Guitar App for Learning, Playing, Tuning and More

Learning to play guitar is easier today than ever before. Although guitar lessons with an in-person instructor are still an option many beginners choose, they’re far from the only one. Thanks to technology and the Internet, learning guitar (or any instrument for that matter) is possible wherever and whenever you want.

In addition to online resources and YouTube videos, the rise of smartphones and tablets has made it possible to start learning with the help of an app. The best thing about many guitar apps is that they aren’t limited to just learning how to play. They also include other useful tools and features, such as a guitar tuner, chord library, metronome and more. The best of guitar apps offer interactive features with instant feedback which makes learning and playing all the more fun.

Read more and find out why guitar apps are an essential part of every guitarist’s arsenal.

Guitar learning app features

Choosing the right guitar learning app boils down to its features. Different apps are also catered to different kinds of players, depending on their skill level and overall needs. Consider the following when looking for the ultimate guitar learning app for you.

Guitar tuner

Every experienced guitar player can tell you that a reliable guitar tuner is an essential tool for all guitarists. Tuning your guitar by ear is one way to do it, but using a separate tuner will give you the most accurate tuning. Guitar tuner devices can be a good option, but they can be expensive and inconvenient to use. Instead of carrying around a guitar tuner device, consider downloading a tuner app that works just as well, or even better.

Yousician uses the same advanced guitar tuning technology as our highly popular guitar tuner app, GuitarTuna. The auto mode of the tuner recognizes which string you are playing and automatically tells whether it’s tuned too high or low. The manual mode lets you choose the string by yourself and plays how the string should sound when tuned correctly.

With GuitarTuna, you can easily switch between alternate tunings, such as drop D, full-step down and many others. The app isn’t limited to six-stringed guitar tunings either and offers tuners for other stringed instruments, such as ukulele, bass, mandolin, violin, 7- and 12-stringed guitar, and more.

Skill level

Not all guitar players pick up a learning app as complete beginners. That’s why a good guitar app should have something for different skill levels. The app shouldn’t be too advanced for those who are just starting out either. The guitar learning path in Yousician is divided into 10 levels so you can find the level of challenge to fit your guitar playing skills and expertise.

You start off with the basics. When getting to know the Yousician app, these act as a great introduction even if you’ve already passed the beginner stage. After you’ve improved your guitar playing skills to level 5, you’re already skilled enough to play along to real songs from the song library. Level 10 is for the truly experienced players who have grasped not just the basics but many more advanced guitar playing techniques, such as solos and barre chords.

Lessons and challenges

Learning to play guitar would be extremely dull with only learning materials to read. That’s why a good guitar app should offer fun and motivating lessons and challenges by expert teachers. With pre-recorded online guitar lessons, you can learn at your own pace when it’s the most convenient for you.

Song library

What would be a more motivating and fun way to learn guitar than by playing along to real songs. Learning songs on guitar is also a good way to get better at different playing techniques, such as hammer-ons, hammer-offs, alternate picking and slides. With an extensive song library full of real songs, you’ll also be learning both lead and rhythm guitar.

Customizability

The best guitar-playing apps can be customized to fit the player’s needs. Not all guitar players are right-handed. That’s why the app needs to be usable for left-handed guitarists as well. In addition to left- and right-handed guitar players, there are those who prefer playing an acoustic rather than an electric guitar.

If the app can listen to you play, then using an acoustic guitar isn’t an issue. In this case, the app uses your device’s built-in microphone to pick up the sound. However, some guitar apps even allow you to plug in your electric or semi-acoustic guitar to your device and play that way. You can read more about setting up your guitar for using Yousician.

The best guitar app is one that allows you to read notation the way you want. Whether it’s guitar tabs, standard notation, or a combination of both, being able to customize the app’s notation style to your liking is a useful feature.

Price

One benefit of using guitar apps to learn is their price compared to other forms of learning. Whereas in-person guitar lessons are a good way to learn, they’re not the ideal option for all due to their price. Many apps offer a free version with limited features or at least a free trial that lets you try out the app before paying anything.

When you think you’ve found the best guitar learning app just for you, using the full version of the app costs a monthly subscription that can be many times smaller than the price of guitar lessons. On top of that, most likely, you have unlimited access to songs and lessons.

Device support

One crucial feature for all guitar apps is multi-device support. Mobile apps are common and you can download them from Google Play or the App Store for your Android and iOS mobile devices. What if you want to learn and play guitar on your computer as well? That’s why a great guitar app should offer a desktop version too, in addition to a mobile app you can use on the go.

Can I learn music theory with an app?

A guitar app is absolutely a good way to learn music theory. Although many just want to have fun playing, knowing at least some music theory will support your learning progress and allows you to speak the language of music with other guitar players and musicians.

Learn guitar theory with Yousician by following the Knowledge Path, including the musical alphabet, fretboard as well as keys and octaves. Make sure to also get familiar with our musician’s glossary where we have listed some of the most essential musical concepts with explanations.

What else do I need in addition to an app?

Once you have downloaded your guitar app of choice, there are a few more things you’re going to need. A guitar is obviously the first thing on your list. Now you only have to make the decision between acoustic and electric guitars. Find some great recommendations and tips in our buying guides for both acoustic and electric guitars.

Here’s a list of other useful gear and accessories might need along your guitar-playing journey:

• Guitar picks
• Amp
• Strings
• Effects pedals
• Cables
• Carrying case
• Guitar capo

Learn to play guitar with Yousician

Yousician is the perfect app for learning how to play guitar, whether you’re a complete beginner looking to get started or a more advanced player. Play along to well-known songs across different genres on your acoustic or electric guitar and put your skills to the test with missions and challenges.

Yousician’s online guitar lessons are made by passionate and skilled music teachers and they walk you through different concepts and playing techniques, starting from the most basic of guitar chords and parts of the guitar. The app works on both mobile devices and your computer, allowing even better customizability for learning and playing guitar.

The interactive gameplay of Yousician lets you play along with real songs using guitar tabs and other forms of notation. The app listens to you play and gives instant feedback based on your playing. What’s best, Yousician supports the ukulele, bass guitar, piano and singing as well.

Download GuitarTuna

Forget expensive and inconvenient tuner devices or apps that only play the sound of different instruments. GuitarTuna is an interactive tuner for your guitar and other popular string instruments. In fact, it’s much more than that. Other features include a guitar chord library, metronome, ear trainer and other useful tools. On top of that, you can now play the chords to your favorite songs with the Smart Scroll function.

Download the GuitarTuna app on your Android or iOS device and have a reliable tuner always with you wherever you go. You can download GuitarTuna for free.