Nowadays, nearly everyone has the power of a small computer contained within their pocket. While you may think of your smartphone as a potential distraction from your guitar playing, it can also be a boon for it. The best guitar apps can really help with your musical ventures, integrating into your practice regimen to help you become the guitar player you really want to be.
Whether it’s a basic tuner or a fully-fledged multi-track recorder that’ll let you lay down ideas with EQ and effects, the modern guitarist has plenty of options when it comes to apps for their guitar playing – and they keep getting better. You don’t have to be a new player to take advantage of them, either – there are plenty of great apps that’ll help you solidify what you’ve already learned through practice, such as metronomes and loopers.
To save you the hassle of having to sift through all the different options on Google Play or the App Store, we’ve put together our pick of the best guitar apps available today. From the best guitar learning app to the best guitar tuning app, you’ll find everything you need here.
Best guitar apps: Guitar World’s choice
The Boss Tuner App (download for iOS or Android) should be on every guitarist’s phone. It’s accurate, the display is crystal-clear, it’ll take up barely any storage space on your device and, most importantly, it’s completely free. If you ever get caught short by your clip-on tuner running out of battery, or you forget to bring one altogether, then this super-simple app will be an absolute godsend.
Probably the best app for beginner guitarists, JustinGuitar Lessons & Songs (download for iOS or Android) is an immensely popular teaching program that features myriad lessons, from how to play an A chord to beginner blues soloing. The quality of the content is phenomenal, and with more than 1,000 songs to learn, it’s sure to keep any new starter inspired.
Best guitar apps: Product guide
(Image credit: Boss)
1. Boss Tuner App
The must-have app for every guitar player
Our expert review:
Specifications
Operating system: Android/iOS
Storage required: 14MB
Features: Tuning range A#0 (29.14Hz) to G8 (6.2kHz), tuning accuracy +/- one cent
Reasons to buy
+
Provides excellent tuning for a variety of instruments
+
It’s free
Reasons to avoid
-
Can misbehave in noisy environments
-
Only does one thing
The Boss Tuner App is a must-have for every guitar player, from beginners to seasoned veterans. It’s incredibly simple, but with well over a million downloads on Google Play alone, it clearly does its job very well.
It can tune all the way from A#0 (29.14Hz) to G8 (6.2kHz), meaning you’ll be covered for every instrument across the frequency spectrum, not just guitar and bass. It also features two skins – one based on the classic Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner pedal, the other on the Waza Craft TU-3W version.
A guitar tuner is an essential tool for any musician and seeing as you’re likely to have your phone on you the majority of the time, you’re pretty much guaranteed to always hit the right notes with the Boss Tuner App.
Features: Multiple amps and effects, expandable, can be integrated with a range of controllers
Reasons to buy
+
Drag and drop functionality
+
Comes loaded with amps and effects
+
Expandable via in-app purchase
Reasons to avoid
-
Cost of extra gear can mount up
AmpliTube is an essential app that lets you use your iPhone or iPad to process, play and record your guitar, bass or other instrument while on the go. AmpliTube is an all-inclusive tone studio that gives you an expandable collection of ultra-realistic virtual versions of some of the most coveted gear on the planet. Build the guitar or bass rig of your dreams and then use its powerful recording and editing tools and other handy features to capture your creativity whenever and wherever the inspiration strikes.
The app lets you drag and drop pieces of virtual gear to create custom guitar and bass rigs comprised of 7 stompbox effects (4 pre-amp and 2 post), 3 amplifiers and 2 cabinets with up to 2 positionable microphones. Let’s just say we’re obsessed with detail – each piece of virtual gear has been meticulously modeled so that it looks and sounds as good as it does in real life.
Features: Video lessons, built-in tuner, hundreds of songs to play along with
Reasons to buy
+
High-quality tuition
+
Much cheaper than a traditional tutor
Reasons to avoid
-
There are cheaper beginner guitar apps
-
Might be too simple for intermediate players
Created by Australian guitar virtuoso Justin Sandercoe using tried-and-tested methods he acquired during two decades of teaching, JustinGuitar Lessons & Songs is used by more than a million musicians worldwide. If that wasn’t proof enough that it works, Justin claims that he taught himself to play left-handed using it!
The app covers Grade 1 and 2 playing techniques, making it the perfect place for beginners to start (it’s also somewhat cheaper than hiring a real-life tutor). You’ll be taught chords and scales, and there’s even a tuner built in.
