How much do you practice? Petrucci?

 

Most guitarists would probably think totally otherwise. Learning to play other people's songs, contrary to many people's belief, tends to in fact be probably the best way to develop your own style and voice on the guitar. I myself could only play maybe, less than 10 songs from start to end, but I have been through many magazines and websites, just looking for licks. For example, I might watch a Steve Vai DVD, steal some of his licks, but never use them exactly in my own songs or improvisations. I draw inspiration from other people's licks, but I sit there, play that lick over and over, and eventually I will say "add this/take away that from this lick/play this in a different part of the fretboard", and eventually, the lick takes on a new voice, no longer Vai's lick, but in fact mine. Having said that, you can still certainly develop your own voice on the guitar, but playing other people's songs/licks can make that process more fun, easier and can expand your mind on the possibilties of your own playing while looking at someone else's.

And I found, certain songs I've learnt to play,or songs I've learnt to play bits from, i tend to enjoy the experience of listening to that certain muscians/group of muscians more, because you can appreciate the time and effort put into the songs even more IMHO.