: "There are no wrong intervals if played in succession" and "no wrong chords, only wrong progressions".
It trains your fingers and brain to skip notes rather than walking through them, resulting in a more modern jazz sound similar to Coltrane or Woody Shaw.
Harris was obsessed with perfect fourths. Unlike thirds, which explicitly state the quality of a chord, fourths sound open and modern. eddie harris intervallistic concept pdf
Eddie Harris authored several instructional books during his lifetime, including The Intervallistic Concept for All Single-Line Instruments and How to Improvise . Because these books went out of print for long stretches, modern players frequently search for digital PDF copies. The original texts are prized for several distinct reasons:
: The method emphasizes "skips" and large intervals to help players avoid the habit of simply running up and down scales. Availability & Purchase Options : "There are no wrong intervals if played
If you are analyzing or searching for an instructional guide or PDF on this concept, you will find that Harris’s methodology is broken down into structured, rigorous exercises. 1. The Fourth and Fifth Obsession
Word spread in whispers. Some claimed the concept could turn any mechanical run into speech. One drummer said it let him hear melody in his left foot. A pianist swore the charts taught her to color chords like stained glass. Eddie laughed and kept writing, loving the way a pattern revealed a new route through a solo the way a city alley revealed a mural at its end. Unlike thirds, which explicitly state the quality of
Listen to Eddie Harris’s recordings outside of his commercial funk repertoire. Listen closely to albums like The In Sound or his avant-garde leaning tracks. Transcribe his solos. You will hear how effortlessly he injects wide, sweeping leaps into fast tempos, making the saxophone sound almost like a synthesiser or a harp. Finding the PDF and Pedagogical Resources
Here’s a text summary you could use as content for a self-made PDF or study guide: