These days, there's no shortage of ways to learn guitar.
Of course, on the one hand, you've got the tried-and-true old-school methods, like private lessons, group classes, and even sheet music. And these are great ways to learn to play guitar—they've worked for, well, centuries now, and they aren't going anywhere.
But there are also a lot of reasons these guitar learning resources might not present the best option for some aspiring guitarists. Whether it's for financial reasons, matters of convenience, or lack of availability, learning guitar in person isn't always going to work for everyone.
Fortunately, there's a whole world of awesome guitar learning apps out there for Android and Apple devices, so you can get started learning guitar at your own pace and at a budget you can afford. There's an app out there for everyone, from beginner guitarists to advanced players.
In this article, I'll give you a brief look at some of what I think are the best guitar learning apps out there right now. I'll explain what I like, what's not so great, and everything in between for each app to help you find the right one for you.
How I Tested
I'm a guitarist with over 20 years of playing and teaching experience. I tried all the top guitar lesson apps with different players' needs in mind, taking stock of the pros and cons of each to determine which ones are worth your time and money (and which ones to skip).
The main factors I took into consideration were:
User Experience: Is the app easy to use? I considered whether the workflow made sense to me and whether everything loaded and worked correctly. Plus, I took stock of the general look and feel of the app/gameplay/video lessons.
Curriculum: It's really important that you subscribe to a guitar learning program that's suited to your playing level, whether that's beginner, intermediate, or advanced. You're also going to want to make sure it provides training on the genres and songs you want to learn to play.
Value: Nobody wants to feel like they're wasting money. While guitar learning apps typically provide a pretty good bang for your buck, assuming you're willing to put in the effort, there's still a discrepancy between more beginner-oriented apps and the premium advanced guitar lessons platforms. I considered whether each app seemed to provide a fair value for what you get.
Even though I'm an advanced player myself, I spent time working through each of these apps in the mindset of a novice. I found that the apps I tested cover a broad range of experience and genres, so whether you're just starting out, or you're an intermediate or advanced player looking to expand your guitar skills, I think you'll find that at least one of my recommendations will get you on your way.
Let's get started.
Quick Summary of the Best Guitar Learning Apps
- Simply Guitar (Best Guitar Learning App for Beginners)
- Guitar Tricks (Best for Intermediate to Advanced Players)
- Fender Play (Best Video Lessons)
- Yousician (Best Budget Guitar Learning App)
- Truefire (Most Comprehensive)
- Justin Guitar (Best Free Content)
- Ultimate Guitar (Best For Tabs)
The Best Guitar Learning Apps
Best for Beginners
1. Best Guitar Learning App for Beginners - Simply Guitar
- Price: $9.99/month or $119 annually
- Features: iOS and Android app, step-by-step tutorials, direct feedback, song lessons
For the beginner on a budget, Simply Guitar is here to save the day. This app-based platform uses a gamified approach to offer step-by-step lessons and teach essential skills, basic chords, and strumming patterns to help learners start playing songs quickly.
With a focus on simplicity and ease of use, Simply Guitar offers learners an opportunity to practice at their own pace, focusing on the goals that matter to them.
The app's interactive features include real-time feedback, a really useful and innovative tool that guides you on finger placement as well as strumming techniques as you go along, helping build good habits from the start.
Simply Guitar uses bright graphics and animations to make the learning experience fun and easy. Video lessons are accompanied by clear visual cues, demonstrating finger placement, strumming patterns, and more.
While the gamey aspect may not be for everyone, it is sure to be a hit with kids and younger beginners. As an advanced player myself, I admittedly struggled with mustering up the patience to spend much time in this app—but I can definitely see how someone who is just starting out, especially kids, would benefit from the simple workflow. (If you already have some experience under your belt, I'd suggest looking to one of our other recommendations on this list.)
Finally, this fun and easy-to-use guitar instruction app comes at a great price. For just under $10 a month, you and your family can learn guitar online with Simply Guitar's iOS or Android app at your own pace (and have a ton of fun doing it). There's even a 14-day free trial that you can use to test out the app for yourself and see if it's a fit, free of charge.
Learn more about whether Simply Guitar is the right guitar learning app for you in my complete Simply Guitar review—or simply head to Simply Guitar and give their 14-day free trial a shot.
Intermediate to Advanced
2. Best for Intermediate to Advanced Players – Guitar Tricks
- Price: $19.95/month or $179 annually, plus limited free content
- Features: 11,000 lessons, high-quality videos with slo-mo and looping, wide range of genres, printable tabs, free content
On the other end of the spectrum is Guitar Tricks, a comprehensive online guitar lesson platform that offers a massive library of lessons, videos, scale and chord charts, and much, much more. What I found sets it apart, however, is its signature core learning system, which provides the kind of structure that can help guide intermediate or advanced players who are struggling to find direction in their journey.
Guitar Tricks also just has a huge array of high-quality content to cater to all kinds of musical preferences and goals. The platform boasts over 11,000 lessons, covering a wide range of musical styles, techniques, and music theory.
I found the Guitar Tricks interface to be simple and user-friendly, despite being home to some highly advanced learning tools. The platform offers an impressive set of interactive features, including slow-motion and looping functionalities, backing tracks, metronome tools, and printable tabs.
