I'd like to begin this first installment of my new column with a statement: There is no right or wrong. What you read here represents just one person's views on the crazy, frustrating thing we call music. You have every right to disagree with me on any or every point—in fact, doing so will help to clarify your own point of view.
When it comes to guitar playing, the true judge of what's "good" and what's "bad" is the player himself. Some people say Frank Zappa, for example, was an awful guitarist. Others maintain he was a genius. Some people, like Steve Lukather, think I'm a terrible guitar player. Others disagree. The point is that everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, and you shouldn't let someone else's taste influence you too much. (Although I would say that if "Hold The Line" was the best rock riff I'd ever written, I think I'd keep my mouth shut.)
Guitar playing, in and of itself, does not mean a whole heck of a lot. But guitar playing within the context of great music and great songs is a big deal. If you look at the guitarists who are most noted for their playing ability, you will find their reputations are inextricably tied to the great songs they have written, or at least reinterpreted in their own unique ways. We appreciate the guitar playing skills of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and others within the context of their songs. The downfall of the Yngwie Malmsteen school of guitar playing, which focuses almost solely on technical proficiency, has occurred because ultimately, no really gives two shits about guitar playing in and of itself, except maybe other guitar players.
These days, there are three-chord punk bands enjoying huge popularity, and no one can tell me that their style of playing—which doesn't even involve guitar solos—is somehow less influential than guitar playing based on virtuosity. When you get right down to it, the guitar playing of Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong has a lot in common with that of a Seventies guitar hero like...Ted Nugent. Both have been very influential because their styles are very accessible.
And there we come upon the magic word. My intention with these columns is to present an accessible approach to guitar playing that emphasizes individuality as expressed through songwriting.