Originally Posted by: schmange

ignore just sticking to scales and hum along a melody line to your recording and then learn it.
If you stick to scales, it'll sound like you just use scales.
If you hum a melody, you'll come up with all sorts of new ideas.

Spot on. I mean you can find a scale and hammer it out trying to include your style at the same time. But this might make it sound like just another sad song. I figure the whole point of a sad song is for the song to have meaning. Nothing says meaning then making your guitar cry to it.