13 Best Apps For Learning Guitar 2024

There is perhaps no better time than the present moment for somebody to learn the guitar. Technological advancements have allowed for the guitar to be learned in much more convenient ways than in the past.

One way to learn the guitar is to use various apps and programs. You can bet that there is quite a list of options to choose from in this department.

So, which is the best? Here are some of the best apps that will get you learning the guitar in no time.

Guitar Tricks – Best Overall

If you’re looking for an all-encompassing approach to learning the guitar, Guitar Tricks is for you. This service has established a reputation as one of the best places to learn the guitar, especially the fundamentals.

As you might expect, Guitar Tricks is more oriented to teaching you guitar by way of video lessons. However, you’re not limited to 1 instructor, as there are over 35 different instructors contributing to the resource.

This allows you to draw on the experience and expertise of multiple styles of guitar. You’ll have the ability to learn techniques inherent in the genres of:

• Blues
• Jazz
• Classical
• Acoustic
• Rockabilly
• Metal
• Country
• Surf
• Bluegrass
• Funk
• Rock
• World music

Each video lesson is shot in multiple camera angles so you can easily see what each hand is doing. Plus, you’ll be able to change the speed of each video to digest difficult passages.

If you’re completely new to guitar, Guitar Tricks offers a guided pathway for learning the fundamentals. This will ensure you learn the basics of the guitar in the fastest and easiest way possible.

Another area where Guitar Tricks shines is in its offering of artist studies. This section covers the playing habits of some of your favorite guitarists.

Guitar Tricks also has one of the largest repositories of song-based lessons. You’ll be able to learn a song from just about any guitar genre of music in existence.

This is primarily a web-based app, meaning you’ll be able to use it both on your mobile device or computer. Guitar Tricks does offer some extra goodies, including:

• Scale finder
• Chord finder
• Fretboard memorization game
• Jam tracks
• Metronome
• Tuner

Without a doubt, Guitar Tricks is the best premium resource to take you from absolute beginner to higher levels. New content is regularly added to the resource.

What’s So Great About Guitar Tricks?

Guitar Tricks is perfect for the beginner guitarist looking to learn all of the fundamentals. The app’s approach leaves little room for confusion as to what you should be learning and practicing.

In fact, once you get beyond the 2 courses covering fundamentals, Guitar Tricks gives you more options. From here, you can choose to follow guided pathways in the genres of rock, country, blues, and acoustic.

Being a self-taught guitarist is quite empowering as it allows you to learn exactly what you want to learn. However, many guitarists end up learning certain things and glossing over others.

With Guitar Tricks’ guided pathways, you won’t have to worry that you might be missing out on key knowledge. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to learn multiple styles in a linear format, which many other platforms don’t offer.

You’ll also have access to the resource’s forum, which allows you to connect with other guitarists. This can come in handy, especially if you have questions or just want to shoot the breeze with another musician.

Guitar Tricks also has a channel that regularly produces and releases new content that you can learn from. You can always be sure that there will be something new to learn here.

TrueFire

If you’re an intermediate or advanced player, it is highly recommended that you check out TrueFire. This is one of the best resources available with lessons catered to those who know their fundamentals.

TrueFire shines in the lessons that it offers, which are all video-based. Each lesson (or series of lessons) is taught by a different instructor, some of whom are quite famous.

This essentially means that you can learn directly from some of your favorite guitar players. Plus, each lesson has supplemental material, such as tabs, to aid you in your learning.

If you’re a beginner, TrueFire does have a guided pathway you can use to learn in a linear fashion. You can even learn a specific style of guitar playing in a linear fashion if you choose.

For the most part, however, guitarists are free to pick and choose the things they wish to learn.

There is a wide range of music genres covered here on TrueFire, including:

• Metal
• Rock
• Blues
• Funk
• Jazz
• Country
• Flamenco
• Fingerstyle
• Rockabilly

Each lesson is shot in high definition with multiple camera angles. You won’t have any issue seeing what each hand is supposed to be doing.

TrueFire also offers lessons covering individual categories of techniques and skills. So, if you know you’re lacking in a specific area, TrueFire likely has what you need to fill that gap.

Furthermore, TrueFire has started to build up its library of song-based lessons. However, the number of songs available is nowhere near some of the other apps on this list.

