Incorporating licks into improvisation

[Dabatross]

I've been practicing improvisation over chord progressions for a little while now, and I have a problem. Whenver I improvise, I continue to use the same licks over and over, either descending with legato or straight alternate picking ascending. How can I take licks from other sources, such as a sweep picking lick or a blues lick, and incoporate them into my improvisation to make them sound right. How can I use the correct notes from the scale with the lick I just learned?

[Malcolm]

Here is a something that helped me see the big picture, i.e. where else could I play that lick.
G Scale On Each String Or…
Handy tool for making G licks.

e-0-2-3-5-7-8-10-12-14-15-17-19-20-22-24
B-0-1-3-5-7-8-10-12-13-15-17-19-20-22-24
G-0-2-4-5-7-9-11-12-14-16-17-19-20-23-24
D-0-2-4-5-7-9-10-12-14-16-17-19-21-22-24
A-0-2-3-5-7-9-10-12-14-15-17-19-21-22-24
E-0-2-3-5-7-8-10-12-14-15-17-19-20-22-24
G licks all over your fretboard.
D string 2-4-5 go up to the G string and do 7-5-4-2

What could you do with the 5th fret? Great place to turn around and come home on another string or launch a new lick - tie two licks together. Use the 5, 7, 12, 17 and 19 fret as launching points. :eek:

Mix licks with your patterns - If you find yourself on the 5th fret visualize the chart - move out of the scale pattern into a lick. Want to take that same lick diagonally visualize the chart and help yourself. This should at least give you some new licks to use.

Those are G licks for A licks add 2. For C licks add 5, etc.

[Steinberg]

Okay, here is a idea.
If you play a lick, lets say you use the 1, 3, 4, 5 step of the scale, try to use the scale that belong to the chord.
And When you move chord move scale.
So when you play a minor chord, your lick should flattered the 3rd to a minor 3rd. And when you are in the locrian you'll have to flatter the 3, 5 step.
Also, Try to improvise using two strings, but with a least a string apart, that could be the G and E or D and E.