The Intervallistic Concept is as much a philosophical treatise as it is a technical manual. The book is peppered with "Eddieisms"—witty, profound statements that encapsulate his teaching. Some of these include:
Moving in fourths, fifths, and larger "skips" to create modern, angular melodies. eddie harris intervallistic concept pdf
A true Harris exercise sheet will force you to run patterns through the cycle of fourths, fifths, or chromatically. The Intervallistic Concept is as much a philosophical
Exercises to master the highest register of the saxophone. A true Harris exercise sheet will force you
Eddie Harris’s "Intervallistic Concept" is an approach to improvisation and composition that foregrounds interval relationships (rather than traditional scalar or chordal thinking) as the primary organizing principle. It treats intervals as cells or modules that can be manipulated, transformed, and combined to generate melodic lines, harmonic color, and motivic development. The method yields music that can sound angular, modern, and rhythmically elastic while remaining tuneful and logically coherent.
: Includes Harris's unique outlook on improvisation and music theory, famously referred to as "Eddieisms". Jamey Aebersold Jazz The "Eddieisms" Philosophy
In the evolution of jazz saxophonists, few players bridge the gap between technical avant-garde mastery and deep, soulful groove quite like Eddie Harris. While the broader public remembers him for his amplified saxophone experiments, his crossover hit "Listen Here," and the iconic "Compared to What," jazz innovators and educators revere him for a completely different reason. Harris revolutionized modern improvisation through his highly structured, geometric approach to the saxophone fretwork of the mind, crystallized in his legendary instructional material known to serious students as the .