Simply Guitar - Learn Guitar

Analysis by Appwesome

Learning guitar with a phone can feel a little awkward at first: you have to watch the screen, listen to your sound and keep your fingers on the strings at the same time. I found that Simply Guitar - Learn Guitar works best when I treat it as a patient practice guide rather than a shortcut to playing perfectly. It gives beginners a clear place to start, but the value comes from showing up regularly and paying attention to what the instrument is telling you.

Getting Started with Simply Guitar

As an education app from Simply Ltd, Simply Guitar is aimed at people who want practical help learning an instrument, not a general music theory course. It is free to download, has an Everyone age rating, and is available for Android and iOS. Its average rating is 4.6 from around 348,000 ratings, and it has been installed over 10 million times. Those figures suggest that many learners have tried it, but they do not tell you whether its guided approach suits your goals. I would judge that by trying a short session with your own guitar and seeing whether the feedback helps you practise more consistently.

Installing Simply Guitar was a breeze. It’s available on both Android and iOS, so you can grab it from your respective app store. Once you’ve got it on your device, you’re welcomed by a sleek and user-friendly interface. The app doesn’t waste time; it gets straight to the point with a simple setup process that even a non-techie can handle.

First things first, you’ll need a guitar. Whether it’s a dusty old acoustic you’ve had forever or a shiny new electric, Simply Guitar is ready to turn you into a maestro. Just place your phone or tablet in front of you, and the app will listen to your playing, offering instant feedback. Pretty neat, right?

What to expect from the listening feedback

Before you rely on the app’s response, make your playing space work for it. Put the device close enough to hear the strings clearly, but out of the way of your picking hand, and pause other audio that might compete with your guitar. A quiet room and a steady phone position make it easier to understand whether a missed note came from your fingers or from the app having trouble hearing you. This is a practical trade-off of learning through a microphone: it can react to what it hears, but it is not the same as a person watching your hands.

That distinction matters when a chord sounds wrong. I would first check that each finger is pressing firmly behind the fret and that adjacent strings are not being muted, then try again before assuming the lesson is at fault. The app can help you notice whether you are matching the expected notes, while your ears and hands still have to diagnose buzzing, discomfort or a cramped shape. For that reason, I see the feedback as a useful practice signal, not a complete replacement for a teacher’s direct correction.

The Lessons: From Novice to Virtuoso

The app’s lesson structure is where the magic happens. Simply Guitar takes you through the basics with easy-to-follow video tutorials. Each lesson is bite-sized, so you're not overwhelmed with information. I found myself progressing from simple chords to more complex riffs in no time.

One of the standout features is the real-time feedback. As you play, the app listens and tells you if you’re hitting the right notes or if you need to adjust your finger placement. It’s like having a personal guitar coach right in your pocket. This feedback loop is crucial for beginners who might not know if they’re on the right track.

How to make short lessons stick

For a realistic routine, I would use a lesson as the centre of a brief daily practice rather than trying to complete a long run of material in one sitting. Start by reviewing the chord or movement that gave you trouble last time, then work through the next small section and finish by playing it once without staring continuously at the screen. That last attempt helps reveal whether the shape is becoming familiar or whether you only managed it while following prompts.

A useful, less obvious habit is to separate “getting the notes right” from “making the change smoothly.” A learner can pass through a chord shape slowly yet still struggle to move between it and the next one in a song. When that happens, repeat just the transition at a comfortable pace before returning to the full passage. The app’s guided sequence gives you structure, but choosing a tiny target for each session makes that structure more personal and helps prevent aimless repetition.

It is also worth resisting the temptation to rush ahead because a lesson feels easy. A chord that works once may fall apart when repeated, and early rhythm habits can become difficult to tidy up later. I would move on when I can play the material several times with a relaxed hand, not just when I have technically reached the end of a screen. If you feel soreness rather than ordinary fingertip tenderness, take a break; persistence is useful, but pushing through pain is not good practice.