TrueFire also offers jam tracks to play along to. Some of these will allow you to control the mix of other instruments in the track.

This is a web-based site, with an app offered for both desktop and mobile devices. Android and iOS are supported.

JamPlay

JamPlay is one of the oldest and most established names in the game when it comes to internet-based lessons. There is definitely a reason why this resource is still around, and you’ll soon see why.

Whether you’re a complete beginner or an advanced player looking for new information, JamPlay has something to offer. That is saying quite a bit because many apps tend to be tailored more towards complete beginners.

If you happen to be completely new to the instrument, JamPlay has a beginner’s course to teach you the fundamentals. JamPlay even has a section of lessons tailored toward kids that want to learn the instrument.

Where JamPlay truly shines is in the number of instructors contributing to the pool of knowledge. You’ll be able to learn from a wide range of different experiences and expertise.

There are currently over 130 different instructors on JamPlay. The resource regularly adds content from both existing and new instructors.

Each lesson is shot in high definition, featuring multiple camera angles so you can see what each hand is doing. The lessons tend to follow a path in the form of larger courses, ensuring you learn in a linear fashion.

If you’re interested in a particular music genre, JamPlay has you covered. This resource offers the largest number of genres, allowing you to take lessons covering techniques used in:

• Metal
• Blues
• Rock
• Bluegrass
• Surf
• Jazz
• Fingerstyle
• Hawaiian slack key
• Celtic
• Classical
• Funk
• Flamenco
• Gospel
• Brazilian
• Reggae
• R&B
• Jam band
• Acoustic
• Pop
• Country
• Folk

JamPlay also has a decent catalog of song-based lessons to learn. These will allow you to put your genre-based lessons to work in an applicable manner.

If you have a favorite guitarist, chances are, their playing styles are featured in JamPlay’s artist studies.

Fender Play

Since Fender began rolling out their Fender Play instructional program, it has become quite popular for learning guitar. More often than not, a free membership is offered with the purchase of a Fender-related instrument.

However, that doesn’t mean you need a Fender guitar to be able to use Fender Play. In fact, you’d be missing out on an excellent resource if you thought so.

Fender Play is especially great for those who are just starting out on the guitar. This platform will teach you all of the fundamentals required to become an advanced guitarist.

In fact, Fender Play currently offers well over 3000 lessons, with new material regularly being produced. Each lesson is short enough to easily digest and seems to follow a coherent, linear path.

Fender has taken a unique approach here, allowing the guitarist to choose which genre they’d like to learn. From here, the guitarist follows a guided pathway to learning the techniques used in that genre.

Another unique aspect is the fact that Fender Play will remind you when you need to practice. It even has features, such as a scrolling tab, to aid you in your practices.

You certainly don’t need to follow the guided path if you don’t want to. Fender understands that it’s nice to change things up with a little variety every once in a while.

Because of that, Fender Play allows you to also pick and choose different lessons according to your interests.

Aside from the lesson courses, Fender Play offers lessons on over 1000 different songs.  You’re sure to find a song that you’ll want to learn how to play.

You can even learn the ukulele and bass here if you wish!

Fender Play is available on desktop or mobile devices, with iOS and Android supported.

JustinGuitar

If you’re not looking to spend any money, JustinGuitar is the perfect solution for you. For years, Justin Sandercoe has been providing miracle work for any guitarist willing to learn.

JustinGuitar provides a tier system of lessons based on skill level. Whether you’re an absolute beginner or have some experience, this resource will have something for you.

You can choose to follow the level-based lesson pathway into advanced concepts if you wish. Or, you can choose to learn specific lessons covering the following topics:

• Fundamentals
• Scales and modes
• Chords
• Theory
• Arpeggios
• Technique
• Ear training
• Guitar gear
• Transcribing
• Songwriting
• Production

For a free resource, that is quite a bit of information available to the guitarist hungry for knowledge. However, that’s not all JustinGuitar offers, as the resource offers tools such as:

• Chord library
• Interval ear trainer
• Metronome
• Tempo calculator
• Blank music paper

One of the best things is that it is offered in both a web-based browser version and a mobile app. The mobile app (available for iOS and Android) has all of the lesson-based features found on the website.

