We’re living in a digital world where computers can teach us a lot of things.
There are so many affordable courses available that it was only a matter of time when the music industry will go down the same road.
Stay tuned as we’re about to review the best guitar learning apps!
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Guitar Learning Apps
- OUR TOP PICK: Jamplay
- RUNNER-UP: Artist Works
- BEST GUITAR LEARNING APP FOR PC: Guitar Tricks Full
Table of Contents
- Why Did these Guitar Learning Apps Make Our List?
- Comparison of the Best Guitar Learning Apps
- Review of the Best Guitar Learning Apps
- Can You Really Learn to Play Guitar Using the App?
- How Do Guitar Learning Apps Work?
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Guitar Learning Apps
- Guitar Lesson App vs Live Person - Comparison Overview
- Conclusion
- People Also Ask
Why Did these Guitar Learning Apps Make Our List?
There are so many guitar learning apps on the market, so here are some reasons why we have picked these among others:
In-depth Lessons
Only a few apps have taken guitar lessons seriously and provided us with excellent content. These apps seem to be the best we could find at the moment.
Huge Database
It’s not just about the quality, it is also based on quantity. Some apps have about 11,000 videos on their platforms and have covered so many guitar playing techniques, styles, and songs so that you couldn’t watch all the videos even if you would like to.
Photo credit: medium.com
Interactive Approach
More or less, all those apps have an interactive approach. Whether it’s in the form of forum communities, achievements in form of badges and awards, live content going on or there are quizzes and other game formats, all those guitar learning apps are trying to keep your attention high without breaking your morale.
Additional Tools
As we’re living in the era of cell phones, apps made for this platform have a bunch of handy options, so, for example, you can use your mobile microphone as a tuner source. Metronome beat maker or list of riffs, licks, and patterns will also come in handy for both jamming and songwriting.
Comparison of the Best Guitar Learning Apps
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Review of the Best Guitar Learning Apps
Let’s check what the best guitar learning apps on the market are at this moment:
Best Overall:
Jamplay
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers loved the idea of combining teachers, at the same time, as different teaching methods may work for specific lessons. This guitar learning app is highly praised by advanced players as it provides various camera angles for most of their content. Also, both customer support and teachers are very responsive, so all your questions should be resolved fast.
Why it Stands Out to Us
While beginners’ lessons are fine at Jamplay, they put additional effort to provide really useful content for intermediate players too, the guitar playing category that’s somewhat forgotten by other apps.
Various lessons about playing techniques and music theory concepts are covered in-depth and besides live courses and Q&A being held everyday, Jamplay is also well known for its Artist Series.
Even if Jamplay was about those Artist Series videos only, we think it would pay off to take an annual membership as you’re getting a mindset approach from true rock legends such as Steve Stivens, Tony Macalpine, or Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a guitar learning app that will provide you with more than just basics, Jamplay is your platform. We can see how this app might be the only source you will ever need so you can play the guitar within a year from scratch.
Runner-up:
Artist Works
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
They love the fact that you can send an unlimited number of video submissions to your teachers with only annual membership enrolled. They also adore the fact that you can take piano, bass, and guitar lessons at once for the same price and it seems that all lessons are made with a high-quality mindset approach.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Artist Works would be our personal best if the price was just a bit lower. Nevertheless, the teachers that got affiliated with this website are considered to be one of the best in their genre. We truly believe that names such as Paul Gilbert and John Patitucci are known even for those musicians who aren’t guitar or bass related.
Speaking of lessons, they decided to pick quality over quantity, so there might be fewer courses available, but those that are covered will be covered in the tiniest detail, so for example Gilbert’s course has over 100 lessons included.
Bottom Line
Once you get to the basics, most guitar learning apps will start to slow down your progress. But, Artist Works is that kind of a guitar learning app you actually should apply for when you want to take the next step.
Best Guitar Learning App for PC:
Guitar Tricks
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Users say that the membership suits the content quality you’re getting and Lisa McCormick is frequently reported as one of the best teachers they ever had.
The Guitar Tricks mail support is reported as very responsive and reliable. They are even actively considering song requests that have been sent.
Why it Stands Out to Us
So many websites focus on various playing techniques and how to improve your speed and solo technique. Well, Guitar Tricks does have a part of such lessons but it’s different in general.
Instead of focusing on advanced players, it covers all the essentials needed for complete beginners as its forte. The Core Learning System should streamline you through the very beginnings up to intermediate skills based on your personal music preferences.
Besides this system, Guitar Tricks are also famous for having a huge and detailed song lesson database so most contemporary songs should be covered in detail.
Bottom Line
If you’re just starting and you’re serious about playing your guitar, Guitar Tricks is probably the best website for you. There are so many songs to practice that it may take some time before you think about going to alternatives.
