Q: I’m a horn player, do the Lessons apply to my instrument?
A: Yes, the Improvisation Lessons are for all instruments.
Q: As a guitarist, do I need to play finger style?
A: No, pick players can play all of the examples.
Q: What level to I need to be at on my instrument in order to benefit from the Lessons?
A: A knowledge of the Major and Dominant 7th Scales in all keys will enable you to follow the Improvisation Lessons. Each Lesson contains 3 parts – Introduction, Intermediate, Advanced.
Q: How do I cancel my subscription?
A: Your subscription will automatically renew itself every month. You may cancel your subscription at any time. Simply navigate to the Subscriptions section of My Locker, and press the CANCEL button.
Q: I have a limited amount of time each day for practise – what results can I expect?
A: We strongly recommend organizing your practise time to get the best results. Please navigate to ‘Register’ then ‘Study Guide’.
Q: How long will it take to master the Barry Harris Method?
A: The more study time you have, the more progress you will make. This Method is comprised of relatively few key points, which can be memorized fairly quickly. The work comes in digging ever deeper into the material to find new meanings and applications.
Q: Who are some notable Jazz musicians that have studied this Method?
A: Charles McPherson, Joe Henderson, Yusef Lateef, Lonnie Hillyer, Paul Chambers, Kirk Lightsey, Sir Roland Hanna, Pepper Adams, Curtis Fuller, Doug Watkins and Hugh Lawson and John Coltrane to name just a few.
Q: Who are Barry Harris’ major influences?
A: Barry Harris is Bud Powell’s protege. He has also been deeply inspired by Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk.
Q: How can I pay for a subscription to the JSO Lessons?
A: Secure Online Payment is done through PayPal. PayPal accepts Mastercard, Visa, American Express, check and money transfer from your bank account.
Q: What languages are the Lessons available in?
A: The Lessons are presented in English only. However, the Lessons are filmed so that the student can see the keyboard and the guitar fingerboard. There is also a PDF transcription available for each Lesson.
Q: What is included in each Lesson?
A: Each Lesson includes 3 videos (Introduction, Intermediate and Advanced levels) and a PDF transcription.
Q: How do I view PDF files with Safari?
A: The latest version of Safari offers different options of how to download and view those PDF files. You can either use a separate browsing window or an application that reads PDF files.
Instructions: Macintosh computer with OS 10.4 (Tiger) or later
View a PDF File With Safari
- Go to a Web page that displays a PDF link.
- Click on the link. Safari will open up the PDF file into your Safari window.
- View the contents of the PDF file by scrolling down the page.
Download a PDF File
- Open up Safari and go to a Web page that offers a link to a PDF file.
- Hold down the ‘Control’ button and click on the PDF link in the Web page (or right-click if you have the right kind of mouse).
- Choose the option ‘Download Linked File’ from the pull down menu that appears. This will download the file directly to your desktop.
Open a PDF File in Preview
- Open up a PDF file in your browser window.
- Hold down the ‘Control’ button and click anywhere on the PDF document in the Safari window.
- Choose the option ‘Open File with Preview.app’ from the pull down menu.
Tips & Warnings
- If you don’t have the newest version of Safari, you can download it for free at Apple’s Web site.
- OS 10.4 (Tiger) is required in order to run the latest version of Safari. If you don’t have OS 10.4, you will have to upgrade in order to access the PDF viewing features of Safari 2.0.
- Updating to the newest version of Safari will give you access to additional security features such as Private Browsing and advanced Parental Controls.
- For technical support when using Safari, go to the Apple Support Page (see Resources below).
- This guide is only applicable to Safari 2.0 and may not work properly with earlier versions.
- You must first enable the cut and paste function in your PDF reader before you are allowed to highlight and save pieces of text.