I liked that Guitar Tricks' curriculum goes well outside the standard classic rock and pop songs that you find on most apps. If you're looking for a platform that offers a massive library of video lessons for intermediate to advanced players, including niche genres like surf and rockabilly, Guitar Tricks is the one for you.
And with their core learning system, you'll stay accountable and keep progressing on your guitar journey for as long as you keep playing. You can even schedule a private Zoom one-on-one with a real instructor if you get stuck.
There's some great limited free content that you can check out for yourself, and if you like what you see, you can sign up for a 14-day all-access free trial with an additional 25% off if you stick around for the annual membership. Sounds pretty good to me!
Read my full review of Guitar Tricks to learn more, or just head straight over to Guitar Tricks to start your free trial.
Best Video Lessons
3. Best Video Lessons – Fender Play
- Price: $19.99/month or $149.99 annually
- Features: Custom learning paths, digestible short lessons, wide array of songs, simple, intuitive UX
Fender Play is the wonderful new music education app from the good folks at Fender. This platform delivers the quality you would expect from one of the top names in guitar and amplifier manufacturing. Fender took a big swing on Play, and it's no surprise that they've knocked it out of the park.
From the start, this app applies an intuitive and simple method to help you get going. Select your instrument, experience level, and preferred genres, and Play will set a five-level path consisting of bite-sized video lessons, tabs, theory, and technique tips. Getting started playing guitar has never been easier.
I found that the production value of the video lessons is a big part of what sets Fender Play apart. The videos use multiple camera angles, including over-the-shoulder, that you would never get from a real-life teacher (okay, maybe if you were really good friends). And the instructions are clear and thorough without being repetitive. Plus, it's just a great-looking app that has a premium feel to it without really costing you a premium price.
As a self-paced system, it is ultimately up to the player to get the most out of Fender Play—so if you struggle with staying motivated, beware. But with the easily digestible content and fun, simple interface, most beginners won't have any trouble getting hooked. Plus, at $19.99/month or $149.99 annually, you also won't have any trouble getting your money's worth. Annual subscriptions include a 14-day free trial that you can cancel at any time.
Check out my full Fender Play review for a deep dive, or just head on over to Fender Play and give it a try for yourself—completely free.
4. Best Budget Guitar Learning App – Yousician
- Price: Starts at $7.49/month or $89.99 annually
- Features: One-of-a-kind game approach featuring audio recognition and thousands of songs and lessons
Yousician is an app-based guitar lesson platform that brings a welcome approach to online guitar lessons: in lieu of the standard video lessons with a virtual instructor, it applies a game-like approach—very similar to Guitar Hero—that allows learners to play through their lessons in real-time and with instant feedback.
Building on the gaming aspect of the lessons themselves, the learning journey is motivated by challenges, achievements, and a level-up system, allowing learners to engage in a way that is very fun and stimulating, even borderline addictive. (If you're going to get addicted to something, why not make it learning guitar?)
There's definitely a learning curve here as far as getting the hang of how the "game" works, and this program is not necessarily recommended to older players without gaming experience (I, for one, found it a lot harder than just... playing guitar). But I can't think of a better way to get younger beginners hooked on learning and playing guitar.
If you (or your kids) are of the iPad baby generation, Yousician is sure to be a hit. It's like Duolingo for guitar lessons. If you're already addicted to the bright colors and flashing lights on your phone, you may as well harness that addiction and channel it into something productive, like learning guitar!
Yousician offers a premium 7-day free trial. It's shorter than most, but due to the addictive nature of their groundbreaking guitar program, they can get away with it. Head over to Yousician to get hooked today!
Most Comprehensive
5. Most Comprehensive – Truefire
- Price: $29/month or $149 annually
- Features: Thousands upon thousands of lessons, jam tracks, and tabs; interactive learning experience with real instructors
Truefire guitar lessons are based around their massive assemblage of high-quality video lessons, which cover a wide range of topics, including technique, theory, improvisation, song tutorials, and more. What's really unique about TrueFire is that the courses are presented by some of the top names in guitar, so you're truly learning to play like a pro.
And not only do they offer 30+ years of video content—Truefire has embraced technology to evolve into one of the most unique online guitar learning experiences available. The videos themselves are supplemented by synced tablature and notation, animated fretboard diagrams, multiple angles, slow motion, and looping, so you can get the most out of each video lesson. Plus, there are jam tracks to put your new knowledge to the test in real time.
In addition to a wide variety of video lessons, Truefire has interactive jam tracks, discussion forums, and many more resources to aid you in your learning process.
There are thousands of individual courses, ranging from beginner to advanced lessons, all of which encompass a diverse range of genres and styles.
In contrast to many of its competitors, Truefire offers intermediate and advanced students a way to take their learning into their own hands, granting them much more agency than the more beginner-oriented platforms.
If you're one of these more experienced guitar players, and private lessons just aren't within your budget, Truefire is likely to be a very compelling choice for online learning that will keep you advancing on your guitar journey.
