Little Neo - Good question. My advice is based upon my own experience. I think it is good advice for ordinary people like me, not musically talented people.

Years ago I bought the banjo and the books (some of which have been recommended here) and started banging away. I wasn't trying to emulate anybody. I was just trying to play tunes the way they were written in the book. I was also trying to learn as many tunes as possible. I succeeded....sort of. I reached the point where I could play plain vanilla versions of a zillion tunes at jam session tempo. The problem was that I was boring myself to death while playing the banjo. As the song goes, I thought "Is that all there is?" and eventually almost completely quit playing banjo.

One day I was listening to a new banjo CD and thought, "Wow! I really like the way he's playing that banjo. I wish I could do that." So, duh, I signed up for lessons from the player and started trying to play the way he does. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I had to forget everything I thought I knew about banjo and return to square one. However, I am ecstatic with the results. I am having fun playing the banjo for the first time in years. At this point in my new love affair with the banjo, the highest compliment you can pay me is "Your playing sounds like...."

But ... I look upon the emulation phase as just the first step. I now have a foundation that I can move from to create a style more my own. But the important thing is that I couldn't have gotten to where I am now if I hadn't done the emulation thingy.