I know what you mean when talking about the confusion created when too many complex terms are used to describe movements on the fretboard that are actually fairly simple progressions in practice. When trying to teach someone who wants to learn the reasoning behind the sounds it is best to put the principals behind the methods in the simplest possible terms, and reasonings, (without blowing the mind of the student). I mean there are alot of terminologys that just cant be left out for proper learning, but my goodness were not all PHDs in axeinology.
My light bulb went on when I learned the DIATONIC SCALE all throughout the neck," Top to Bottom, and understood that the scale is the same for all 12 keys, as a matter of a fact it is the key,(and the first thing you need to know is how to play in key). That is when your leads, and chord progressions will actually start sounding normal, and correct. If you are hitting a note that is not in this scale then you are actually playing out of key {ouch, that can hurt the ears} !!! unless your more advanced, and know whats up.
Its not really that hard, you start at the top of the neck, and learn your way down, of course after having a copy of the Diatonic scale layed out on a printed diagram of the fretboard in front of you for reference,(in the key of your choice), C Major if you like= C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C
/ ws-ws-hs-ws-ws-ws-hs /
Or A minor= A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A
/ ws-hs-ws-ws-hs-ws-ws /
It is my understanding that the Major scale has the intervals of a
whole step-whole step-half step-whole step-whole step-whole step-half
And the Minor scale has the intervals of-
whole step-half step-whole step-whole step-half step-whole step-whole step
It seems that there may be some confusion between minor scale, and flats, and sharps in the major scale from the statements I read above, but thats just me, I am not going to try and make this any more confusing than I possibly have too. But I do know that Major is the interval of ws-ws-hs,
and minor is the interval of ws-hs, and so on.
Just learning the diatonic scale can be the easiest way to start making sense of music theroy, and that is the cold hard truth in its simplest form !