10 Best iPhone/iPad Apps for Guitarists

Learning to play the guitar can be an exciting yet challenging endeavor. While taking those in-person lessons and instructional books have their own merits, using dedicated iPhone/iPad apps for guitarists provides a unique experience of learning and elevating their musical skills. 

So, if you are an aspiring guitarist looking to take your skills to the next level? Look no further! In this blog post, we will list the top apps for musicians that offer a wealth of resources right at your fingertips. Ranging from interactive lessons, chord libraries, backing tracks, and more, these applications make learning guitar accessible to anyone with a smartphone or tablet.

Let’s Learn More About These Apps For Guitarists (2023 Edition)

These are our recommended choices for guitar learning, tuning, recording, and more. Check them out and do share your personal favorite choice in the comments below!

1. Guitar Lessons – Guitar Tricks

Features:

• Compatibility:Requires iOS 11.0 or later
• Cost:Free, In-app purchases start from $14.99
• Download: Here.

There are many classes available for guitar learners. On site or online, these classes have a set of timings in which one has to complete the course. For those who do not want to be bogged down with timings and structural confinement of the learning process, apps such as ‘Guitar Lessons’ come handy. This application is compatible with a majority of the Apple family products and hence one can learn all about notes, chords and songs at one’s own speed and comfort. With more than 11,000+ guitar lessons and 700+ songs with detailed step by step breakdown, one can soon master the instrument. This app teaches different techniques and provides one with tips for the same. The only drawback of this seemingly perfect app is that it offers only 3 lessons in the free version. Once, those lessons are over, one needs to take a subscription for the same.

2. Ultimate Guitar: Chords & Tabs

Features:

• Compatibility: Requires iOS 12.1 or later
• Cost: Free, In-app purchases start from $9.99
• Download: Here

If you are looking for accurate chords and tabs for your favorite songs, then Ultimate Guitar: Chords & Tabs is the perfect choice. With more than 1,000,000 songs to explore, you’re likely to find the chords and tabs for your favorite tracks. Within the app, you can find a huge collection of guitar chords, bass, tabs, lyrics, and even ukulele chords. The application also provides an ability to share their performance with the community and connect with fellow musicians. Ultimate Guitar: Chords & Tabs also offers a feature “Simplify” to make difficult songs easier and a built-in guitar tuner to help you achieve the right sound.

3. GarageBand

Features:

• Compatibility:Requires iOS 17.0 or later
• Cost: Free
• Download: Here.

There is nothing better for a musician than having a fully functional recording studio at their disposal. Due to this, they can create their music as they wish without having to hire a studio or a whole band.  On this app, one can play keyboards, create different types of beats on the guitar and share them with friends and family alike. One can even share their final product on to social media channels like Facebook and YouTube with the help of iMovie. One can download additional free instruments, along with their loops and sound packs from the Sound Library. There are many styles in which one can record their final product. The most popular of which is the Remix FX. It gives one a DJ style music quality. Or one can simply use professional mixing effects for their songs. Available in a whopping 34 different languages, this app is a must for any guitarist.

4. GuitarTuna: Chords, Tuner, Songs

Features:

• Compatibility: Requires iOS 12.0 or later
• Cost:Free, In-app purchases start from $1.99
• Download: Here.

No guitarist can possibly be any good unless and until they have a perfectly tuned guitar. In such scenarios, how many times does one need to pay hard earned cash to someone to tune it? One can learn how to professionally tune a guitar with this application. It has a distinct record of being downloaded 20 Million times for the same reason. This application works on both acoustic guitars and string instruments such as Fiddle, Cello, Balalaika, Mandolin, Violin and even the Banjo amongst others. It has more than 100 tuning options one can choose from in which, all have visual reference for easy tuning. Primarily a guitar tuning app, it also offers a basic of 4 songs for users to learn. They are accompanied by guitar notation or tabs and 6 chord learning games. This shall make one help learn all about chords, it’s tune differences and even enhance their ear training. All this makes it the best guitar tuner app for the iPhone.

5. Guitar Jam Tracks – Scale Trainer & Practice Buddy

Features:

• Compatibility: iOS 7.0 or later. Works on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
• Cost: $ 4.99 (In App purchases range from $ 0.99 to $ 2.99)
• Download: Here.

