Growing up in LA I was lucky to have access to a lot of great guitar teachers. But the best advise, and what I’ve used most over the years, came from a guitar playing mechanical engineer that worked with my father. He told me to 1) figure out and memorize solos that inspire you. 2) chop them up into 2 and 4 bar phrases. 3)visualize the cord that’s underneath the phrase, and 4) work the phrases into different parts of the progression. 

For example. In this clip I play a 2 bar phrase I got from Jimmy Bryant (Jimmy plays it at the beginning of his solo in Pink Cadillac) I used it over the 5 chord in my first solo. Adds a little spice to a simple guitar boogie shuffle in G. Pick up the tab in my store here, thanks!