JustinGuitar goes one step further and offers app-based versions of all the tools that are available on the website. This means you can take advantage of these tools whenever you might need them.

Furthermore, JustinGuitar offers a community message board allowing you to meet other learning guitarists. Justin Sandercoe is very active on the platform and offers the ability for your question to be answered.

If for some reason, the free content on the platform doesn’t suffice, JustinGuitar does offer premium materials. Depending on your needs, you can have access to premium lessons, songbooks, jam tracks, and more.

For the most part, any guitarist will find JustinGuitar to be more than enough to learn from. Plus, it’s all free.

Gibson App

Are you a fan of guitar video games such as Guitar Hero or Rocksmith? You might find the Gibson App (Android, iPhone) to be a worthwhile endeavor.

Gibson has taken a unique approach with their app by steering away from lessons rooted only in videos. Rather, Gibson has made their app to be an interactive experience.

What resulted from this effort is an app that will give you real-time feedback on your playing. The app listens to your playing through your device's microphone to determine your accuracy.

When you are learning something on the Gibson App, you’ll be shown a 6-stringed platform coinciding with your guitar. The notes are dictated on the screen, along with any sort of technique you should be using (such as vibrato).

With this app, you can learn in the styles of:

• Electric guitar
• Acoustic guitar
• Rock
• Folk
• Rhythm guitar
• Lead guitar

The app will guide you through the lesson material, allowing you to practice the concepts through the app. You’ll always be able to track your progress thanks to the app’s monitoring system, ensuring you always reach your goals.

An interesting offering of the Gibson App is the ability to talk with a guitar technician. You’ll be able to have a consultation to ask for any advice regarding the maintenance of your guitar.

If you don’t have a tuner, the Gibson App has you covered. The app will automatically detect your strings and allow you to tune in alternate tunings if desired.

For those of you wanting to learn songs, you’ll be able to learn a good number here. The app’s intuitive and interactive nature allows you to play the songs as if you were actually in a band.

You can use the Gibson App on any Android or iOS mobile device.

Jamorama

Jamorama is another popular resource that many choose to learn guitar from. This resource was founded by guitarist Mark McKenzie, who also has his own YouTube channel.

If you’re a complete beginner or an intermediate player, Jamorama is going to have something for you. Should you take all of the courses, you’ll come out the other side a well-rounded guitarist.

Jamorama’s material tends to follow a guided linear path. This allows you to be able to build skills in a logical manner without missing any details.

In particular, Jamorama actually has a 10-part course designed to take complete beginners to intermediate levels. Just the beginner series alone has 95 videos and nearly 5 hours of content to learn from. 

Outside of this, you’ll be able to take more detailed lessons covering:

• Blues guitar
• Lead guitar 
• Music theory
• Speed picking
• Fingerstyle
• Chords

We all know that guitar maintenance is an important part of playing the guitar. Jamorama even has an in-depth course covering the necessary steps to take in order properly maintain an acoustic guitar.

If you find yourself struggling with things you should be practicing, Jamorama has a 1-hour workout available. Designed to be supplementary, this is sure to get your chops into shape, especially if you have extra time.

Jamorama might not have the number of offerings that other apps have, but it is a worthwhile resource. Everything you could need is easy to find and navigate, which is always a bonus. 

The resource also makes it easy to constantly track your progress.

If you’ve been looking for a guided pathway to learning the guitar, give Jamorama a shot. You’ll at least be able to learn the basics, allowing you to go elsewhere for more specific material later.

Jamorama is available on iOS, Android, and desktop devices.

Simply Guitar by JoyTunes

If you’re looking for an interactive way to learn the guitar, give Simply Guitar (Android, iPhone) a try. This app was designed by JoyTunes, which has created similar apps for the piano.

JoyTunes is a relatively newer app to enter this space, and it might have legs to become a popular choice. The app itself has a crisp and clean user interface and makes the experience feel like a game.

If you’re a beginner, you’re probably going to find the most use for Simply Guitar. It will teach you how to tune your guitar and get you through the basics of chords and strumming.

Each new concept is taught through video lessons, with the app guiding you on how to implement the material.

You’ll receive instant feedback on your playing as the app does monitor you for accuracy during your sessions. 

