How can i improve my guitar improvisation?

Question

im very familiar with the pentatonic scales and basic techniques (bending, hammer ons, etc), but beyond that, i really dont know how to make my solos "pop". what do professionals do that i dont?

Answer 1

Take a song, say a blues song, and using the approprate scale, improvise over it. Remember to do it in time with the recording. To know what scale to use for a certain song, you need to learn more scales.

Here are the major scales:

http://www.cyberfret.com/scales/major-ca...

Here are the blues scales:

http://www.cyberfret.com/scales/blues/in...

If your ear (aural skills) isn't starting to develop, then use these scales (and the pentatonics) to do so. Really LISTEN to the notes and how they work together to form a scale. Half of the battle of making solos is having a good (or at least decent) ear.

Answer 2

Take classes?

Answer 3

Learn more scales. Learn as many as you can. Also try and find a tone that suits your style. Fiddle around with volume, pedals, treble middle and bass k***s. And just keep playing. Just play guitar and improvise. To learn to improvise well i would just sit an hour or two a day doing nothing but playing.