stratamania said:
It might be worth mentioning what type of music do you want to play ?
What are your goals etc.
One answer is that I like all sorts of music, so I'm not committed to any particular style. A
more helpful answer is that I find strumming chords boring, so I tend to play single notes, but not into shredding. Someone once described me as a "hot licks" guitarist. I think that is a good descriptor. I tend to play without a pick, but a free-form finger-style, like Lindsey Buckingham, Mark Knopfler or Jeff Beck, as opposed to the set rhythmic patterns most people think of when they think of finger-style playing. I like the percussive quality I get when I dig in and snap the strings, I like that I tend be be less repetitive than when I use a pick, and I like generating fluid flurries of notes.
I like the expressive and atmospheric qualities of the guitar, and I love a good melody. I like Roy Buchanan, Johnny Marr, John Frusciante, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Chet Atkins and Wayne Krantz. I have a pretty good singing voice, and I like the way the guitar and voice mutually support each other - I like Jeff Buckley, Chris Cornell.
As far as goals - I want to be able to figure out how to play music by ear - both figuring out chords, and being able to play along / provide accompaniment. I think that's really the most important thing to be able to do - that's where the music starts, really. Writing songs, jamming with other people - not very rewarding unless that foundation is there.
In the shorter term, though, I do want better technique: Better rhythm, better tone (fingers hitting the strings cleanly, with the right amount of pressure, right behind the fret), cleaner chord changes, better right-hand/left-hand coordination. One of the first things that struck me about the guitar was bends and vibrato. I love that stuff. Shivers up and down the spine.
