Originally Posted by mayonaise
there's nothing wrong with learning other people's songs, but if that's the only thing you ever learn how to do, it's pretty much meaningless. anybody can learn how to play someone else's song. you really should learn the musical structure behind the songs - the theory and the technique. not only is it more valuable, but it'll make covering songs a lot easier, you'll really understand what's going on in each song you play, and you'll be able to come up with something of your own - even if it's just a variation on a cover. much more fun that way.
Playing original stuff >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> playing covers.
You can be the best cover musician but you are nothing to me unless you can play along in a jam session. I can't play covers because I never attempted to, I started writing when I was 13. Maybe I won't have the 18 year old girls flocking around me as I play the newest 3 doors down song because I can't. You earn respect as a musician by being original, if you wanna be someone's bitch then become a pop star.