Do You Start Improvising on Autumn Leaves? Melody Plus the One Note That MovesHow
Your first real solo on Autumn Leaves is not a scale run. It's the melody combined with the guide-tone line — the single note that moves between each pair of chords. That combination alone produces a complete, musical chorus.
What Key Do You Solo In on Autumn Leaves? Neither — Follow the Melody
Autumn Leaves is analyzed in C major, but you don't solo from a key center — not C major, not A minor. You solo from the melody and the guide tones, the way the composer wrote the tune.