Best Free Content
6. Best Free Content – Justin Guitar
- Price: $89.99/Year (Billed annually), $9.99/Month (Billed monthly)
- Features: Video lessons, "Guitaraoke" play-along tracks with synced graphics, highly structured content
Online guitar instruction pioneer Justin "Guitar" Sandercoe has stepped up his game with the new Justin Guitar app. Now fans of Justin Guitar video lessons have a great learning app to continue their journey with the experienced guitar teacher/entrepreneur.
The Justin Guitar app centers around "Guitaraoke" play-along tracks that are great for training new players to keep time and hold their own on rhythm guitar. I really appreciated how the synced animated graphics actually show you the next chord shape you're going to be changing to, so you can gear up to change without missing a beat—I could see that being super helpful to newer players.
What also sets the Justin Guitar app apart is its content structure. Justin's content is structured in such a way as to be intuitive for learners to progress at a natural pace without skipping important steps.
There's tons of free content on the desktop site you can check out to get a feel for Justin's lessons. (Guitaraoke and other features are only available on the app with a paid subscription). On his site Justin says "I believe that learning an instrument can help us out of a funk and amplify our happiness, which is why I keep nearly all of JustinGuitar.com free." Justin's like the Mr. Beast of guitar: through his "Playin' it Forward" initiative, he even donates 100 guitars a year to aspiring players in need. That alone is reason enough to support his service!
If you're starting from scratch and want a comprehensive guitar education, you can't do much better than Justin Guitar. I think this app has just the right features to get beginners started off on the right track, but enough structure and comprehensive enough to keep things interesting even as you progress. (At time of writing, there's not as much available in the advanced department, but it says there will be updates in 2025).
It's the same great video lessons (plus Guitaraoke!) that have made Justin Guitar one of the biggest names in online guitar education, only structured in a way that will keep you moving forward in your playing. If you want the experience of a real guitar teacher but the convenience of an app, I don't think you can get any closer than the Justin Guitar app.
Best for Tabs
7. Best For Tabs – Ultimate Guitar
- Price: UG Pro ($39.99/year), UG Courses ($39.99/year), Both for $59.99/Year + 7-Day free trial
- Features: So. Many. Tabs, synced notation, integrated mixable midi versions, tons of courses, integrated social content
If you already play guitar, chances are you've been leaning pretty heavily on Ultimate Guitar's free tablature. But did you know about the killer guitar tabs and chords app from Ultimate Guitar?
One of the most trusted guitar tablature sites on the web for decades now, Ultimate Guitar has done a great job making an all-inclusive guitar learning app that features their signature tab library and much, much more.
A quick orientation allows you to customize your experience by selecting your experience level and top genres you'd like to explore. Then, it's off to the races. The "Tabs" tab is where you can access and save tabs and even create playlists of your favorite songs. It's pretty easy to navigate, and I had no trouble pulling up tabs to any song I could think of.
As you might have expected from UG, the tabs are where this app really shines. Each tab has an integrated YouTube video of the song, and they auto-scroll so you can play along to the song in real time—it's honestly really cool. Plus, Pro tabs allow you to create your own mix of a midi version of the song that you can jam along to with synced tabs—also very cool.
What's more, Ultimate Guitar's Tonebridge app integrates so you can activate tones designed especially for the song you're learning. I find that it really helps when you're trying to nail the sound of a song you're learning—Nirvana riffs just don't hit the same on an unplugged electric guitar.
Another great feature included with the Ultimate Guitar app is Shots, which is similar to TikTok or Instagram Reels, where users can upload and share their own performance videos. Shots even integrate with each individual tab lesson so you can see other learners playing along to the same song with you. It's definitely a novel feature, if not a super useful one.
And Ultimate Guitar is ultimately not just about guitar—under the courses tab, there are all kinds of courses, from drums to singing and more. And, of course, the selection of guitar lessons does not disappoint, ranging from complete beginner to advanced jazz theory and more. It is, in a word, ultimate.
Sign up for Ultimate Guitar today and get a 7-day free trial.
Verdict: The Best Guitar Learning App
So there you have it, the best apps for learning guitar of 2024. I tried to present the best of what the guitar app market has to offer for players of all budgets and experience levels, so I hope you found something compelling on this list.
I might be biased as a more advanced player (and as, you know, an adult) but my top pick for the best overall guitar learning app goes to Guitar Tricks. I found that their app truly has something for every player to progress on their guitar learning journey and have a lot of fun doing it.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that's the right app for you—do yourself a favor and check out some of the free trials these awesome apps have to offer. Beginners and kids are sure to love Simply Guitar, and Fender Play is really worth checking out. After all, you don't have to take my word for it—what better way to choose the best guitar learning app for you than to experience them all for yourself?
Chord Craft is a guitar app for iPhone, iPad and Mac that you can use to find and play chord charts / tabs for almost any popular song. You can use all of the features for free so it’s worth trying out!
It has a huge song library. You just have to know a song’s title and maybe the artist’s name and it will find the chord chart for you. The app has all the things you would expect, like Transpose, Autoscroll, Print, and Export to PDF. You can create set lists to plan a performance. You can view guitar chord diagrams too. Give it a try!
https://chordcraft.net