Adding HO's and runs to chords progressions

percussive playing can add to the rhythm. try the strum and hand damp technique. basically you strum and bring the palm down on the strings. they slap against the frets and make the percussive sound. use it as a beat.

Check out David Hodge's series of podcasts here on GN about strumming. he gets into a lot of stuff in there that you might find useful in going beyong the simple chord struming. he gets into such things as hammer-ons, adding bass notes, walking base lines, adding fills, arpeggios, palm muting, and the like. Lots of this can be used, in varying degrees, to spruce up a song. I am going through these podcasts now. I am up to number 10 (out of 20 so far). There's enough meatrerial in there to keep you busy for quite a while!

Any good resources on spicing up chord progressions?

1> Concentrate on the dominant note in each chord. Keep playing what you are playing but become fully aware of WHAT you are fingering;
2> Get into your head each R & DOM in each chord in the progression;
3> Swap over to two-finger frettings of the R and the DOM...slide them from one to the other;
4> DON'T overdo it!

If you are playing with a bassist that is as dedicated as you are...

Drop the full chording, altogether, and have the bassist "pick up what you dropped"! In essence...you are making the whole chord as you both go at it...

Hope this helps...

Cat