Best Guitar Learning App for Android:
Fender Play
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
App is often described as an ideal tool for visual learners and several users said they like how lessons are made simple by keeping the music theory terms to a minimum.
However, as for song lessons, they had a feeling that the song list should be updated to some more familiar artists.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Most guitar learning apps are desktop or laptop oriented. Fender Play had handheld devices set as their priority.
We like the gaming aspects of this app and the ability to monitor your progress based on the instrument selected. The video content has a very simplified interface so it will provide you the best user experience among all the apps available at the moment.
And we must say that it gives you the best bang for the buck at the moment as it’s cheaper than the next app from our list and it gives you a discount for Fender products, too.
Bottom Line
Fender play should be also considered as a worthy substitution for Jamplay on handheld devices.
If you’re uncertain if online learning is your thing, this app is probably the most affordable way to find that out for yourself.
Best Guitar Learning App for Beginners:
Yousician
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
So many users have taken their first learning steps thanks to this app. It’s often described as very intuitive and you should understand the system within seconds.
However, they also share the feeling that the whole system is a bit limited and that you may get much better value for money with other guitar learning websites.
Why it Stands Out to Us
We love how they managed to simplify the guitar learning process in the form of a video game so you’re feeling like you’re playing a Guitar Hero game with a real instrument without any other equipment except for your cell phone.
This interactive approach may work extremely well with the kids as it will be an incredibly fun way to learn guitar, or perhaps some other instruments such as bass, ukulele, and piano, or even improve your singing.
And the best part is that it offers you up to 20 minutes of classes everyday with the free version.
Bottom Line
Many guitar learning apps seriously approach guitar learning. Yousician goes a completely different way. For some users, it may be more a game than a real guitar learning app, but that’s exactly what we love about it.
Best Bass Guitar Learning App:
Jamplay Bass
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers found that their music theory got significantly better after taking lessons from Jamplay Bass, especially in terms of fretboard patterns and modes.
But, they find it a little bit odd the decision to pay additional membership for bass guitar only as it’s not the routine found with other apps.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Most guitar learning apps handle bass guitar lessons as an extension of their content.
Jamplay sees the bass guitar as a complete entity worthy of having the same in-depth treatment as you may find in guitar lessons they have done. That’s why most courses are recorded with up to six different camera angles and it even includes the first person.
There is content that is suitable for both beginners and advanced players and the latter probably couldn’t resist the special Artist Series made directly by Billy Sheehan, David Ellefson, Bryan Beller, Rex Brown, and many other legendary bass players.
Bottom Line
When compared to guitar lessons, the bass guitar feels a little bit neglected. Whether you’re just starting or you would like to hear some advice from more experienced bass players, Jamplay Bass Lessons should cover all your needs.
Honorable Mention:
Ultimate Guitar Pro
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
People report that it would be hard not to find the song you are looking for and that the content available for Pro membership only really pays off as it’s extremely accurate. They especially loved the dedicated tabs for other guitar instruments such as ukulele or bass guitar.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Ultimate Guitar Pro represents a nice step-up from their free membership as it provides more than 250,000 accurate tabs available for Pro membership only.
These Pro tabs are probably the fastest way to learn any song. Ultimate Guitar Pro excels when it comes to rock or heavy metal songs and we’re impressed by how well organized the database is.
Thanks to handy playback and tempo control options such as loop, you may isolate the part you want to practice or even mute or solo certain instruments from the backing tracks. If needed, the virtual fretboard may aid you differently.
Bottom Line
Ultimate Guitar Pro is the best way to find the correct guitar tab of your favorite song. It will help you to learn a song much faster and it might be a real life-saver in those situations where you need information you can rely on instantly.
Can You Really Learn to Play Guitar Using the App?
There are many users out there that can confirm with their own stories that they pulled this off exactly by using these apps only. The guitar lessons were presented by real guitar teachers and you can be sure they are well organized and split into logical segments.
So, if you have developed the habit to learn on your own, you can be sure that these apps will have more than enough content so you can learn everything you need to be considered as a guitar player. And besides those basics, some apps will have advanced content so you can improve your skills further.
How Do Guitar Learning Apps Work?
Every guitar learning app has its system layout so it’s not possible to talk strictly in detail here.
But usually, lessons are recorded in HD or 4k video format, usually with multi-angle cameras and with an interface that allows you to speed up and slow down the footage.
Playing lessons are organized in either genre or based on required skill level and there are special song lessons that should show you how to play a specific song. In both cases, those lessons are split into smaller sections so you can focus on a specific part and combine it into full performance eventually.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Guitar Learning Apps
While apps have their differences, here’s what we can say about them in general:
Pros
Here are the positives of online guitar learning apps:
Incredible Value for Money
For a price of a single private lesson, you’re getting at least one month of subscription.