One of the best things about the app is that it features hundreds of backing tracks for you to play along with, enabling you to hone your technique and expand your repertoire. With the ability to slow the tracks right down, you’ll master them before you know it. Justin Guitar is also featured in our guide to the best online guitar lessons.
Features: Speeds from 20bpm to 400bpm, 64 time signatures, 20 metronome sounds
Reasons to buy
+
Comprehensive choice of tempos and time signatures
+
Ability to save songs and setlists to recall later
Reasons to avoid
-
Doesn’t do anything other than keep time
-
You’ll have to put up with Soundbrenner’s adverts
We’ve tried many of the top-rated metronome apps on Google Play and the App Store, and reckon The Metronome by Soundbrenner is the best of the lot.
It features a whopping range of speed settings, from 20bpm all the way up to a frankly insane 400bpm. You can create any iteration of time signature, too, from the standard 4/4 to more esoteric time signatures such as 11/8.
You’ll have the option to save your metronome rhythms and group them into setlists, ready to be recalled at any time, and you can even have your phone flash in time with the beat – though we found that annoying after a few seconds!
The internet’s biggest guitar tab database, in your pocket
Our expert review:
Specifications
Operating system: Android/iOS
Storage required: 199MB
Features: Over 800,000 tabs (which can be saved for offline access), 7,000 HQ tabs with backing tracks, metronome, tuner
Reasons to buy
+
The most comprehensive tab library available online
+
Great for guitar, bass and ukulele players
Reasons to avoid
-
Lots of ads on the free version
-
You’ll need to upgrade to Pro to get the best out of it
Many modern guitarists started playing their instruments after being inspired by the Ultimate Guitar tab website, which debuted in the late ’90s. Evolving with the times, UG now has a dedicated app for Android and iOS, meaning the world’s biggest tab database will now fit nicely inside your pocket.
With pretty much any song you can think of, plus various lessons, scales and chord charts, this app is a goldmine for self-directed learners. Upgrade to the Pro version and you’ll find a fantastic array of high-quality tabs that you can play along with, speed up, slow down and even transpose to different keys.
This is another one of those apps where there’s little excuse not to have it on your phone. The ability to quickly grab a chord sheet for a song, or find the right notes for a scale, is a godsend for any musician, whether beginner or veteran.
Features: Virtual guitar rigs on tap, live loops, virtual drummer
Reasons to buy
+
Super easy to use
+
Loaded with features
+
Free!
Reasons to avoid
-
You'll need a compatible interface to plug in your guitar
A music studio, inside your Apple device! With this app you can start making professional-sounding music. Choose one of the Touch instruments or plug in your guitar and select one of their realistic amps. You can even add a virtual drummer to your song that takes direction and plays realistically. There are a ton of features. Garageband is perfect for making you sound like a pro regardless of your playing ability.
One of the standouts is that you can choose from nine acoustic or electronic drummers. Each drummer has their own signature sound! There are so many ways to customize your music with this app.
Features: Over 3,000 lessons, customizable learning experience, practice reminders, backing tracks
Reasons to buy
+
The most professional app for beginners out there
+
Comprehensive range of lessons, from beginner to intermediate
Reasons to avoid
-
One of the pricier apps on the market
-
Might be too basic for some guitarists
During the early stages of the pandemic when most of us were stuck at home, Fender saw a huge increase in guitar sales, and used the impetus to massively improve its Fender Play service.
The platform is now packed with over 3,000 lessons that’ll take you from basic chords to improvised soloing with hammer-ons, pull-offs, vibrato and other more advanced techniques. Professional instruction from Fender-recognized instructors means that this is as close as you’ll get to a traditional guitar tutor, at a fraction of the price.
With lots of great features, such as practice reminders, backing tracks to jam along to, streaks to keep you motivated, and the always-fun Chord Challenge, this is probably the most complete learning tool for beginner guitarists available today.
Fender Play: 50% off an annual subscription
Sorted a free trial but now you want to continue getting all the benefits of Fender Play lessons beyond your trial? Fender is offering 50% off an annual plan for all Guitar World readers, dropping the price from $99.99 to just $49.99. Just add the code guitarworld50 at checkout.