This application is a must have for those who wish to truly jam while playing the guitar but alas, don’t know how. From the very first time, that one uses this application, one can learn how simple and easy it is to play the guitar. With a very easy to use interface, one can learn the most common and easy styles of guitar playing. Apart from that, the app helps with visual aid on where to place one’s fingers on the guitar. It is one of the best applications for a novice guitarist and ultimate jammers. It offers the user, Acoustic Blues, Jazz, Reggae, Rock and the blues amongst other styles. Additional styles can be downloaded from the iTunes app store.

6. Fender Guitar Tuner

Features:

• Compatibility: Requires iOS 10.0 or later.
• Cost: Free
• Download: Here.

What a perfect app for guitarist of all stages. Be it beginners to those who can play it professionally, this application offers acoustic guitar tuning, ukulele tuning and even bass guitar tuning. Its Pro tuner option offers A=440 Hz precision. It offers users visual support to achieve a perfectly tuned instrument. Music creation apps may be many, but there are few who help enhance one’s instrument to create good quality music.

7. StompBox

Features:

• Compatibility: Requires iPadOS 7.0 or later
• Cost: $6.99
• Download: Here

This application comes with a virtual foot controller. That’s right! With it, one gets immediate access to the different parameters that are in a song. Compared to the high cost involved in acquiring pedals, this seems like a worth substitute. Also, one can use it to either enable or disable effects as per their discretion. With 16 different type of effects, this app is a great hit amongst its user base. This app is easy to use and allows one to focus on the learning and not waste time learning the intricacies of the app.

8. Yousician: Guitar Lessons

Features:

• Compatibility: Requires iOS 13.0 or later
• Cost: Free, In-app purchases start from $4.20
• Download: Here

Yousician is considered one of the most popular choices for aspiring musicians looking to learn and elevate their instrument-playing skills. The app comes packed with tons of video lessons, exercises for improvements, and personalized feedback. Besides guitar, Yousician offers a platform for people to learn ukulele, bass, and singing. It even has a vibrant community of users who share their musical journey and even support other members who are aspiring to learn instruments. The platform allows users to connect with fellow musicians, join challenges, and share their progress.

9. ChordBank: Guitar Chords, Tuner

Features:

• Compatibility: Requires iOS 14.0 or later
• Cost: Free, In-app purchases start from $2.99
• Download:  Here 

ChordBank: Guitar Chords app for iOS is a valuable resource for guitarists looking to learn and practice chords. The application offers a vast library of guitar chords for each major, minor, 7th, and diminished chord, ensuring accuracy and ease of use. The app allows you to strum chords using high-quality audio samples, helping you learn the sound of each chord and play them accurately. Impressive, right? But that’s not all, the guitar learning app also displays a variety of charts, pictures, and graphs to help you visualize and comprehend chord formations. So, whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, ChordBank is the perfect choice for you.

10. AnyTune

Features:

• Compatibility: Requires iOS 13.7 or later
• Cost: Free, In-app purchases start from $1.99
• Download: Here

Last but not least in consideration, AnyTune is a powerful practice application for iOS users who love to sing, dance, and play instruments of all kinds. The app features a clean and intuitive interface, making it easy to navigate and access various features. With this app, you can even adjust the tempo, and pitch, repeat loops, and set marks for better learning and practicing new songs. Similar to ChordBank, AnyTune also offers visualization of your songs and the ability to record and share your performances. Moreover, it also supports organizing songs into folders and playlists/setlists as per your preferences.

Bottom Line

With so many amazing Guitar Applications available for iOS users, it’s challenging to pick just one as the best choice for every guitarist. Whether you’re looking to learn new songs, improve your technique, or explore different genres, these apps have got you covered. However, based on its features, user reviews, and overall popularity, GarageBand stands out as an excellent choice for iPhone/iPad users.  

But in the end, remember, the key to mastering the guitar lies in consistent practice and dedication. So, it’s time to put in the time and effort to hone your skills. So grab your iPhone or iPad, download these apps, and get ready to rock!