the way forward with guitar is to learn TAB, then just tab every song you want to learn. eventually after a while you will be able to play a shit loads of different songs, and then you just keep practising those songs, and perfect the TAB by ear then. thats what i did 3 years ago with metal music. now i can play pretty much all trivium solos nice and fluidly. alltho im more into acoustic now.. but trust me mate,, TAB IS THE WAY TO GO