. Rather than relying on traditional scalar patterns, Harris’s system focuses on using intervals to create modern improvisational and compositional textures. Core Content of the Concept
Harris argued that if you only think in scales, your ear follows the alphabet (A-B-C-D-E). You sound like a student. But if you think in intervals—thirds, fourths, tritones, sevenths—you break the linear habit. A perfect fourth up, then a minor second down, then a major sixth up. That leap creates a shape , not a run.
Intervallistic Concept By Eddie Harris - Jamey Aebersold Jazz
💡 If you can't find a reliable PDF, look for Ligon's "Comprehensive Technique for Jazz Musicians" or Nicolas Slonimsky's "Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns" . They share the same DNA as Harris's system. If you'd like, I can help you: Find similar method books that are currently in print. eddie harris intervallistic concept pdf patched
Traditional jazz theory emphasizes stepwise motion (seconds and thirds). Harris forces the player to navigate wide, angular intervals (fourths, fifths, sevenths, and tritones) over standard changes.
: It instantly stops your fingers from running standard, predictable muscle-memory patterns.
For many, The Intervallistic Concept is "a great book" and "excellent melodic ideas," but it's also a serious challenge. The extreme intervallic jumps are demanding for any musician's technique. However, this difficulty is by design. As one forum user pointed out, you can use it "as a great chop checker"—an exercise to build your embouchure, voicing, and control. If you can't play a pattern quickly, you slow it down and use it as a fundamental exercise for building strength and precision. You sound like a student
The concept is typically divided into three core volumes that build in complexity: Volume 1 (Foundations):
Unlike typical method books that emphasize standard major and minor scales, The Intervallistic Concept completely reimagines the fingerboard and keyboard layout for single-line wind instruments. The complete manual comprises over 300 pages packed with advanced technical blueprints:
While I couldn't access a specific PDF document on this topic, I hope this report provides a helpful overview of Eddie Harris's intervallic concept and its ongoing influence on jazz music. That leap creates a shape , not a run
While the digital hunt can be part of the journey, the true value lies not in possessing the file, but in applying its principles to your instrument. Whether you find an old physical copy in a library or a "patched" digital version in a forum, the goal remains the same: to unlock the "intervallistic" mind that Eddie Harris so masterfully demonstrated throughout his revolutionary career.
Write this out: C (root), D (Major 2nd), C (down Minor 7th? No—Harris’s rule: always change direction after a half-step). Just play this sequence on your instrument:
The exercises within the "patched" or collected volumes are rigorous and cover a wide range of modern jazz vocabulary: Altissimo Studies:
