Eddie Harris Intervallistic Concept Pdf |link| Jun 2026

The sheer physical difficulty of playing wide interval jumps consecutively serves as an incredible workout for embouchure control (wind instruments) and finger independence (string/keyboard instruments).

Covers the basic mechanics of intervallic playing, focusing on moving beyond simple major and minor scales into wider, more athletic melodic leaps.

Musicians who track down a digital or physical copy of the manuscript will find a dense, highly structured exercise manual. The curriculum typically breaks down into several rigorous components: 1. Systematic Interval Permutations

Linear (Scale-Based) Improvisation: [Root] -> [2nd] -> [3rd] -> [4th] -> [5th] -> [6th] -> [7th] Intervallistic (Harris-Style) Improvisation: [Root] -> [P4th] -> [b7th] -> [P4th] -> [Minor 3rd] -> [Major 7th] eddie harris intervallistic concept pdf

If you open any workbook or PDF detailing Harris's system, you will find it is deeply mathematical and highly structured. The concept rests on three main pillars: 1. Interval Disregard for Chord Roots

Start on a note (C). Ascend by a Major 3rd (to E). Ascend by a Major 3rd from E (to G#/Ab). Ascend by a Major 3rd from Ab (to C). You have landed back on C after 3 leaps. That is a closed cycle .

Harris's Intervallic Concept is rooted in a deep understanding of music theory, particularly the study of intervals and their relationships. He drew inspiration from various sources, including classical music, jazz, and African-American musical traditions. By analyzing the works of composers like Stravinsky, Bartók, and Hindemith, Harris developed a keen awareness of the harmonic and melodic potential of intervals. The sheer physical difficulty of playing wide interval

He wrote the Intervallistic Concept on a rainy Tuesday when the city smelled of wet saxophone. It began as a single line: intervals are not merely distances but conversations. From that seed sprouted diagrams where whole tones leaned toward semitones like old friends, where augmented fourths argued with minor seconds, each interval given a personality and a place in a grammar that could bend time in a solo.

Eddie Harris’s intervallistic approach laid the groundwork for the future of avant-garde, fusion, and post-bop jazz. You can hear the direct DNA of this concept in the playing of modern giants like , Chris Potter , and Woody Shaw .

New pages appeared at the end of the PDF: clarifications, counterexamples, playful traps. “Beware the Thematic Octave,” he scrawled. “Not every interval wants to speak. Some prefer silence.” He added exercises—small, mischievous prompts that required reading between lines, instructions that could only be solved by listening. The concept became less a manual and more a living test. The curriculum typically breaks down into several rigorous

Ascending Minor 3rd (3 semitones) + Ascending Perfect 4th (5 semitones).

Instead of thinking of chords (Cmin7, G7, etc.), Harris encourages players to think in terms of interval relationships from a chosen note. Any interval can be played over any chord as long as it is executed with rhythmic and melodic conviction.

As of 2024, there is of this book authorized by the publisher or the Harris estate. The book remains under active copyright by Charles Colin Publications. Pirated copies do exist on obscure file-sharing sites, but these are often low-quality scans missing pages, and downloading them not only disrespects the artist's legacy but also potentially exposes your device to malware.