improvisation for a numpty

Axe_meister

It depends what you want to improvise over?
Take the blues.
Step 1)
You can play the standard minor pentatonic over a standard major blues progression.
Muck around with that using the standard 5 positions.
Listen to how different the same note sounds over a different chord.
Step 2) Play the chord specific minor pentatonic over the progression.
So in an E Major blues (E A play E minor Pent. over the E, A minor over the A, and B minor over the B. Now you are following the chords.
Step 3) Mix the above 2 up.
Step 4) Now go for a minor Blues progression. You will now find Step 2 works better, as if you use step 1 approach, the minor pentatonic can suddenly sound wrong over the A chord. Work out why.
Step 5) Back to the major progression but use the Major Pentatonics, again you have to start following the chords.

Another approach is learn your 3 note triads and arpeggios.
Follow th chords only playing th chord tones, once you know all of your inversions of the arpeggios, you can start playing all over the neck. That is when you can then start adding additional notes.

Don't forget to add in bends and slides.
Playing other people's solos helps, but sit down an analyse when notes/intervals are being played over the underlying chord, what does any dissonance add to the underlying solo.