Well said, Foolestroupe. I'm glad you emphasized the difference between 'playing by ear, and playing from the heart'. I thought I had covered that, but I see that your phrasing of that, was more clear, I think, than mine.

Music is a language, an expression from the heart, and unless the player, digests the music, and then interprets it, to be meaningful, in expression, it becomes merely mechanical...and if there is anything we DON'T need today, is more sterile, mechanical robotic emotions!

Now just a word on another part of Foolestroupe's post: "In case you still think that Classically Trained musos (Instrumental AND Vocal) are stupid for spending all those thousands of hours doing all those major & Minor (2 variants) scales (36 basic scales in all) (and arpeggio scales!..."

This is not as hard as some 'Folkies' who, as Foolestroupe described as, "... and that you, as a 'Folkie' are 'better that that', so that 'all you need to practice is just the pieces you want to play',...."

As I mentioned before, there are 3 COMMON PATTERNS of the scales,(5, for those who venture further), in which you play the scales ACROSS the neck with NO shifting of the fretting hand up or down (STRAIGHT ACROSS). These patterns are the SAME! To play in a different key, you just move your hand to the position, up or down on the fretboard, to where 'ONE' is located ('Do', the name of the key), and proceed in the SAME pattern across the fretboard, and bingo!..You're in a different key.

THEN: (As Foolestroupe posted),
"......are stupid for spending all those thousands of hours doing all those major & Minor (2 variants) scales (36 basic scales in all) (and arpeggio scales!..."   ...............Is not such an intimidating, undertaking to procrastinate away for YEARS!....AND.....you will be able to play, and 'improv' with virtually anyone, at anytime, in any key!!!!...USING THE SAME PATTERNS!!!!

Taste, of course, is another subject...BUT...as long as you play within the key(pattern), and get to 'ONE' on time, you will NOT hit a 'wrong' note!!!!!

I hope that is clear. It is NOT complicated!

Here's a link Patterns . There are others, you might find, but this is pretty basic. Make use of it!

Regards,
GfS