I'm not much of a musician, but it sounds to me you need to play with more people. I look at it like playing chess. You need to play with someone who is better at it than you for the challenge and drive to be better and you need to play with someone who is not as good as you to build you confidence and improve your communication skills.

I really don't see how anyone can expect to play guitar without playing rythme first. Rythme is essential to any song. It sets the pace (beat) and the sound of the song. A vocalist, lead guitar, riffs & licks, are just flare. A good rythme guitarist playing correctly (in time & in key) is what makes the rest shine! I know a drummer sets the time and beat as well, but give me a good rythme guitarist anytime.

I mentioned that I didn't consider myself a musican, but since I have been practicing playing in time using a metrodome, and working on different strum patterns, etc. You know playing rythme, I have improved my playing ability a great deal.

I don't know if you like blue grass, but you would be amazed at what you can learn sitting on the tailgate of an old pickup playing with guys you never met before at a bluegrass festival. You will learn key changes, strum patterns, and some amazing pickin' and licks. And talk about improv, wow! Don't think you can't use what you learned playing other music, because you can. You may even develope your own style by crossing different blue grass chords and licks with jazz, blues, or rock. Plus, it's a lot of fun!