r/bluesguitarist

Still need help wrapping my head around it and how to think about it in order to navigate the fretboard more fluid and target the right chord tones in each position. So the progression they use is the basic 1,4,5 blues in C#. Derek plays in open E, so I'm not sure if this influences his choices or if it's also the same way BB King played it. The lightbulb moment gave me a glimpse of the major and minor scales fused together as the chords pass by, but only for a moment. Then I gotta find my way again to see where things are.

Here's a link to the tune for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu7AHSAB5IY

Here it goes:

The chords C#, F#, G#

He's playing in his home base of C# minor/E major scale. But when the change goes to the 5 G#, he targets the 3rd of C#, which is the 4th of G#. My whole life I've played the 3rd of G#. I know it's basically playing the major 6th of each chord as they go by, but it's such a mindfuck trying to put it all together.

Is there a better way to think about this or visualize it on the fretboard, or is it a matter of grinding it out and committing it to muscle memory? I'm fine with that, but just thought I'd ask if anyone else has a different perspective.