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@Guy_H said: “So if my goal were to be a better guitar player would I be better off learning instrumental pieces”.
I saw a question in there….I believe the answer is yes. Proviso 1: It would need to be your sole goal. Proviso 2: You had trained your fingers and mind to the extent they are ready and capable of playing the instrumental pieces you are trying to learn.
Addressing the question in your Title “<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Does playing songs dampen progress?” …
No, not if that is your goal. Are two goals better than one?…only Guy H has the answer to that question.
Lots of great points made throughout the discussion. Mark, @mkjohnsons talked about two things that impressed me. The magic line and practicing guitar. Is there a magic line? I am finding the answer to be yes but to his point there is more beyond it. My magic line is being able to express myself intuitively and completely cogently when I play my guitar. I am a practitioner of guitar, mentally I need to focus on play as my practice rather than practice to play: early childhood trauma with piano, etc. When I go into practice mode it is because I am powerfully motivated by some new discovery (just beyond my intuitive reach) which feeds my determination allowing me to play the same drill over and over and over for hour, days, months and yes now I can say years. Hello WU 17 Even Crosspicking (FLP).