Kind of stalled out...

why not try the chords you struggle with and the same with the songs you have problems with?
I have been playing about the same length of time and I can't play any songs!

throw some new things into your routine. scales for instance. practice the chromatic scale which is basically fretting every note up and down each string. do this to a metronome. learn the C Major scale, the G major scale and a pentatonic. buy a book at a beginners level for anything that interests you...fingerpicking, rhythmn, exercises. sign up with someone for lessons. write a simple song. just do something different. it's hard but don't think about whether or not you're progressing.

Well, if you can play Day Tripper along with the record all the way through, I would say that is excellent for someone who has only been playing 9 months. So you are progressing very well in my opinion.

Guitar is really tough on the mind, you just have to get used to this fact. No matter how well you play, you will always want to be better. I have been playing 34 years and I still feel this way. So that just comes with the territory.

And often progress is hard to see for yourself. But if someone heard you 6 months ago, and then heard you today, they would easily recognize that you have progressed. It's like watching children grow everyday, they seem the same. But if a cousin visits who you haven't seen in a year or two, you can really see they've grown. Guitar is exactly like that.

You just have to tough it out and ignore the discouragement. Go to the Easy Song database and look for songs you like and enjoy.

It often helps to try new things too. Gets you out of a rut. So maybe practice fingerpicking, or other styles like Jazz. New sounds are exciting and can motivate you to practice and enjoy guitar more.

Just don't give up. Guitar is difficult for everyone. We have all been where you are now. Just stay at it and someday you will be really great.

But you will still wish you were better. :D

Thanks for the advice guys! I guess I just have to start working on some new songs. I think my biggest problem is that when I try a new song, if it doesnt sound right after the first few tries, I tend to get discouraged about it. I will choose one, and try to stick to it until I get it right.

I will also start working on some more scales. I dont mind them as much as people say. They are like a song that you can make up as you go :)

Thanks again for the advice!

You have your goals for changing chords better, so obviously you need to set aside some time to work on those. You should also challenge yourself with something new and different. Maybe learn a new scale, the circle of fifths, or maybe start working on modes. There is a ton of theory out there and you should just pick something every now and then to learn so things stay fresh.

A good way to keep things fresh is to either learn a new scale or practice a scale that you already know in a different key. First practice the scale ant then start free forming the scale. Have fun with it and see what kind of phrasing and riffs you can come up with. Then write a chord progression using the scale and key you were practicing. Record the new chord progression and then practice playing with your new scale over the progression you wrote and recoreded.

This always works for me. Hopefully you will find something here to help get you out of your rut. You should be getting close to a point where something new just "clicks." Those moments of revelation are always so much fun!

Enjoy!

Also, don't forget to go back to the wood shed once in a while. I've talked to some very good guitarists who recommend going back to the basics when you get in a rut. Take a biginner lesson on-line or a book and walk through it as if you know nothing about playing. It will really help your technique and might lead you in some new directions.

It often helps to try new things too. Gets you out of a rut. So maybe practice fingerpicking, or other styles like Jazz. New sounds are exciting and can motivate you to practice and enjoy guitar more.

Wes makes a great point, and one that I myself often tell people in similar situations. Try something new. If you play classic rock, play jazz or heavy metal. Something thats out of your normal style.

After my finals are over, and I get off for the summer, I plan to devote a lot of time to learning how to play jazz. Hopefully it will keep me interested.

A good way to keep things fresh is to either learn a new scale or practice a scale that you already know in a different key. First practice the scale ant then start free forming the scale. Have fun with it and see what kind of phrasing and riffs you can come up with. Then write a chord progression using the scale and key you were practicing. Record the new chord progression and then practice playing with your new scale over the progression you wrote and recoreded.

That sounds pretty interesting. Do you know where I can find some articles on playing different scales? Only ones I know now are the blues scale that I got from guitar.about.com, and just going up each string, playing each note.

Im starting to look forward to these suggestions now. Thanks again guys!

Here is a site with many exotic scales.

http://home.netsurf.de/sven.petersen/p429.htm