Top 5 Apps for Guitarists 2011

Posted at July 6, 2011

One of the best things about playing guitar is that it is such a versatile instrument that you will never get bored. Sick of your tone? Buy a new FX pedal. Tired of rocking out? Pick up a sweet acoustic. To that end, there are also endless ways to supplement your guitar playing with apps.

Here is our list of the Top 5 Apps for Guitarists that you need to own.

CLEARTUNE - CHROMATIC TUNER

Using the built in iPhone mic, Cleartune does a great job of quickly and accurately allowing you to tune your guitar (and other instruments) with ease. When you first boot up the app you will notice that unlike other chromatic tuners out there, Cleartune utilizes a clever "note wheel" which let's you seriously tune your instrument with an impressive level of control. The animation and graphics of this app are very high end and polished. This may just be the last guitar tuner you ever need. $3.99.

GARAGEBAND (iPAD)

Leave it to Apple to raise the bar once again on the very definition of what an app can be. GarageBand far exceeds the power and usefulness of almost every other app out there. If you are looking for a powerful and seriously fun multitrack recording studio, you would be wise to pick up this app. GarageBand allows for 8 track recording with loops, drums, synths, keys, and anything else you can imagine at your fingertips. Basic editing and mastering is allowed and your can easily export your tracks to Logic. $4.99.

GUITAR JAM TRACKS - SCALE TRAINER & PRACTICE BUDDY

The hardest part about learning how to solo is where to put your fingers, in my opinion. The second hardest part is finding a friend to jam with. Guitar Jam Tracks - Scale Trainer & Practice Buddy solves both of those problems by packing 5 genres of backing tracks into one flexible and responsive app. Included genres of backing tracks include rock, blues, acoustic blues, reggae, and jazz. The idea is to simply select a backing track and learn what notes and scales apply to that key. All major and minor keys are included. I find it helpful to alternate keys and styles to keep things fresh. $5.99.

50 BLUES GUITAR LICKS - TRUEFIRE (iPAD)

Combining video lessons, tabs, and audio, 50 Blues Guitar Licks is a fantastic app which does a lot more than just stuff worthless riffs and licks down your throat. The course is taught by expert guitarist Jeff McErlain who has hand crafted a collection of 50 licks which are all amazingly unique and draw inspiration from Jimi, Stevie, B.B. King, and other legends. When thumbing through the well titled licks your ear will recognize the solos and you will be inspired to work hard and learn these "must know" licks. The video lessons are fun and informative and help you slowly learn the notes. Easy and accurate tablature is included with each lesson. The company makes rock, jazz, country, and funk versions. $4.99.

AMPLITUBE

Imagine being able to plug your guitar directly into your iPhone (or iPad) and rocking out with a huge number of effects, mics, and amp models? Look no further than Amplitube. One prerequisite for using this app is buying the iRig guitar interface ($30). This clever input connects directly to the headphone jack of your iPhone and allows for a standard guitar input as well as a headphone jack. What is amazing about Amplitube is being able to dial in essentially any guitar effect you can imagine. If you can hear a sound in your mind it is quite possible to reproduce it in Amplitube. One thing that you must keep in mind with this app- the developers have opted to include additional features through in-app purchasing. In other words, you can buy extra effects a la carte, as well as adding an 8 track recorder. A rock solid way to bring your effects in the road with you without sacrificing tone. FREE.