Barry HarrisThe method

Other teachers of the method

Barry’s students, and their students, teach his method in long video series. Here is each series in order, every video marked with the ideas of the method it covers. Their explanations are a second opinion, not Barry’s own words.

Largest series first.Number: videos

  1. The Labyrinth of LimitationsThe Labyrinth of Limitations is a jazz guitar channel (its links point to thomasechols.com) that applies Barry Harris’s scales of chords to polyphonic improvisation. It mixes shorts on the author’s Elevator system, guides to the Labyrinth app, Foundations and Deep Dive lesson samples, and performances of standards.242
  2. Things I’ve Learned From Barry HarrisThings I’ve Learned From Barry Harris (TILF) is a jazz guitar video series by Chris Parks, who started studying with Barry Harris in 1993, working through Barry’s scales, half-step rules, scales of chords and movements on guitar. This part also includes four tune performances on guitar.173
  3. Mike Hayes GuitarJazz guitar lessons from the Mike Hayes Guitar channel. Mike Hayes, an Australian session guitarist and teacher, adapts Barry Harris’s harmony and line concepts to the guitar and often applies them to jazz standards.82
  4. Pete MartinPete Martin’s video series teaching Barry Harris’s jazz improvisation and chording method on mandolin, which he says also applies to fiddle and violin. Lessons cover scales, half-step rules, line devices, sixth diminished chord scales and tunes such as Tune Up, Autumn Leaves and Perdido.79
  5. Isaac RazIsaac Raz, who went to Barry Harris’s classes and chorus, explains Barry’s harmony and line ideas in short lessons, viewer Q&As and ‘note dives’ into his class notes.70
  6. Connor JonesA 31-part video series in which Connor Jones teaches harmony, rhythm and chord movement for jazz improvisation through Barry Harris’s teaching, from the musical world and the family of four dominants to the 6th diminished scale. The channel also has scale outlines of standards and long jazz talks and rants.61
  7. JazzSkillsJazz piano lessons from the JazzSkills channel by a teacher who studied with Barry Harris for 15 years, many taken from webinars and live lessons for Jazz Skills members. They cover his scale rules, phrases and chord movements, often on standards.45
  8. Bebop-JazzGuitarTV at NYCJazz guitar lessons, mostly in Japanese, by guitarist Ray Daike on the Bebop-JazzGuitarTV at NYC channel. At their core is a numbered series on Barry Harris’s 6th diminished scale (ii-V-I chords and comping, reharmonisation, the minor 6th diminished, mirror technique, the blues), with further lessons on rhythm changes, Autumn Leaves and bebop lines.36
  9. Kay BenyarkoJazz piano lessons by Kay Benyarko, mostly on applying Barry Harris’s major and minor 6th diminished scale of chords (block chords, drop 2, borrowed notes) to standards. Two short two-part series cover chromatic diminished motion and moving dominant 7th chords.31
  10. Howard Rees Jazz WorkshopsInside Barry’s World is a series of short video lessons on Barry Harris’s harmony and line building. They are taught by Howard Rees, a pianist and jazz educator who was Barry’s student, friend and collaborator for more than 40 years.25
  11. Chris JuergensenGuitar lessons by Chris Juergensen that apply Barry Harris’ ideas to the guitar: a multi-part Chromatic Scale Workout series, short Harmonic Snacks mostly on 6 diminished harmony, and standalone lessons on the 6 and minor 6 diminished scales, including over a blues and a funk groove.20
  12. DSG_StudioJazz guitar lessons from the DSG Studio channel by David Shorr, who applies Barry Harris ideas on guitar: half-step rules, scale outlines, the chromatic scale, the dominant family, and 6-diminished chords and movements.19