Gone are the days when you need to go out and take private lessons, or buy a paperback guide to learn the guitar. The mobile revolution has introduced a wave of incredibly powerful, interactive apps for budding guitarists all over the world to learn guitar theory and technique.

The following are 6 apps that are available for iOS and Android that can help you to conquer the guitar on a small budget and at your own time.

Beginner Guitar Songs

By Guitar Jamz Inc

Link: http://www.guitarjamz.com/app/beginner_guitar_songs/

It is very important to be prepared. With the extensive amount of information in Beginner Guitar Songs, you will never be more than a tap away from a lesson, tab, instructional video, or chord chart.

One of the best features in Beginner Guitar Songs is the ability to download lessons and watch them offline. Even if you don’t have cell service (like in the basement that you are usually jamming in), you’ll be able to pull up your favorite lesson for a quick refresher.

It is also important to mention The Beginner Guitar Manual. The manual spans from general guitar info to chord charts. It is always important to know your chords, and having a vast library in the palm of your hands is an amazing advantage in learning the guitar.

Ultimate Guitar Tabs

Largest catalog of songs with guitar and ukulele chords, tabs and lyrics

By Ultimate Guitar

Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ultimate-guitar-tabs-largest/id357828853

From the first timers to the old timers, almost everyone knows about Ultimate Guitar. Now you can have access to nearly ONE MILLION chords, tabs and lyrics all on your device! This makes for one powerful guitar learning tool.

Diverse guitar players are the ones that stand out amongst the others. You will never have to worry about being one-dimensional with the capability to pull up the tabs or chords to almost any song from Ultimate Guitar Tabs’ library.

gTar

Link: http://www.incidentgtar.com/gtar

Okay, the only thing that the gTar can’t do is fly you into space. This thing is UNREAL. The gTar allows the beginner guitarist to visualize exactly what to do on the fretboard. With increasing levels of difficulty and an ever expanding library of songs the gTar really serves as a virtual guitar teacher that provides immediate feedback to the student.

The gTar’s software and hardware are fully hackable for the experienced user making it a very powerful way to perform and create original music. Because of the gTar’s midi interface you can also make it sound like a synthesiser or pretty much anything you can create on your computer.

Jamstar Acoustics – Learn Guitar

Links: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jamstar-acoustics-learn-guitar/id580213528, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.Jamstar.JamstarAndroid

Last but not least…Jamstar. Full disclosure: Jamstar is OUR application which uses real time audio processing to help you improve on guitar. Basically, your device hears you play via its microphone and tells you if you played a particular passage right or wrong.

Think “Guitar Hero,” but with real guitars (acoustic or electric), no cables or adapters needed and every device works (iOS, Android, web browser). We have tons of lessons available from how to play chords and scales…to Led Zeppelin and Green Day.

The app is free, as are many of our lessons. Hope you include Jamstar in your search for ways to learn guitar via 21st century tech!

Guitar Scales

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=be.eonconsult.guitarscales

So you are jamming at your friends house and you want to try something out, but all you have is your guitar and your cell phone. What do you do?

Guitar Scales will solve your problem. Just enter in a few notes and the app will search the scales for you. You can also search for a scale directly if you are just looking for reference. The versatility makes it a great app for any level of guitar playing.

Kasey’s Guitar Jams for Kids

Link: https://itunes.apple.com/il/app/id511771442

Although very different from the other apps mentioned, Kasey’s Guitar Jams for Kids is a great starter app for young guitar players (ages 4-7). Wonderfully illustrated, it gives even the youngest learners a fun, educational experience.

So that’s my set. What’s yours?

Jonathan Schwartz, a long-time SiriusXM DJ and Co-Founder of Jamstar Acoustics – an interactive guitar learning app that works on any device (iOS, Android, web) and listens to you play via your device’s microphone with no additional hardware needed.