Once you get the basics down, you’ll be able to start learning more complex techniques. Simply Guitar also has a decent library of songs, with a wide range of different genres to choose from. 

Not only will you learn the fundamentals here, but Simply Guitar can teach you lead guitar concepts as well. The app has songs tailored to specific techniques being learned to make it easier to implement the knowledge.

After you successfully complete each milestone, Simply Guitar gives you a celebratory notification. In a way, this helps you feel good about your accomplishments.

Plus, you’ll be able to set up multiple accounts on the app. This can come in handy if you have someone else in your house who wishes to learn the guitar.

Simply Guitar by JoyTunes is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Guitar Pro

When it comes to guitar tablature, there is perhaps no better program than Guitar Pro (Android app, iPhone app). This program has an excellent reputation for being an in-depth tab editor and creator.

However, Guitar Pro goes above and beyond simple text-based guitar tabs. This program will actually play the music back to you and provides the notes in standard notation.

Having this capability is incredibly valuable for anyone transcribing or composing songs. It essentially means you’ll be able to check your own work for accuracy.

Plus, many tabs are actually downloadable as Guitar Pro files. This will allow you to play other tabs and learn along with a high level of precision.

The latest version of Guitar Pro has some additional features, including the ability to change the speed of the song. Slowing things down allows you to really tackle difficult passages and bring them up to speed with your playing ability.

Another interesting feature is that Guitar Pro allows you to create your own guitar signal path with digital effects. You’ll be able to choose what effects pedals you’re using and what order you want them placed in.

Keep in mind that Guitar Pro is not just limited to tabs of guitar parts. You’ll be able to create tabs for other instruments quite easily, and you can affect how they sound in playback.

Guitar Pro also gives you complete control over how you want your tabs to be formatted. Things like spacing and inserted musician notes are all things you can have control over.

You’ll also be able to add scale patterns to your tabs for quick recall during play.

If you’ve ever wanted to compose your own music, Guitar Pro makes it extremely easy. This program is desktop-only and supports Apple and Windows operating systems.

Ultimate Guitar

No matter how long you’ve been around the guitar, you’ve probably come across Ultimate Guitar (Android, iPhone). This is one of the most popular guitar tablature websites and has been for decades.

It’s only natural that Ultimate Guitar should want to get in the game of offering an app. After all, the site is still very much a go-to resource for anyone attempting to learn a song by tablature.

That’s not to say that tabs are the only thing Ultimate Guitar has to offer. In fact, Ultimate Guitar does actually have guitar lessons available on its website.

No matter what your skill level or interest in music is, Ultimate Guitar will have something for you. There are multiple instructors providing lessons to this resource, so you can choose who you want to learn from.

In fact, the site does a decent job with this, offering the lessons as a part of an overarching course. Each course consists of multiple video lessons covering the material provided.

You’ll be able to learn a wide range of different things here, including:

• Music theory
• Fingerpicking
• Improvisation techniques
• Guitar fundamentals
• Chords
• Scales
• Techniques and skills

Ultimate Guitar has these categorized in groupings for convenience, including lessons relating to either the acoustic or electric guitar.

Of course, let’s not forget that, with the app, you’ll have access to the site’s massive resource of guitar tabs. This has always been free, but with the app, you’ll be able to conveniently find a tab at any time.

To make it more convenient, Ultimate Guitar allows you to save tabs into your own personal collection for easy recall.

It should be noted that the app is specifically tailored to the guitar tabs, with lessons found on the website. The app itself is available for both iOS and Android devices. 

Yousician

Yousician (Android, iPhone) is a fairly unique app compared to most other learning apps available to guitarists. This app is more interactive and doesn’t rely solely on video lessons to provide material.

Rather, Yousician feels more like a video game, offering a scrolling fretboard to show you what to play. In real-time, Yousician will monitor your playing for accuracy and give you feedback on your performance.

That’s not to say that there aren’t video lessons to be found here. There are, and you’ll find a wide range of over 1000 lessons covering the fundamentals of the guitar.

Each lesson plan has been curated by real guitarists to ensure that you are learning the material you should be.

In a way, Yousician’s approach incentivizes you to continue learning the guitar. The app has missions and challenges for you to take part in, constantly feeding that desire to learn.

