Moosebox

good rythmic ability is important, not only recording wise, but a great riff/hook/melody has a lot to do with rythm of the notes you play. the syncopations and the off beats and stuff. and good technique is important for recording. doesnt need to be able to play fast, but smooth. beautiful. for example if you play acoustic guitar; listen to how it actually sounds. do you strum to hard? to soft? do you emphasize the right strings? a good musician playing an easy song, sounds much better than a bad musician playing the exact same thing. why? he/she plays it smoother. more beautifully, more in time. rythm has a lot to do with it, bt also technique. or shall i say the feel of it. this really depends on what music you want to play and if you want to be a session musician or not, but if you`ve got a good ear and a creative mind, I don`t really see the need to practice lots of scales and stuff either. it is nice to know the basics, but I find the most interesting melodies/chops when I don`t know what I`m doing. just look away from your instrument play a random note and take it from there:) don`t think, just play. sometimes it doesnt work but sometimes you get an interesting idea. If you want to come up with interesting hooklines/melodies, that is.. If you want to be able to improvise great solos, on the spot. then you have to practice that stuff of course.