Learn Guitar with Computer Programs: A Review of Top Apps
Learning to play the guitar can be a rewarding journey, and modern technology offers a wealth of resources to help aspiring musicians. Guitar lesson apps, accessible on phones and tablets, have made it easier than ever to learn guitar, offering flexibility and convenience. These apps utilize video, text, and game-like interfaces to teach guitar playing. This article reviews some of the top guitar learning apps available, drawing on the experiences of seasoned musicians to provide genuine recommendations.
Top Guitar Learning Apps
1. Guitar Tricks
The Guitar Tricks iPad and iPhone app mirrors the web-based version of the program, ensuring users have access to the same content and material. This eliminates the frustration of a "stripped down" or "mobile" version. The mobile interface is streamlined and easy to navigate, with a focus on essential tiles.
Guitar Tricks is strong in several key areas:
- Beginner Content: Guitar Tricks consistently excels in providing quality content for beginners.
- Organization: The program is well-organized, making it easy for users to find the lessons they need.
- Licensed Song Lessons: Guitar Tricks offers lessons for popular songs, complete with tabs.
The iPad app includes a history section and a "Last Lesson" button to further assist with navigation. Most users can start by selecting one of the main tiles.
2. Simply Guitar
Simply Guitar is best suited for beginners, children, and those who enjoy a video game-style feedback learning system. This app provides an engaging and effective learning experience, particularly for those starting from scratch. The feedback system analyzes your playing in real time, highlighting mistakes and successes.
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Simply Guitar functions like a video game, listening to each note played via your device's microphone and displaying the notes in guitar tab format. The technology is the primary focus, while the courses take a secondary role. This approach is effective for individuals who struggle with focus or motivation. The app's implementation of this system is preferred over other similar apps.
3. Gibson Learn & Play
The Gibson Learn and Play app, formerly known as Amped Guitar, is another excellent option for beginners, kids, and teens who appreciate a Guitar Hero-style real-time feedback system. This app was one of the first to offer real-time feedback, using the device's microphone to track whether you're hitting the correct notes.
The app is addictive and makes practice more enjoyable. It includes amps and effects for headphone use. The technology is accurate in identifying notes in real-time. Following its acquisition by Gibson, the app has expanded its content, including licensed songs and organized learning paths.
While many guitar lesson programs offer good courses and song lessons, the appeal of the Learn and Play app lies in its technology. Like Simply Guitar, Gibson has made the learning process fun and intuitive. Compared to Simply Guitar, the Gibson app is broader and more comprehensive, catering to a wider range of skill levels.
4. Justinguitar
The Justinguitar app focuses on learning "beginner songs" by teaching the chords necessary to play specific songs in each stage. The "Songs" section allows users to browse song lessons. While much of the content is behind a paywall, the app is well-designed and complements the main Justinguitar portal.
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The app's focus on songs is reminiscent of Fender Play, but it remains a valuable tool with a user-friendly interface. Many songs are still free on the desktop version of Justinguitar, using YouTube embeds.
5. TrueFire
TrueFire boasts an excellent mobile app with a user-friendly design. Users can log in with an existing account, create a new one, or skip the sign-in process to access free content. The app allows users to browse content listings, with most content requiring a paid account to stream.
When you open a video lesson, the video is positioned at the top of the screen, with tabs placed directly below it. This layout is convenient for viewing content on a small screen. Playlists and progress tracking are available on the app, and all content accessible in the web version is also available in the mobile app.
While TrueFire offers content for beginners, the large volume of material can be overwhelming.
Free Guitar Learning Apps
Many guitar learning apps charge for their services, but some offer free content. The Justinguitar app is a good option for those seeking free resources, despite the increasing amount of paywalled content. A significant portion of the app can still be used without spending any money.
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Apps to Avoid
While numerous guitar apps are available, some are not recommended based on testing and reviews. Fender Play, Yousician, and Fretello are apps that may not provide the best learning experience. Yousician receives a higher rating than the others, but other apps are still preferred.
Comparing and Rating the Apps
To compare the apps, it is helpful to examine their ratings in content, education, and topical organization.
Content Ratings
Content ratings assess the volume of material, the quality of the delivery format, and the overall user experience. This includes factors such as video quality, ease of access, and the amount of content available.
Education Ratings
Education ratings consider the quality of instruction, the clarity of explanation, and the thoroughness of topic coverage.
Organization Ratings
Organization ratings evaluate how an app handles the organization and topical flow of guitar lesson content. This includes whether basic concepts are covered before more complex ideas, ease of navigation based on skill level, and the logical grouping of lessons and videos. Guitar Tricks consistently performs well in this area.
How Guitar Learning Apps Work
Guitar learning apps are simple examples of internet-based learning. They can be downloaded and run on your device. When choosing an app, consider your device, familiarity with other programs, and the criteria mentioned above.
Device Compatibility
One way to decide on a guitar lesson app is to check what's available on your device. Search for "learn guitar" in your device's app store and explore the options. Be aware that some apps may require linking to a membership account. If you already have a membership with a program like Guitar Tricks, it makes sense to look for a corresponding app.
How to Compare Guitar Learning Apps
While the best way to compare guitar lesson apps is to download and try them, there are a few specific areas of comparison that can be helpful:
- Intended Skill Level
- Delivery Method
- Price
Intended Skill Level
Guitar lesson programs may not always advertise a specific skill level, but each program tends to cater to a particular level. Guitar Tricks is better for beginners, while TrueFire is better for intermediate and advanced players.
Delivery Method
Guitar learning apps deliver content in different ways, such as pre-recorded video courses, video game interfaces, diagrams, or text. These methods can be categorized as:
- Instructional/Tutor
- Video Game/Memory
Instructional/Video
Most guitar lesson apps allow you to stream a pre-recorded series of lessons. An instructor teaches to the camera, providing information, explanations, and demonstrations. This is convenient for learning on the go.
Video Game/Memory
Some apps use a video-game style interface to help you memorize patterns and play through tabs, tracking your progress and providing feedback.
Price
The pricing structure of guitar lesson apps varies:
- Completely Free: Few guitar learning apps are completely free and worthwhile. Some may offer chord charts, scales, or basic instruction, but this information is readily available online. The Justinguitar app is a good starting point, but it is not as free as it used to be.
- Free to Try With In-App Purchases or Pay Wall: This is a common pricing model. The percentage of free content varies. Some apps, like Guitar Tricks, offer very little free content outside of a free trial. Others, like Justinguitar, offer a larger amount of free content.
- Paid Membership: Many apps require a paid membership to access their content.
The Benefits of Learning Guitar with Apps
Learning guitar with an app offers flexibility and convenience. You can learn at your own pace and choose a structure and style that suits you.
Potential Drawbacks
Spending too much time on screens can lead to screen burnout. It's important to balance app-based learning with other methods, such as live teachers, YouTube videos, and online classes.
Other Apps
- Yousician: A fun option for beginners, Yousician uses a Guitar Hero-like interface.
- Fender Play: A well-known app for beginners, Fender Play focuses on playing songs quickly through video lessons.
- Ultimate Guitar: A popular app for accessing guitar tabs and sheet music.
Tuning Apps
Tuning apps are essential for guitar players.
- GuitarTuna: A popular tuning app with accurate tuning precision.
- Fender Tune: An app connected to Fender Play that offers automatic and manual tuning options.
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