Whether you're a beginner or advanced guitar student, this list is full of amazing tools for guitarists that will accelerate your learning! Please feel free to leave a comment and reach out to me, here.
1) Songsterr
If you’re a guitarist that wants to learn guitar the quick and easy way, Songsterr is for you. In lieu of finding a local guitar teacher, this is the next best thing. Songsterr is a free platform with a paid version that offers more features. Songsterr displays tablature on their website, and there’s a play button so that you can actually hear the guitar parts played in real time! Plus, you can slow the song down, isolate rhythm guitar versus lead guitar, and loop short sections so that you can just work on those sections only. And, get this, they have nearly every song ever written. If you want to learn and can’t find a guitar teacher in Bend, Oregon, I’d recommend Songsterr. Even if you are taking guitar lessons from a guitar teacher, this is a great companion to augment your learning. Highly recommended.
2) Ultimate Guitar Pro
Much like Songsterr, this is a tablature platform that allows you to find a really accurate tablature for the guitar parts, and it also plays the guitar parts so that you can listen to exactly what you’re seeing in the written tabs. The biggest difference between Ultimate Guitar Pro and Songsterr is that 1) Songsterr has a free version and Ultimate Guitar Pro only has a paid version, and 2) with both Songsterr and Ultimate Guitar Pro, you can either isolate the guitar tracks (or any instrument track), or you can choose to listen to the guitar track with the entire song playing in the background with it. It's another great tool to help you learn to play guitar. But, Ultimate Guitar Pro also lets choose to raise or lower the level of any instrument tracks which allows you to, for example, listen to the song as it was recorded, but then you can crank the guitar part so that it really stands out. Super cool in my opinion, but Songsterr comes in first for me because it's free. Ultimate Guitar Pro costs $29.99/month or $9.99/month when billed yearly. In any case, Ultimate Guitar Pro is a great tool for anyone learning to play the guitar.
3) Guitar Tuna
Guitar Tuna is a free mobile app that allows your to tune your guitar in a sort of game-ified way. It’s easy enough for a kiddo to use. It also has a metronome and other great tools such as music theory games! And, the games aren't bad! The interface is easy to use. Is it the best guitar tuner? No. Strobosoft Strobotuner is the best tuner, but it’s overkill for most - It’s what us studio and touring guys use, but for most people, Guitar Tuna is to-the-point and perfect for anyone learning guitar and for guitar teachers to use to help their student learn how to tune the guitar.
4) FaChords Fretboard Trainer
This is not the coolest tool in the list, but it’s perhaps the most helpful tool for anyone learning guitar. FaChords Fretboard Trainer is an free online tool that game-ifies learning all of your notes on the guitar fretboard. Look, you know that you should have all of the notes memorized, but it’s actually pretty difficult to memorize them. This tool is great for quizzing your knowledge. If you’re learning guitar, you MUST learn the notes. Guitar teachers, you should definitely add this to your tool box.
5) Guitar Center Used Website
Every guitarist needs gear - a guitar, strings, cables, straps, an amp, pedals, guitar stand and more! Guitarists love gear. It can be expensive. I love supporting my local music store in Bend, Oregon, Sunday Guitars. They have a great inventory and are great people. However, Guitar Center Used website has a ton of amazing used gear at a great price that can be shipped to your doorstep. Also, because they’re a massive corporation, they need to show high quarterly profit and loss statements which means that every quarter, they have an initiative to liquidate used gear that has simply been taking up inventory space. If you’re learning guitar, you need gear. Start with Sunday Guitars in Bend, Oregon. Your next stop if Guitar Center’s Used website.
If you'd like to learn about taking online or in-studio guitar lessons in Bend, Oregon, learn more here.