Huge Database
Many of these websites have such a huge database that it would be almost impossible to master everything within a year.
Various Teachers at Your Disposal
You may prefer one or another way of teaching, and with guitar learning apps, you can pick your favorite teacher for the same price.
Artist Works (Photo credit: knowyourinstrument.com)
Professional Guitar Learning Material
Online YouTube videos may not cover the topic in detail. Most of these apps are usually recorded with a multi-angle system and have organized the complete system carefully.
Bunch of Extra Tools
Besides typical lessons, you will find tools such as tuners, scale, and chord finders, an extensive guitar glossary, tab notations, and lively communities where you can collaborate with other students and teachers.
Cons
Here are some negatives:
You’re on Your Own
While you may have all the content you need, the only way to progress is to push yourself. For slackers, such an approach may cause problems.
Non-Personalized Content
Video lessons are not tailored to your specific needs. Private teachers would find your weak spots and re-adjust the content so you can overcome them.
Guitar Lesson App vs Live Person - Comparison Overview
It’s quite normal to ask yourself if guitar lesson apps can replace personal teachers. Let’s break it down for you and see what may be the pros and the cons for both options:
Progress Monitoring
Let’s be completely honest, nothing can beat a real experienced teacher who is sitting next to you and monitoring your progress. No matter how disciplined you are, the teacher will always find a way to push you forward a bit further than you could do on your own.
Even if you’re doing video call classes, they should be able to track down all the imperfections to your playing and provide you with the exact lessons that should treat your flaws the best.
But, that doesn’t mean you can’t get responses from guitar lesson apps. Most apps offer you some contact form so you can address any question you feel necessary to ask and some even extend and offer you to contact your guitar teacher directly.
Value-for-Money Ratio
While private lessons may come in handy in developing skills, especially those advanced ones, the price of an average guitar lesson will cost you around two months of subscription on any app.
Faster Learning
Private lessons are usually held around twice per week for one hour. With guitar lesson apps there is no limit to how many classes you can take daily so you may progress much easier. This may even multiply as your teacher might not be so skilled as the guys who were profiled for teaching at guitar learning apps.
And needless to say, when you ask your teachers something, there will be a time when they will have to improvise and find you some answers. With the guitar learning app, all the data is stored online and optimized to save you a lot of time.
Conclusion
In case you’re not sure if online learning is your thing, perhaps you could skip one lunch, try a month of the subscription and see how it goes. We think that online classes are part of the future and guitar lessons might be a great preparation when such times come officially.
People Also Ask
Now that we have covered the basics about guitar learning apps, let us review some of the most frequent questions regarding Guitar Tracks, Ultimate Guitar Pro, Fender Play, and about the free trial period in general:
Is Playing Guitar Good for Your Brain?
Playing any instrument is a good exercise for your brain as it improves your memory as your brain capacity increases, especially regarding cognitive skills. It also improves motor skills as you’re practicing coordination not just between your right and left hand, but hand to eye coordination as well.
How Often Should I Play Guitar?
If it’s possible, we would recommend it to take at least half an hour everyday. This might be especially crucial for beginners as it’s very important to build a habit of not just playing regularly but holding a guitar and memorizing the finger position on the frets and strings.
Do Guitar Lesson Apps Offer a Free Trial?
Some guitar learning apps are offering a money-back system to ensure you have 30 or 60-day protection in case you don’t like the content they provide. They may also give you a portion of their services as a free sample, but they are not so keen on giving a free trial.
Fender Play (Photo credit: rockguitaruniverse.com)
How Much are Guitar Learning Apps?
Guitar Learning Apps are starting as low as $9.99 per month for apps like Fender Play and may go up to $35 per month for Artist Works. You may check them during holidays and other special days as they are very prone to offer you a special price or some bonus offer.
How Much is a Guitar Tricks App?
Guitar Tricks App allows you to opt-in for either monthly or annual membership. Monthly membership costs $19.95 while with the annual membership you’re getting 25% off and additional content such as jam tracks, songwriting, and chord learning toolboxes.
Remember, there is a 14-day free trial included within the Guitar Tricks offer.
Is Fender Play Worth it?
Fender Play is one of the most affordable apps on the market at the moment. It may not work the best for advanced players like Jamplay could, but it is the best developed apps for handheld devices with an intuitive interface and interactive and inspiring content.
Is Ultimate Guitar Pro Worth it?
It all depends on your personal needs. For real guitar learning, it may have limited success and we would recommend other websites. But, if you need to learn a song quickly, Ultimate Guitar Pro will be the most resourceful, inexpensive, and accurate website you can find.
