The way we approach music is just like that with language, we insert our own personality, slang, and flavor into it and develop our own style. In this way, simply learning the notes on your guitar isn’t enough; you may have the words, but it’s in their articulation that the real power is had.
Level 1 - VS - Level 2
Level 1 Guitar Playing is learning the notes as is and moving on. This level of playing is rigid and robotic. In truth, we have learned the skeleton of the song. So the question is “What are the ‘muscles, tendons, ext.’ that I can implement in my playing?”
It is through techniques such as: bends, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, ext. that these nuances are found. These installments are often subtle which is why Listening to recordings is such a vital part of practice. So when you listen, can you hear how the artist approaches the notes or transitions from one to the next. What notes are being accented or emphasized (not everything should be played at the same dynamic).
Practicality
Level 1 Guitar playing is a solid start, but it is not the finish line by a long shot. Here are some exercises for the practice room:
Loop 3-5 seconds of the solo and really listen [Slow down with Youtube Playback Speed or Amazing Slow Downer App if needed]
Be able to sing back that passage nailing the pitches and rhythm while singing the articulation
Begin translating WHAT you sang and HOW you sang it onto your guitar
Use the Sandwich method [take 3-5s, master it, take another 3-5s, master it, combine the two and focus on transitions, move on]