Traditional jazz education relies on the "diatonic system" (Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do). When a traditional musician sees a Cm7 chord, they play a C Dorian scale. Harris argued that this creates predictable, "inside" playing.
Forget the 8-note scale. Practice a 5-note cell based on Perfect 4ths: C - F - Bb - Eb - Ab. eddie harris intervallistic concept pdf
Connect that cell to the next one by a half step: Ab - A - D - G - C. Traditional jazz education relies on the "diatonic system"
If you have searched for this PDF, you are likely looking to break out of predictable patterns and enter a world of "non-cliché" chromaticism. This article will explore what the Intervallistic Concept is, why it matters, and where the legacy of that elusive PDF lives on today. To understand the Eddie Harris method, you must forget the key signature. Forget the 8-note scale
The is not just a collection of finger exercises. It is a philosophical manifesto: Melody is the horizontalization of vertical intervals. Conclusion: Do You Need the PDF? If you can find the PDF, treasure it. It contains handwritten diagrams, specific "Harris Licks" mapped out by interval number, and a unique humor (Harris claimed the concept came to him in a dream about a clock).
Artists like Steve Lehman, Kamasi Washington, and even avant-garde guitarists like Mary Halvorson utilize techniques directly traceable to Harris’s 1970s booklet.