Got it. I will surely try to follow your advice, and perhaps then will ask for more! I'm curious though, why is it so that spot fx market depends on futures markets? What's so special about them?
Sorry, I wasn't clear on that one, it's the other way round-spot fx drives futures (not to get too complicated but similar in cash SandP markets as well but there are MUCH more people involved in the emini SandP futures market).
Spot fx is the main market where all the volume takes place, the futures markets for EURUSD (and all currencies) is relatively light. They just follow spot fx prices as they cannot go out of sync otherwise there will be arbitrage opportunities. As such they are 'thin' markets (thin=lower volume/contracts traded) and you might not get as much info out of futures volume as futures markets with higher volumes e.g. eurostoxx and the bund. Trust me, these are great markets to learn on in futures. Everyone loves the emini SandP but that whips around a fair bit.
Spot fx is the main market for all currency transactions as well, not just speculative trading. And to explain this: all trade is done in a home currency e.g. you want something in the UK, you convert to £, if you want something in France, it's euros etcetc. For example, a US company buys/acquires a european compnay for 1 billion euros. If it has no euro accounts then it will need to convert $s into 1 billion euros. Currency futures markets will not see this order activity, and as there is no centralised exchange where volume is collated, neither will spot fx markets. But it's v important info!
It is this daily trade, rather than more speculative activity, that drives fx markets, although that is not say that speculation doesn't exist using the same principles as in other markets. But as spot fx does not operate on a fixed exchange, complete volume is not obtainable and that leaves significant blind spots when trading. Hope that makes sense.
Futures trading does have costs e.g. data feeds/charting, but if start with futures and volume profile you'll be doing yourself a big favour.