I agree with the above. I think it might be easiest to break down the skills you're going to want to develop:
Soldering
Soldering isn't super difficult, but it does take practice to do it well. In the beginning, there are lots of details, like where you place the tip of the iron, how long to leave it there, when to apply solder, how much solder to add, what temperature to keep your iron, what kind of iron to use, etc, etc...that can be taken for granted by those of us who have been doing this for a long time. I recommend getting a half-decent iron to start with (something like
this Weller is a good place to start), and practicing with some cheap kits (they don't even have to be audio kits).
Reading A Schematic
This is a super important skill. Schematics are the "maps" that help you understand what components go where. Even if you don't understand what a capacitor does, you should understand what a schematic symbol for a capacitor (both polarized and unpolarized) looks like.
This is a good place to start.
Machining/Assembly
This is a skill that is often skipped. If you're making things, they have to be assembled...and often they'll need some machining too (even if it's just drilling some holes or filing a part of the enclosure). It really helps to be familiar with screw sizes (i.e. 4-40 or M3), and how to use various hand tools.
Charts like this are really handy.
Testing/Measurement
This is vital to fixing issues that arise or calibrating newly-built projects. A multimeter is a vital tool, and knowing how to use it to measure voltage (AC and DC), resistance, and continuity are absolute necessities. Something like
this one will get you far. It also makes life a lot easier to either have an oscilloscope and signal generator, or as
@Khron pointed out, a decent audio interface and some measurement software. You're going to want to be able to look at waveforms and be able to trace signals.
REW is a great software suite for testing.
Electronics Theory
This is the hardest part. With the above skills, you can build just about any kit out there, but (as
@kingkorg pointed out) you'll have no idea how it works and won't be able to modify it or improve it in any ways. You also won't be able to design anything new or combine circuits. There are tons of tutorials and lessons out there on the internet, but since you're here, check out the fantastic thread
@CJ made:
Electronics 101.
That probably seems like a lot of stuff, but it's all fun, and the more you dive in, the more you'll be able to do. Welcome aboard!
