Learning to play a musical instrument can be a dream for many people.
Whether it’s to perform for others, play your favorite songs, or express your creative flair, it is a healthy habit that can significantly change how you spend your free time and, over time, may become something you can’t live without.

Often, learning as a self-taught musician can be frustrating because, without a guide and someone to point out mistakes, you might never notice your errors, increasing the risk of giving up.

If you’re starting to learn how to play an instrument like the guitar, or if you used to play a lot and stopped for a few years but now want to get back into it, aside from dedication and consistent practice, there are applications that can provide the right materials and pathway to help you follow the best route for your needs.

Fender Play

If you’re unsure where to start, Fender Play guides you through performing the most beautiful and popular songs, whether for acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, or ukulele.
Upon opening the app, an introductory video explains the main advantage: short video lessons that you can watch anywhere. These lessons track your progress each time you close the app, with access to a community of people following the same path.

Founded in 2017 by an educational consultant from the Thornton School of Music, the platform has seen constant improvements since its inception.

It’s a great solution for those who struggle to find time, as the lessons are concise and accessible. Over time, the app introduces weekly challenges based on what you’ve just learned.
For those who find it hard to concentrate because of constant phone scrolling, this is an excellent compromise.

Coach Guitar

Coach Guitar is an app that simplifies learning by visually differentiating the six guitar strings with various colors.
This app minimizes the focus on music theory, making it suitable for beginners who are already attending a course that covers more than just practice.
Features like loop cycles and slow motion support focus on repeating the more challenging actions on the strings, perfecting tricky chords. Available on both Android and iOS, it offers a seven-day free trial to ensure it meets the user’s needs.

Yousician

Yousician is undoubtedly one of the most advertised apps lately, with many users reporting satisfaction with their progress. Although it doesn’t replace a formal music course, it helps refine critical aspects of playing.

Developed by experienced music educators, it offers an archive of over 1,500 lessons. These include new chords, strumming patterns, music theory lessons, and sheet reading. Through weekly games, the app keeps users engaged, helping them to improve without getting bored.

The course is adaptable to users’ skill levels, whether beginner or advanced, allowing everyone to progress at their own pace.

Guitar Tuna

Following Yousician, it’s essential to mention Guitar Tuna, a tuner developed by the same creators. It’s one of the most downloaded apps in the music field, known for its responsiveness and precision, offering free services.

The app’s functions are straightforward: using the microphone, you can tune your instrument. Additionally, it includes a metronome, a chord learning interface, and a section integrated with Yousician for focused learning.

Basic Guitar Chords 3D

Among the mentioned apps, Basic Guitar Chords 3D stands out as the most simple and classic. It serves as a portable alternative to traditional sheet music, allowing users to carry their favorite songs without taking up much space.

The core teaching focuses on chords, essential for starting to play. A 3D interface shows the exact finger positions on the fretboard and which chords to learn.

The clear view of frets and strings is highly beneficial for simulation, offering intuitive learning at a self-paced rate.

Occasionally, the chord transition might feel slightly clunky, but this doesn’t detract from the overall utility of the app.

Metronomerus

In the realm of metronomes—tools used to maintain rhythm and practice tempo—Metronomerus stands out as the most comprehensive. It allows users to set speed markers both traditionally (andante, moderato, allegro, allegretto) and through beat choices, with subdivisions in triplets, quadruplets, and sixteenths—features not commonly found elsewhere.

Its most intriguing feature is the silent mode: users can choose how many beats to hear and how many beats of silence to practice rhythm accuracy.

Loopz

More than just a metronome, Loopz offers pre-recorded drum grooves categorized by music genre. Users can select their favorite styles and adjust the tempo to

Additionally, users can manipulate their favorite songs by looping sections or slowing down the entire track to mimic the sounds and improve precision.

Tips for Beginners

A common piece of advice for those just starting out, as obvious as it may sound, is to develop a strong sense of rhythm. This is cultivated not only through technique but also with passion, curiosity, and improving one’s ear, supported by consistent practice—even if just for a few minutes daily.

Another widely shared tip is to be cautious with tablatures. These are chord transcriptions created by enthusiasts and musicians, not original sheet music.
The reason to approach them critically is not that they are necessarily incorrect—often, the note, pitch, and timing are accurate, but the fingering might not be. On the guitar, for instance, the same note can be played in different positions, and the choice of fingering depends on the preceding or following chord to make the piece smoother to play.

Understanding the song well helps in finding the ideal fingering.

With these apps for learning guitar, it will be incredibly easy to start making progress and having fun!