1) You Don't Practice
First and foremost, practice makes perfect. If you want to be able to play well, you have to play regularly. I find I only need 15 minutes every 2 or 3 days to see improvement in my students which is a lot better than playing for an hour every 2 weeks. If you're struggling with practicing then check out The Secret to Effective Guitar Practice
2) You Don't Listen to New Music
Inspiration is everything. You can tell when someone isn't inspired to play. There's no emotion, no passion and no life in their music. You've got to keep yourself creatively inspired by listening to new music, checking out new artists/bands, even being inspired from things that are nothing to do with music changes the way you play! Uninspired playing becomes routine, religious and plain boring. To inject life and passion into your playing, why not buy a random album from Itunes. I've recently bought The Naked and Famous' latest album and Hillsong United's Aftermath.
3) You Play With The Wrong (or no) People
When I first started playing the guitar I used to jam with a mate who really wasn't very good at the guitar. He used to play the same old chords and I would get pretty frustrated easily as I wanted to express myself more creatively. A few months later I tried playing with a drummer friend of mine who had some real musical talent; the atmosphere was completely different. I was a lot more creative and my playing went to a completely different level simply by surrounding myself with similar minded people who were further on the journey of musicianship.
4) You've Lost Your Motivation
When you lose your mojo (or motivation), playing the guitar is the last thing you want to do; and so it sounds like its the last thing you want to do. Remind yourself why you first wanted to pick up the guitar. Why did you want to get good at playing? What are your favourite bands and artists that challenge you to improve and to get better? If you've made playing the guitar a chore then you need to change something. Make an effort to be spontaneous and play for fun!
5) You've Learnt It All
Life is only fun as long as your learning. The best musicians in the world never stop learning. There's never a moment that you stop and think, "I can play everything now." If you feel like you've reached the limit on your playing then you've missed the point. There is loads more to learn and to play. Your playing can only ever sound rigid if your learning has plateaued.
6) Your Guitar is Rubbish
Plain and simple, you get what you pay for. If you're strumming on a 80 pound starter guitar then you'll struggle to get the killer tones you've been trying for. It's great to start on a cheap guitar but you'll get to a point when you need to upgrade. If you need to save up then get started because it will really make a difference.
7) You Need New Strings
I've seen so many people play with dreadfully old strings. I change mine every 2-3 months. It's completely dependant on how often you play but there's no way your strings should be on for more than a several months. Old strings give you a dull, tired sound instead of a fresh bright one. Spend a couple of quid at String Busters and get yourself some new strings.
8) You Need a New Teacher
It's one thing to be brilliant at the guitar and its something completely different to be a great teacher. If you're not progressing at all and you are practicing a lot then it's time to look at your teacher or lack of one!
9) You're Playing Too Fast
Slow it down. Most people try and play at 110% of where they're at and as a result sound very messy and out of time when they play. None of the notes come out properly and there's no feel or phrasing to their playing. I generally play at 90% of my playing ability; I try to push myself as hard as possible as often as possible but I never play beyond what I can actually play. Try slowing down your playing and you'll see immediate improvement to your playing.
There you have it! Just focus on fixing one thing at a time and you'll be away in no time!
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