I hurt my pinky finger playing those darned dominant chords rooted on the E string (e.g., the F7, 2313). I don't know if anyone gets this affliction but it feels like a blood blister, but there is no blood or a blister. The tip of my finger is sensitive to the touch but there is no visible damage like a blister. It feels like the damage is deep,if that makes any sense--as if the damage is at the dermis level while the epidermis has no symptoms at all. In the past I've had the issue with my index finger. This is the first time that I can remember it on the pinky. I'm going to just grin and bear it, although I will avoid playing any steel strings.
I'm practicing mixing up chord and a melody line. I have been hovering around the 7th fret just because it is closer to the middle of the fret board. Obviously I am playing in A and playing B7b5, E7, and Am. From Am, I have been launching into the G Ionian #5 scale because it contains all the chord tones of the Am. I have been approaching the melody in terms of geometry versus any intervallic consideration. What I mean by geometry is moving in a linear fashion. For example, think of a circle and then from the A on the C string, you move vertically to the B, from the B you move horizontally to the D# on the E string. From the D# you move diagonally down to the G on the A string. Then from the G, you move to the F#, C, and return to A. I know it is hard to visualize, but if you look at a fret board map it is completely obvious that I am just making a circular circuit.
I'm not saying it sounds good. It sounds vaguely appropriate because all the notes are in the shape. However, that's just what I'm doing. I'm just moving through geometrical shapes and when I hear a sequence I like, I stick with it. Of course, someone with a smattering of theory could have predicted that I would ultimately choose; this is just a thoughtless way to reach the same end point, and have some fun along the way.