Barry Greene Video Lessons

I thought I would start a thread to help some of the new students. I go back about 10 years to Barry's podcast days, so I've had a lot of exposure to his method.

I know everyone wants to jump into the Tunes on the site, and If you're an advanced player have at it. If you are relatively new to Jazz, the pace of those videos can be intimidating.

The first two lessons that I think everyone should digest completely are "5 position Study" and "Secret Jazz Chord". If you take the time to work through all of those chord shapes and be able to play the chord and the scale in each position interchangeably in all 5 positions, it is much easier to approach the other tune and topic based videos. Add that to basic drop two voicings and you probably have about 90% of the chords that Barry uses.

You will also need the Melodic Minor study to apply the linear material and how it fits in.

Kurt,

As I consider signing up It was good to find your advice. A related question about the courses you suggest starting with...What level would you say that they are at guitar wise?

Thanks,

Dan

Thank you. I’ll do that. Dan

To keep with the spirit of this thread, I want to continue to throw out a lifeline to those who may need a few blanks filled in to get the most of these lessons.

Like many others I suppose we have all collected information over the years from various instructors, books, online sources etc.
Although Barry may not reference this material in his lessons, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Keep everything you learned and recognize how you can apply it to Barry’s material.

The five Positions should be no mystery. I don’t think it’s appropriate to evangelize other methods or instructors in this forum, but most of you are probably aware of CAGED. Five letters, Five positions (same stuff). I’ve seen some advocate learning seven different fingerings (and some that even go as far as 12…no thanks). Five is by far the most common way to teach position fingerings across the fretboard. Don’t just learn where your fingers go, make sure you recognize each note and what chord tone it is in the different chord families.

If you are struggling with a basic major ii-V-I, there is nothing wrong with focusing on Dorian, Mixolydian and Major. You won’t get the tension and color from the altered dominant, but you can stick to the same seven notes of the major scale and still navigate the changes effectively. This is a great way to develop your ear. Focus on the guide tones (3rd and 7th) and get used to what they sound like. Sometimes when I learn a new tune, all I play are 3rds and 7ths of each chord. Once I get that down, I approach each of them by a diatonic note above, diatonic below, chromatic above, chromatic below, and then mix it up. That’s a great way to develop your own lines. The goal is to quickly identify the essential chord tones in real time. Admittedly, the exercise is academic and you don’t get the hipness of playing over the line, but it should help you hear a little better because you aren’t introducing so many different sounds to your ear at once.

All of you blues/rock guys (I know I’m not the only one here), can hear a root to a b3rd lick in your sleep. You should eventually be able to identify other intervals more common in jazz. It’s just a matter of time and effort.

Helpful update Kurt. Could you explain what you were getting at when you said. "If you are struggling with a basic major ii-V-I, there is nothing wrong with focusing on Dorian, Mixolydian and Major"?

Very helpful. I definitely need mode management :-) Your feedback is helping me frame the work. I'm good, well fair, with the major scale and CAGED etc but the rest will take some time.

As for learning styles I'm OCDish until I get overwhelmed then I shift to ADHD!

It's always safe to stick with chord tones. I like to practice arpeggio inversions over tunes as well.

I.m kind of starting from scratch again, whats the best video to see how you play the Melodic Minor scale?

Thanks

Ken

Are there any videos for Melodic minor where you show the fingerings you use for that scale and Arpeggios?

I actually don't recall seeing that on any of the PDF's and I know Barry doesn't dictate them in any video. I prefer to think of the melodic minor related to the major scale where you just lower the 3rd degree a half step. So C Melodic Minor is just the same a s C Major with a flat 3rd (Eb). You can learn Barry's fingerings if you learn the lines in the PDF's, or watch closely. Many ways to skin a cat, some like stretches while others prefer changing positions.

While you're learning the Melodic Minor material, it also helped me to practice going back and forth between Dorian and Melodic Minor. (Dorian has b3rd and b7th). You will often have choices to use one or the other and rather than think of them as two different scales, it's sometimes easier to think of the note(s) that change.

I should tell everyone to not beat yourself up analyzing the lines from the PDF's. When Barry plays lines that offer multiple chord/scale choices, many times you will see notes from different chord/scales. Especially with Dominant lines. There are also chromatic passing tones that defy analysis. I guess what I'm saying is try to think more of the sound of the lines against the harmony and don't get hung up on the theoretical explanation. That's true with material from any soloist. You can make any note work against any chord if you put it in the right context. It just may add more dissonance.

So I'm watching the 4 modes of melodic minor and the first one you play is Eb MM starting from D . I was under the assumption we take a Eb major and just flat the 3rd? But I see you are also flating the Db? Now i'm a confused because the key signature shows 5 flats I guess because we are in the key of Db? ugh

ok will have to look it up not versed in that theory.....thought it was the other scale where we just think flat the 3rd of a major scale like Kurt said above

Ok.i guess I need google it

Thanks for link hopefully I can make sense of it.