(Image credit: Roland)
8. Roland Zentracker
A multi-track recorder in your pocket
Our expert review:
Specifications
Operating system: Android/iOS
Storage required: 192MB
Features: Unlimited audio tracks, two track effects and sends per channel, mixer with 16 effects, stem export (Core, Pro, Ultimate), over 20 loop packs (Core, Pro, Ultimate)
Reasons to buy
+
An all-encompassing multi-track recorder on your phone
+
Includes a full suite of high-quality effects
Reasons to avoid
-
Can be a little fiddly on smaller screens
-
Steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with DAW software
Roland’s Zentracker is a complete DAW (digital audio workstation) for phone or tablet. It’ll give you the ability to record multiple tracks using your device’s built-in microphone, a USB mic, or even a regular audio interface.
We used it with Fender’s Mustang Micro headphone amp and were absolutely blown away by some of the sounds we got out of it. Laying down multiple tracks to jam over really helped us with our writing process, and enabled us to demo new songs to take into the studio.
Zentracker is perfect for recording on the go, and even comes with loops and samples for you to use in your mini-productions. It’s really quite an incredible proposition when you consider that the majority of functionality is available for free!
Features: Lessons for guitar, bass, piano, singing and ukulele, 1,800 Songs, 9,000+ lessons
Reasons to buy
+
A fun and engaging way to learn an instrument
+
Personalised learning paths
Reasons to avoid
-
Visual learning not for everyone
-
Quite pricey if you want all the features
Yousician is one of the fastest-growing apps for beginner musicians out there, earning plaudits for its Guitar Hero-style teaching method, whereby budding instrumentalists can learn from visual cues in a way that’s fun and engaging.
You don’t need anything other than your instrument and the app itself. Yousician gets its cues using the onboard microphone on a smart device, so as you play along, it’ll recognize if you’re fretting chords and notes correctly, and listen out for your timing too.
Encompassing a huge array of songs, from Linkin Park to Frank Zappa, Yousician is a great choice for those wanting to explore a range of styles. Should you get fed up with learning guitar, you can also dabble in bass, piano, ukulele and singing to further expand your repertoire.
Find the chords for pretty much any song ever made
Our expert review:
Specifications
Operating system: Android/iOS
Storage required: 45.25MB
Features: Over 22 million songs, transpose (Premium), MIDI export (Premium)
Reasons to buy
+
The most complete chord library available
+
Chords for guitar, piano and ukulele
Reasons to avoid
-
Doesn’t have any regular tabs
-
You’ll need to upgrade to Premium to unlock most of the features
Chordify boasts the biggest library of chords for electric guitar, ukulele and piano, with more than 22 million songs on its database. Its interface is incredibly clear and easy to use, which makes it great for beginner guitar players.
The app works in a slightly different way to the other learning apps on this list. It’ll play the song you’re learning via a YouTube video, simultaneously showing you the chords with the correct timing. This gives users a great feel for the rhythm of the song, far superior to just looking at a chord sheet and trying to recall the feel from memory.
To get the most out of Chordify, you’ll need to upgrade to Premium, but it’s one of the cheapest guitar apps out there. Upgrading will give you access to some very powerful tools, such as transposing, speeding up or slowing down playback, and downloading MIDI chords for use in other software.
You can trust Guitar World
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The first consideration when exploring the best guitar apps on the market is what aspect of your playing you’d like to augment.
Whether you're just starting out on the instrument, or have some skills under your belt and are looking to build upon them, there are some great options for enhancing your technique and theoretical knowledge. However, if you’re a more advanced musician, tools like multi-tracking apps and metronomes are probably a better bet for honing the skills you’ve already acquired, and capturing and building upon ideas.
As the majority of these apps are free – or at least free to take up initially – there’s little harm in trying all of them before you commit further. This way, you can discover which ones best fit into your existing practice regime or workflow. Guitarists are all unique, so what works for one might not translate for another. Whichever you decide to pick, we can guarantee you’ll end up using some of these apps for a long time to come.
Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at Guitar World. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on guitars, amps, pedals, modelers, and pretty much anything else guitar-related. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at Dawsons Music and Northwest Guitars and has written for various music sites including MusicRadar, Guitar Player, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog. A regularly gigging guitarist with over 20 years of experience playing live and writing and recording in bands, he's performed everything from jazz to djent, gigging all over the country in more dingy venues than you can shake a drop-tuned guitar at.
