What is more important in a guitarist/musician, the ability to play technically well or write your own songs?

Question

I am a guitarist who has been playing for about a year and I am planning to start a band. I'm wondering where to devote my time, because I could spend it getting technically better or writing my own songs.

Answer 1

i think writing your own songs because with a music career it will get you farther then being able to play the guitar.  see if you can't play the guitar very well then you can hire someone to do it for you but if you can't write your own songs then your screwed. see what i mean?? hope this helps!!!

Answer 2

Well, Jasmine, I suggest you learn theory and practice it and the rest will start falling in place. learn chord progressions, scales and how to break down chords so you know that if you flatten the 7th it becomes  a 7th chord etc. in doing this you'll know why this chord won't fit here in this song because of this and that but the other one will because of the other. Good stuff to know if writing. It also helps because you may run a few bars on the guitar but in order to write it down with the proper chords backing is something else entirely

Answer 3

Hey Jasmine.....good Q..

If you have idea to write song, then do it before the train of thought slips by you and you forget.

You can always get technically better in-between song composition. Don't forget that the ore skilled you are, the easier to compose because you will understand the principle of harmonization.

Do both but spend more time in composing. Eventually, you have to give you mind a break since the ideas are not always there. Get your mind off of things and brush up a little on technique.

Answer 4

Imo, being able to write songs takes much more skill than being able to play technically well. That said, if you can't play technically well, then your song-writing abilities are going to be more limited. I'd focus on both though, but songwriting moreso since it's harder and overall more important if you already have decent technical skills.