Ok, first, any1 reading my last 2 entiries would probably by now guess that im a whiner. well, no. you see, i figured things out. i no longer need help.
    1. To memorize a piece: play at 40 on a metronome. repeat and work out until you can play no less than 5 times in a row perfectly(©Rhonda Fisher). as soon as this is accomplished with one measure, move on to the next. make sure you can play both measures together 5 times in a row perfectly. as soon as this is done, do the same until you've gotten 3 lines. then, increase the speed by 10 and start over. i know, this may take a while, but believe me, IT WORKS.
    2. To improvise: you've got to first know the scale your going to play in (A harmonic minor, B blues, C major, etc.). Next, get the jist of what your rhythm line is (if you have one) and don't play notes that clash with those (unless your playing jazz, of course!). Once this is all done, just sit back and let your mind flow onto the frets.
I hope it helped!