If you can't sing it, you can't play it

[Greg]

If you want to improve your improv skills, try singing some of the solos you love. It's a great way to train your ear and develop a sense of hearing that will allow you to play your own licks on your instrument more easily.

Ear-training is often forgotten, and we put all our faith into our voice or hands.

If it sounds boring, take a listen to songs like Moody's Mood (many great renditions include that of George Benson, Brian McKnight, and many more). This song was based off of Jame's Moody's solo on the standard "In the mood for love".

This is a great ear-training song, but if you want to get really difficult, try something like "Donna Lee".