I'm a lefty who plays right-handed guitar...maybe that's why I've never moved much beyond simple strums and bass runs. But I play mainly to accompany my voice, and I sometimes find, when playing in song circles, that fancy guitar playing, laid on top of my simple accompaniment, ruins the song for me. Over the years I've worked out ways to get the most from my simple playing and it really throws me off to hear rapid fire finger picking intruding. One of the sessions I go to includes not only electric bass but a drummer...that really tends to throw me off!

I'd like to be able to do instrumental melody line breaks, just to vary especially multiple verse trad tunes. but usually have to resort to chords with whatever melody line I can find within them. I'd like also to extend my chording ability past the first 3 or 4 frets, to play 30's/40's music. I know a lot of that music, sing it often, but can't accompany myself very well because I just don't have all those 7ths, 9ths, diminished, etc. barre chords.

I enjoy listening to wizard fast playing sometimes, but it usually doesn't go very well with Mary Hamilton, Matty Groves, and songs of that ilk...or even lyrical contemporary ballads. Sometimes less really is more.

That is not to say that I don't get intimidated when the sessions I go to are predominated by jazzy all over the fretboard barre chord exponents trading fast riffs back and forth. A few of those numbers in a row, and somehow my simple little songs seem pale and lame. It often takes me a couple of days, after a session like that, to get my self-confidence--and my love of trad tunes-- back.