You’ll even be able to learn some of your favorite songs through Yousician. In fact, this is probably the most enjoyable aspect of the app itself.

Yousician even offers some courses covering the material of different musical artists. These include:

• Metallica
• Juanes
• Jason Mraz

Unfortunately, while Yousician does take a unique approach, it pales in comparison to other apps. While the instant feedback is nice, you’re likely better off learning from a different resource.

That isn’t to say that Yousician isn’t worth your time. If you’re looking for a change of pace and a dose of fun, it might be worth taking a look at this particular app.

Yousician is available for iOS and Android devices. A desktop version is available for those on a computer.

Chordify

Have you ever been listening to a song and wished you could immediately know the chords being used? Chordify (Android, iPhone) is an app that allows you to do this.

Yes, believe it or not, all you have to do is upload a song and Chordify will analyze its chords. Any musician can likely understand how valuable of a tool this can be if you don't have a developed ear.

Due to the nature of its model, Chordify does actually have a vast library of songs already on its platform. However, the ability to upload songs ensures you can figure out any song’s chords.

This app comes in 2 varieties, one of which is free, and the other being a premium version. The free version offers chords for guitar, piano, and ukulele.

However, the paid version might be worth it depending on your needs. This opens up a wide range of different features you might be putting to good use.

In particular, you’ll get access to all of the songs on Chordify’s platform. Plus, you can transpose them by pushing a button, instantly changing the song’s key.

If that wasn’t enough, Chordify also allows you to change the song’s tempo and loop segments. Chordify also allows you to download MIDI files of all the chords in the song for playback on a device.

You’ll also be able to print the chords of a song by having access to a downloadable PDF file.

Chordify makes it extremely easy to figure out how a song is built in a matter of minutes. However, a developed ear is a mark of a great musician, and this app does thwart that progress.

Nevertheless, you can use Chordify on its website or on iOS/Android devices via the dedicated app.

Songsterr

Songsterr (Android app, iPhone app) is another app dedicated to providing guitar tabs that are readily available at a moment’s notice. These tabs feature interactive playback, allowing you to hear the instruments playing the song.

Each tab on Songsterr features comprehensive instrumentation. You’ll often be able to listen to every instrumentalist playing on a song.

The free version offers basic playback and choice of the instrument being studied on the song. You’ll also be able to toggle different tools, such as:

• Count-in 
• Metronome
• Tab corrector for editing tabs

If you find a tab you like, you can always save it to your list of favorites. This allows you to conveniently recall the tab whenever you have the desire.

Songsterr’s premium version offers quite a bit more options that are valuable for anyone learning a song. Some of these additional features include:

• Changing the speed of the song
• Loop mode
• Solo mode to isolate one particular instrument’s part
• Mute mode to mute specific instruments out of the mix
• Pitch shift
• Ability to print the tab

Songsterr can be used by accessing the web-based browser version on a desktop computer. An app is also available for iOS and Android devices.

In many ways, Songsterr feels like a watered-down version of Guitar Pro. However, you might find this to be more accessible due to its wider availability.

What To Look For When Finding An App To Learn Guitar

In today’s landscape of available knowledge, one can be easily overwhelmed by the many options for apps available. Experiencing this type of anxiety could cause a state of inaction.

Everybody’s life is filled with time constraints, and spending time being anxious isn’t a great use of your precious time. Because of this, many people tend to be afraid to try something out for fear that it might not work.

The reality is, making this decision doesn’t have to be so difficult. In fact, you should opt to be more like a scientist, and experiment with different routes.

Nevertheless, you will need to make some decisions on which app(s) to use. By keeping the following points in mind, you’ll find the right app for you.

Offerings

What an app has to offer is by far going to be the most important thing to consider. Much of what is attractive to you will be determined by your goals (more on that later).

Does the app offer lessons? If so, what kinds of lessons does the service offer?

You might find that you have an inclination to play certain styles of music. Of course, you’re going to want to make sure those relevant techniques are covered.

Similarly, an app might be more oriented towards teaching you songs. This is all fine and dandy but could leave you struggling if fundamental lessons aren’t covered.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t learn songs (you absolutely should). However, learning songs alone won’t teach you everything you need to know about the guitar.

Don’t get it wrong, songs can teach you a lot about how to play the guitar. But, you’ll get more out of it if you understand how certain concepts are being employed in the song.

