861 / 18210 · Module 18 — Scales and Modes for Improvisation: What to Use, When, and Why← prev⊞ allnext →
18.40A practical scale hierarchy
When you see a chord:
First
Identify chord tones.
Second
Identify the key/context.
Third
Use the simplest scale containing those chord tones and fitting the context.
Fourth
Choose special colors only deliberately.
This is much better than:
“Chord symbol → memorize corresponding scale name.”