If you want to be able to improvise with musical intelligence, scales help. They are the ABC's of musical theory. They're the basis of learning to spell out chords and identify chords in a progression. Don't take my word for it. Ask any good jazz musician. They are examples of the best of improvisors. They know their scales on their "horn".

Anyone can improvise poorly. Just as anyone can write drivel without being able to construct a sentence. Babbling on paper doesn't make you a writer. Grammar is not too much fun but it does help you write better. In the same way, scales and note identification helps you improvise better.

A lot of musicians may not experts in musical theory such as counterpoint, four part harmony, or sophisticated composers but the best ones including Louis Armstrong, knew how to play scales on their horn. They could play chords also on their horn. They knew what the chords were. Some could identify them by notes and some by the sound of it. But they knew scales and chords somehow.

Chords: vertical Scales: linear ..the basis of jazz improvisation and works for anything else too. Indian ragas are based on scales which must be studied before you can improvise in that style.

Micheal Coleman played so many variations of the Sligo tunes that he could play (improvise) without repeating himself. I bet he could play scales on his violin as well.

Doc Watson could play scales on his guitar too. Just ask him. He also knew his chords and could probably spell quite a few out for you.

This is an appeal to those who would claim some mystical approach is necessary to learn to improvise without knowing the language of the music they want to play.

Name the best improvisors on any instrument and they probably had a working knowledge of scales and chords.

End of diatribe. Thanks.

Frank