I agree with you. And I've pretty much approached the guitar much like you. Learning songs has always been my biggest commitment. And I've never really listened to shred guitar, so I have no need for crazy technical skills. But...

Technical exercises give you the ability to play a variety of things at a certain level. I eschewed technical exercises for such a long time that my chops were always well below my musicality (which isnt that great, ha). Which doesnt mean you need to run all the modes in groups, of 5, 6, and 9. A lot of guitarists start out listening to Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, etc. Trying to cop those licks is the equivalent of a technical exercise.

As far as the theory, it's not really necessary for blues/rock. Stevie and Jimi didnt know crap about theory. But, it's essential for jazz, IMO. It's so much easier to see the improv patterns when you know your scales and arps.

Also, hard work doesnt necessarily lead to high technical playing. Many great players I know (former teachers, players, etc) cannot play at a high technical level, but their musicality is through the roof. Meanwhile, there's always a new 16 year old at Guitar Center who can shred like Malmsteen. I think chops to an extent is either born with it or not.

Once again, just my HO...

well, I used to be a lot more in to blues and rock when i started playing, and when i started learning theory I thought the same thing, but when you know so many songs, and you develop your own style, you start thinking past scales and modes and all of that. The only time I use my theoretical knowledge is when I am writing a lead or melody for something, and I really want to get a certain feel or mood across.
The key, in my opinion, is knowing theory, but not necessarily relying on it/using it 100% of the time.
I find it just makes figuring songs out easier, you can really pinpoint what theyre doing if you know your scales, because you realize what the arist is using.
As much as I know rock/blues styled music is based around the pentatonic scale, and I know a lot of players who once they learnt the pentatonic scales they stopped trying to learn anything, it makes it, in my opinion, so that almost all of the music created has the same feel.
What knowledge of theory does is it enables you to create different sounding songs, and makes your music more diverse.
Of course if you're not in to that, then of course there's no point.
As much as i respect people that can shred, I find that just because you can shred doesn't mean anything, i find a lot of shredders don't have a lot of musicality they rely on spewing up scales that sound like nothing.
Anyways thats my opinion

I rarely practice scales/theory....I usually learn/write songs. And I think that, the better you get, the more you naturally aquire theory and technical skills.

I play a lot and practise rarely. I wish I had the will to practise more and to pick up more theory and I'm always interested in the posts here the delve into theory and I always pick up some things to try out but I never go as far as I should so while my playing ability is growing the improvements can be measured glacially. I'll get stuck in ruts for long periods and I know that if I understood more and practiced more that my playing would get better faster and more interesting. So I understand where The Rocker is coming from, but I am so not interested in what everyone else has done or is doing all I really care about is my style and my songs.

Learning theory and working on your technique are not necessary, but they do add more tools to your musical toolbelt. The more you know how to do, the more choices you have when you're composing songs, jamming, playing with others, etc. If you're satisfied with the tools in your musical toolbelt, then more power to you. But others may enjoy / desire to amass a larger number of musical tools.

Fore example, I work out playing scales in intervals. I start out playing my scales in 3rds, up and down in all positions, then I do them in 4th, then 5ths, etc. These exercizes are BORING!!!!!! But whan I gain is precision, dexterity, finger independence. So when I'm maiking music, I may throw this ascending pattern of 6ths right here and that'll make this passage more interesting. I wouldn't have been able to , or even known to do this unless I did those boring exercizes.

No argument here, I know practice helps and I know theory helps, I just have such a hard time doing it. Sometimes I'll sit down and actually practice scales but instead of following it up the next day and the next, I just blow it off and play. I'm a believer but the discipline is lacking.

The Rocker - I hear what you are saying, but do think learning at least basic music theory has *huge* advantages. First being that knowledge is power. I am talking about knowing simple things like being able to play a chord by its name, knowing scales (major, minor), and basics like what a relative minor is. The key is to take that musical knowledge and make it your own. Being self taught on guitar, my playing and songwriting advanced exponentially after taking a level one music theory class in college. The accompanying lab, ear training and sight singing, was tough, but very rewarding. I never appreciated this until I started working with singers and other so called musicians that did not have this basic knowledge. You have to dumb everything down. I also think this type of knowledge goes towards being musical.

I have a tendency to learn new a new set of theory or scales and leave the learning for a while until I have incorporated it into my playing. To me learning all the scales, and all the chords you can is not necessarily the best way. If I can't incorporate it into my playing then why am I learning it in the first place? I pick apart songs all the time though, and think the same way as DC "Hey they could have done this there," "or I would have put this in that part of the song. I am not very technical, but what I learn, I learn for good. That's just my way. I need a drum kit and a Bass guitar, so that I can continue into the next phase of being a musician.

I don't know near as much theory as I wish I did. I've always been a more instinctual player than a schooled player and I've written what I think are some good songs. However, I realize that if I knew more theory I would have a much broader base of knowledge to work with.

To me, it's kind of like being a speech writer. If you have a basic knowledge of English you can write a speech, but the larger your vocabulary the more options you'll have to make your speech interesting.

Music is our language, theory is our vocabulary. Can you get by without it? Maybe, but I don't see how knowing more of it could possibly be a hindrance. Rarely a day goes by that I don't wish I had a deeper understanding of music theory. I just don't have the damn patience to sit down and learn it.

Hard to answer.... Think it's important to know about this, if you really wanna go somewhere. You say it feels sterile, but i think infact if you don't learn about those... all your improvised playing is gonna sound sterile & monotome.