BookatlasPiano Rabbit Hole: Improvisation Theory & Practice
751 / 18210 · Module 16 — Improvisation from Chord Tones: How to Stop “Running Scales”← prev⊞ allnext →

16.60The improviser's mental hierarchy

When playing, ideally think roughly in this order:

1. Where is the phrase going?
2. What chord/function is happening?
3. What note do I want to land on?
4. How will I approach it?
5. What rhythm/motif connects this to what I just played?

That is a better model than:

Which scale should I run?