I am going to say something that others might disagree with. I think it is more important to focus on learning different scales and how to apply them over a diatonic chord progression before learning to follow complicated harmonies.
From a gigging standpoint, if you are rooted in the blues then chances are you are playing songs based around a diatonic key center where you don't need to follow the harmony to stay in key.
For example, how many thousands of rock songs have diatonic progressions where just using a pentatonic is enough?
Also, while following harmony can lead to some cool sounds, one can be very melodic and intentional with one chord scale over said sorts of progressions.
learn to be interesting over ONE chord before moving on. You can begin to investigate 36251 progressions ---------- "The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." - Joseph Campbell
An old tune I do on guitar that uses a 36251 progression is "Salty Dog." I do a Mississippi John hurt version--I have a version by Chet Atkins--and one that I think is Earl Scruggs.
Of course, Buddha, I think you probably have a much more sophisticated, jazzier idea in mind than this old country stuff--but it works very well for some of the Piedmont type blues too. . .
Just remembered--I made a short video of "Salty Dog"--I think it was the first one I put on YT--this is just to give an idea of the progression Buddha mentioned above--there's no harp--so somebody might like to jam with it to get the progression down. . .
I think Buddhas advice to get comfortable over a single chord is good advice. It's definitely helped me recently.
On Howard Levy's site he does a number of excercises using an elecronic tanpura drone box. It is amazing how it really puts 5th and 12th position into context - all of a sudden you no longer have to think about the notes. I've also been playing with a iphone Uillean pipe drone app over 4th position for celtic music in a similar way.
There's a lot of fantastic funk music that just pedals on one chord 'maggot brain' by funkadelic is great for the 5th posn minor pentatonic riffs.
It's a good idea because it forces you to get to know exactly where you are on the instrument 24/7, something too many players often tend to not really be aware of enough. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