This will teach you different ways of utilizing certain techniques in ways you might not have ever thought of. 

Feedback

Also, be on the lookout for whether an app offers personalized feedback. Receiving feedback is often one of the quickest ways to improve your playing.

All too often, apps present information in a generalized manner to suit a large number of people. Each student is often left to their own devices to implement the materials themselves.

Unfortunately, what ends up happening is that bad habits can quickly find their way into your playing. Without feedback, you’ll go on indefinitely until you hit a block and realize your mistake or someone tells you.

Of course, when this happens, it ends up being a devastating event in terms of motivation and inspiration. It means you’ll have to spend more time relearning stuff you already passed through long ago.

Breaking bad habits is often more time-consuming and difficult than implementing information correctly the first time.

Some apps might allow you to upload a video of your playing for an instructor to look over. This can be a great benefit to anyone, especially in the initial stages of incorporating new techniques.

Method Of Teaching

Similarly, you’ll need to pay attention to the methods used in the app to convey the information to you. This can either make or break an app in terms of how useful it is to you.

Think back to your time in school. You likely had classes that you absolutely loved, and classes you hated going to.

What do you think the cause of much of those feelings was? You can probably guess that the teacher’s methods of teaching had a lot to do with it.

In a similar fashion, these apps and programs are no different. You’ll need to find one that teaches you in a way that you actually enjoy.

Why is this important? Just like in school, if you don’t enjoy it, you’re not going to be inspired to stick with the program.

With apps, there is a wide range of methods being used to teach the guitar. These range from video lessons to game-oriented methods of teaching.

Don’t be afraid to experiment to find what suits your needs and preferences. You might find that video lessons will suffice, but it depends on who the teacher is.

Furthermore, it might be helpful to find a program with offerings from multiple instructors. This way, you’re not limited to one teacher and you can reap the benefits of different areas of expertise.

Another thing to consider, especially as a beginner, is whether there is a guided path to follow. Learning the fundamentals in a linear order is perhaps the fastest way to learn the basics.

There are some apps that allow you to pick and choose which lessons to take according to your interests. These are great but can be the wrong choice for an absolute beginner.

Game-oriented methods incentivize progress but might lack depth in the lessons.

Price

Another major area of consideration to take into account is the price to use the app. Many apps are a great alternative to in-person lessons as they generally cost about as much as 1 lesson.

When you look at it like this, these apps present an excellent value as you can really save some money. 

It goes without saying that some apps cost a little bit more than others, while some are absolutely free. Do not discount a free app solely based on the fact that it doesn’t cost anything to use.

Rather, you should scour these free apps first to learn any information you can before spending money. Quite often, you’ll end up paying for the same information you could have learned for free.

Do keep in mind, however, that free apps will likely have ads that you will have to endure. This could become an annoyance and turn you off of the idea completely. 

Not sure if something is worth the price? We’ll get into that a little bit later, so hold tight.

Device Compatibility

The other major area of consideration you need to take into account is device compatibility. What, exactly, are you going to be using to use these apps and programs?

Most apps do tend to have support for both iOS and Android devices. Don’t assume this, though, because there are unfortunately those that only support one device type.

You’ll likely find the most compatibility when using a computer. Even if the app isn’t compatible with your operating system, there is usually a web-based browser version available.

Other Things To Keep In Mind When Searching For An App To Learn Guitar

By now, you should have a fairly decent idea of what to look for in a guitar lesson app. However, we’re not out of the woods yet when it comes to things to keep in mind.

The following points are going to require you to do some honest self-reflection. Don’t shy away from this, as it’s incredibly important to analyze yourself every step along the way in your journey.

What Are Your Goals?

It’s always good to have some sort of idea of what your goals are when it comes to the guitar. You don’t need to aspire to be a rock star, but you should have some basic goals.

The goals you have are important for helping you to understand and decide on which app is right for you. When you are checking out an app, pay close attention to the informational materials it offers.

Do you have a desire to be a heavy metal guitarist? You’ll want to have access to these types of lessons.

While that is just one small example, it is a process every guitarist needs to go through. Your own goals will be unique to you, so use those goals as a sort of path for yourself to follow.

