Turing: cracking the bebop code ¶4

Step by step

  1. The 4 phrase: from the fourth, drop to the second and climb chromatically to the third (4–2–♯2–3). It is the same on a major and a dominant scale.

    C major or C7
    𝄞♯
    1. F
    2. D
    3. D♯
    4. E

    The 1998 workshop, part 31:10:071:10:39Music Player Network members (Jazz+, Best online Jazz Training workshops ever! ¶31jazzguitar.be members (usernames kept per post), Official Barry Harris Thread (jazzguitar.be forum thread) ¶1422

  2. The 3 phrase: up the chord from the third (3–5–7–9). On a dominant scale flatten the seventh.

    C major
    𝄞
    1. E
    2. G
    3. B
    4. D
    C7
    𝄞♭
    1. E
    2. G
    3. B♭
    4. D

    5-4-3 phrases on Cherokee1:352:11Music Player Network members (Jazz+, Best online Jazz Training workshops ever! ¶31jazzguitar.be members (usernames kept per post), Official Barry Harris Thread (jazzguitar.be forum thread) ¶1423

  3. The 2 phrase, as players give it for the major scale: from the second down to the seventh, then up chromatically to the second (2–7–1–♯1–2), starting on an ‘and’ with the middle three notes as a triplet. A reader of the workbook reports a second version, 2–♭7–7–1, which fits a dominant scale.

    C major
    𝄞♯
    1. D
    2. B
    3. C
    4. C♯
    5. D
    C7, the alternative
    𝄞♭
    1. D
    2. B♭
    3. B
    4. C

    Music Player Network members (Jazz+, Best online Jazz Training workshops ever! ¶35Music Player Network members (Jazz+, Best online Jazz Training workshops ever! ¶36jazzguitar.be members (usernames kept per post), Official Barry Harris Thread (jazzguitar.be forum thread) ¶1424jazzguitar.be members (usernames kept per post), Official Barry Harris Thread (jazzguitar.be forum thread) ¶1394

  4. Chain them. Barry’s calls were the four and then the three, and all of 5, 4, 3, 2 in a row.

    5-4-3 phrases on Cherokee0:000:43The 5-4-3-2-1 phrase3:294:14

an added note, outside the scale

How he said to practise it

  • Learn them by ear: Barry sang each phrase, had the class repeat it and then play it on their instruments, five, then four, then three, then all four in a row.

    The 5-4-3-2-1 phrase1:102:553:29

  • Coming down any scale, practise turning off at the fourth with the 4 phrase, on major and dominant scales alike.

    The 1998 workshop, part 31:10:071:10:39

  • Put them into a tune’s chords: Barry’s example was the four and three on the bridge of Cherokee, flattening the seventh where the chord is a dominant.

    5-4-3 phrases on Cherokee0:001:352:11

In Barry’s words

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

What that means by being 5 is every time you get to that 5 you can do that.

The 5-4-3-2-1 phrase, The Hague, 1989–98. Barry names the ‘five’ phrase for a class. 0:36 Watch on YouTube at 0:36

Every scale, when you come down and you get to the [four], I want you to play the second.

The 1998 workshop, part 3, The Hague, 1989–98. The 4 phrase in a 1998 workshop: second, then chromatic to the third. 1:10:39 Watch on YouTube at 1:10:39

5, 4, and 3 would be the same on the dominant 7 as well as on the major.

5-4-3 phrases on Cherokee, The Hague, 1989–98. After flattening the seventh of the 3 phrase on the Cherokee bridge. 2:11 Watch on YouTube at 2:11

You gotta do 5, 4, 3, 2 all together.

The 5-4-3-2-1 phrase, The Hague, 1989–98. After teaching the phrases one by one. 3:47 Watch on YouTube at 3:47

Where this comes from

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

Every moment he teaches it10 moments in 3 recordings

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

The 5-4-3-2-1 phrase

The Hague, 1989–98 — 5 min On YouTube

  1. 0:36

    Names the ‘five’ phrase: play it whenever you reach the fifth; his version involves the major seventh.

    Watch on YouTube at 0:36

  2. 1:44

    Sings the ‘four’ phrase for the class to repeat.

    Watch on YouTube at 1:44

  3. 2:55

    Five, then four, then three: repeat after me.

    Watch on YouTube at 2:55

  4. 3:29

    Puts all of 5, 4, 3, 2 together in a row.

    Watch on YouTube at 3:29

The 1998 workshop, part 3

The Hague, 1989–98 — 76 min On YouTube

  1. 1:10:07

    When you get to the fourth, play the second, chromatic to the third.

    Watch on YouTube at 1:10:07

  2. 1:10:39

    The same turn off the fourth on every scale, dominant or major, coming down.

    Watch on YouTube at 1:10:39

  3. 1:12:29

    Uses the fourth-to-second turn on F♯7 inside a longer line.

    Watch on YouTube at 1:12:29

5-4-3 phrases on Cherokee

The Hague, 1989–98 — 4 min On YouTube

  1. 0:00

    Cherokee bridge: do the four and the three there.

    Watch on YouTube

  2. 0:43

    Four then three, and stop there to feel it.

    Watch on YouTube at 0:43

  3. 1:35

    Calls out the 3 phrase over a dominant and has its seventh flattened; 5, 4, 3 same as on major.

    Watch on YouTube at 1:35

From the lessons1 lesson, 5 points

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

Building phrases from small pieces

  1. Exercise

    Barry teaches short phrases named by numbers. The ‘five’ phrase is one you can play every time you reach the five; in his example it starts on the major seventh and runs down to the five. He has the class repeat and play each phrase after him, using only scale notes, then adds the ‘four’ and ‘three’ phrases, and finally has everyone play 5, 4, 3, 2 all together in a row.

    The 5-4-3-2-1 phrase0:362:183:294:14

  2. Exercise

    A phrase in F major that Barry offers as a break: take the sixth chord (the 1, 3, 5 and 6 of the scale) and start with three of its notes, beginning with the 5th and 6th. Then hit the 2nd and go chromatically from there (the caption does not make the target note clear), and keep the line going.

    Rhythm changes: scales, not chords8:229:30

  3. Exercise

    A C7-to-F phrase that a student came up with, which Barry spelled out for the class: on C7 play the 5th, 6th and 7th, come down the chord from the seventh, then take the seventh of C7 to the third of F. He then combined it with the rest of the other class phrase, counting it out with the ‘ands’.

    Feeling the ‘and’19:06

  4. Idea

    Anything you do from one degree of the scale can be done from any degree and put in the same spot. Barry noticed that a class phrase played from the second could have fit the bridge of Cherokee, and had the class play the one from the second over C-sharp minor seventh to F-sharp 7.

    The 1998 workshop, part 125:01

  5. Exercise

    When a passage moves through three chords, players don’t always run every one. Sometimes they skip the first chord and come down the second; sometimes they ignore the first two and get to the third, passing up the chance to grab the second. Drill options such as running the first chord and getting to the third, and running the first and getting to the second. Barry also starts a chord up from a half step below its first note, for example on the tonic of B flat major.

    The 1998 workshop, part 150:4154:0854:5758:33

In writing7 notes

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

How other teachers explain it10 videos, 8 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.

DSG_Studio

Isaac Raz

JazzSkills

Pete Martin

Things I’ve Learned From Barry Harris

Where the accounts differ1 point
Read further4 links

These open on the web.

Free to read

  • YouTube

    — Chris Parks’s free videos; episodes 3 and 37 teach the phrases on major and minor.

Books and paid courses