Originally Posted by: Papa Rich

The first is the fact that I am not there yet with improvising, with the exception of simple blues. [/quote]

I have a whole series of tutorials on improvisation from square one up!

Major Key Improv 1

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=483

Minor Key Improv 1

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=491

Major Key Improv 2

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=2318

Minor Key Improv 2

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=2329

And I have others in blues & jazz styles if those interest you!

And the main reason I bring this is up is that it ties into your other question. The ability to improvise depends upon you already having a vocabulary to draw from. You have to already have a repertoire of things you can play on the spot.

You have to have played & repeated these things so much that they are completely second nature to you.

And this is exactly the same issue related to this question:

[quote=Papa Rich]I play songs pretty well, (GT songs and other websites). I even make my own tabs at times. I can play the verses and the solos. But as soon as I put the backing track on, I lose it. I miss parts that I have practiced for months.

It sounds like you are waiting for the part to happen that you will play along with. It sounds like you haven't quite gotten to the level of having completely automated some of these things.

In your next post you mention being able to keep up with songs at a slightly slower tempo. That's great! But it's an excellent indication that you just need to do more repetitious practice until the song parts become completely automated in your subconscious & in muscle memory. So much that you are no longer reacting to the parts of the song. You are inside them, right on top of them, anticipating the next motion instead of trying to listen, and then play catch up!

Make sense? :) Just be patient with yourself. As long as you are practicing, making gradual progress & having fun, then who could ask for anything more?

Hope this helps! Have fun with it!