Similarly, you might have a goal to learn the guitar as quickly as possible. In this case, you’ll want to find an app that has a guided, linear pathway for learning.

If your desire is to learn as many songs as you can, find an app that can provide them. Pay attention to the genres of songs offered so you can be sure there’s always something you’ll want to learn.

How Much Time Do You Have?

Along with your goals, you’re going to need to be realistic about the amount of time you can devote. Some of you might only have an hour a week, while others might have 10 hours a week to learn.

How much time you have will help to determine whether an app is worth the price it costs to use. You might be wondering, how, exactly, this might be so.

Well, for an example, let’s say that an app costs a recurring $30 for every month of use. If you can only take 1 or 2 lessons each month, this might not be worth the price.

Another reason to consider your time is that you actually have to practice the guitar to learn. Unfortunately, watching video lessons and using an app is only going to do so much for you as a guitarist.

Rather, you actually need to be putting in the practice time on information you learned from the app. This takes up quite a bit of time in itself, but it’s the only way to actually utilize the skills. 

Don’t fall victim to the trap of watching endless videos and never doing anything with the information. This is too easy to do, and while you might learn some concepts, your guitar playing will remain unchanged.

If you can consistently practice the material and get it under your belt, the price might be worth it. Only then can you truly take advantage of all the information available at your fingertips.

What Is Your Skill Level? 

When searching for an app, you need to be honest with yourself about your skill level. Don’t lie to yourself and operate on the assumption that you’re great, especially if you know you have knowledge gaps. 

If you know you have gaps in your knowledge, seek out an app that has the information to fill them. Otherwise, you’re going to be wasting your time and money on something that should be learned later.

Of course, if you’re primarily self-taught, it can be pretty difficult to really ascertain what your skill level is. In these instances, it might not hurt to go through fundamental lessons.

The good thing about most of these apps is that the fundamental aspects are usually covered. So, by going through them, you’ll discover things you missed along the way.

If you decide to gloss over those aspects, you’ll inevitably return to them later down the road. Eventually, you’ll realize that, yes, in fact, you did need to learn that bit of information you passed over.

Don’t go through that massive waste of time because you will end up angry with yourself. Plus, your progress will be lopsided having to spend time on things you should have learned first.

It saves more time to go over the fundamentals than having to come back to them later. Afterward, you can be confident in learning more advanced material.

That isn’t to say that most apps are geared towards beginners. There are certainly apps that are tailored more to intermediate and advanced players.

The point here is to avoid learning sweep picking and tapping before you learn how the major scale works. Once you know the fundamentals, you’re free to learn what you wish.

So, do take the time to find an app that is appropriate for your skill level.

Keep Your Expectations In Check

If you decide to use an app to learn the guitar, it’s important to keep your expectations realistic. These apps are filled to the brim with information and it could cause you to become a bit delusional.

You need to keep in mind that progress takes time and consistent effort in the practice room. Watching video lessons on the most advanced techniques won’t do anything for you if you don’t practice the information.

Humans have a quirky way of idealizing how they think their progress should be going. We think that we’ll be at a certain level by a certain date if applying a certain amount of effort.

The truth of the matter couldn’t be further from this way of thinking. Life is full of friction that causes things not to progress as they would in our mental vacuum. 

One major thing that people do not consider is their motivation. When things get idealized, motivation is often something that is assumed to be in constant supply.

Compared to other methods of learning the guitar, motivation is incredibly important when using apps. Your progress is completely dependent upon the amount of dedicated consistency you can muster.

Lack of motivation is often one of the biggest reasons why apps might not work for some people. If you do decide to stop, the app will continue charging you whether you use it or not.

This isn't meant as a warning to deter you from using these apps. Rather, it’s meant as a disclaimer to keep your expectations realistic.

No matter the method, the same amount of work will be required to become the guitarist you wish to be. 

Apps have the advantage of convenience, allowing you to learn at any time you might have available. Just be patient, and don't forget to practice!

Best Apps For Learning Guitar, Final Thoughts

As you can see, there is quite a list of different apps available for learning the guitar. The one you choose is ultimately going to depend on your preferences, goals, and styles of learning.

Don’t be afraid to try each of these out to see which is the best fit for you. If they aren’t free, many offer a trial period to allow you to try the platform out with no risk at all.