But classical training can actually work against you. Many of the musicians i have played with learned to play clasically first and play beautifully when the music is in front of them but take it away ......and they are lost. I think that training is very importnat and so is technique but passion and talent are so much more important. Having the passion means that you want to learn, having the talent means that what you learn is embedded more quickly. The guys I play with at church ( i am talking musical instruments !) Listen to a whole lot of excellent gospel jazz musicians and they learn almost entirely by ear. They spend hours upon hours listening and then replicating what they hear and then inovating on what they hear in every key. Thats how they become so versatile. Thats how they develope a depth of an appreciation of music far beyond their years. And they are always eager to learn new progressions and riffs and apply them in new situations.They seem far more adapt at changing the styles they play than any classically trained musician i know !