Practice Makes Perfect

Simply Guitar isn’t just about lessons. It encourages practice by offering a plethora of songs to jam along with. Whether you’re into pop, rock, or country, there’s something for everyone. The app breaks down each song into manageable sections, so you can practice at your own pace.

There’s also a nifty feature where you can slow down the tempo. This is a game-changer for learning tricky solos or fast chord changes. You can gradually increase the speed as you get more comfortable, which is super satisfying!

Fitting practice into an ordinary day

Imagine getting home with only a little time before dinner. Instead of opening a video site and spending that time choosing a tutorial, you can pick up your guitar, review one lesson section and work through a short song passage. If the chord change is still clumsy, slow it down and repeat that transition; if it feels settled, try it closer to the song’s normal pace. That focused loop is a better use of a brief window than restarting an entire lesson whenever one detail goes wrong.

Song practice also gives a beginner a reason to revisit basic techniques, but it can expose gaps that isolated drills hide. You may know the chord shapes and still lose the beat when switching between them. I would use the song sections to spot that weak point, then return to the relevant lesson rather than repeatedly playing the whole song from the beginning. This back-and-forth between instruction and music is one of the more useful ways to turn app time into actual playing progress.

The app is a particularly sensible fit if you are starting from scratch, feel unsure what to practise next, or want a guided routine that you can do at home. It can also suit someone returning to guitar who wants to rebuild basic familiarity without committing immediately to scheduled lessons. On the other hand, an experienced player looking for detailed theory, advanced improvisation, genre-specific coaching or nuanced feedback on tone may prefer a specialist teacher, a method book or focused instructional videos. The guided beginner experience is a strength, but it is not every kind of musical education.

Choosing between an app, videos and lessons

Compared with free video tutorials, Simply Guitar offers a more directed path: you do not have to decide which beginner topic to watch next, and the listening response can make practice feel interactive. Video lessons may be better when you want to compare several teachers’ explanations or study a particular style in depth. A human teacher has the advantage when you need someone to see your posture, correct tension, answer an unusual question or tailor a plan around your musical interests. I would not treat those options as rivals; a learner can use this app for regular practice and seek personal instruction when a specific problem stops improving.

There is a cost decision to keep in mind as well. The app is free to download, with in-app purchases ranging from $9.99 to $179.99 per item. I would first see whether its teaching style and practice flow suit me before considering a purchase, and check the current in-app offer carefully before confirming anything. Someone who only wants to test whether guitar is enjoyable can begin cautiously; someone who already knows they want sustained, structured learning may weigh the available purchase against lessons or other learning materials.

Trust, privacy and practical control

Because the app listens while you play, it is reasonable to think about the moment when your phone is using its microphone. I would grant access only when prompted for a lesson that needs to hear the instrument, pay attention to the device’s permission controls, and avoid practising sensitive conversations or other private audio in the same space. These are sensible habits for any app that responds to sound, not a claim about how recordings are stored or handled. If you are uncomfortable enabling microphone access, a lesson format that does not rely on listening may feel like a better fit.

I also recommend checking the app’s account and purchase screens yourself before settling into a routine, especially if a child will use it or if you share a device. Keep control of any purchase confirmation on the device, and review the available settings and permissions rather than assuming that every choice is managed inside a lesson. The Everyone age rating describes its content classification; it does not replace a parent’s judgement about device use, spending controls or whether a child is ready to practise independently.

Simply Guitar’s current version is 9.7.10, and it supports Android 6.0 and later. If you are using an older device, check compatibility before planning around it. On a supported phone or tablet, a stand or stable surface is more useful than holding the screen: it keeps the lesson visible without asking you to interrupt your hand position every few seconds. That small setup choice can make sessions calmer and helps you focus on the strings rather than juggling the device.

Why Simply Guitar Stands Out

Now, I’ve tried a few guitar learning apps before, but Simply Guitar stands out for a couple of reasons. First, it’s incredibly intuitive. The app doesn’t bombard you with jargon or unnecessary features. It’s all about getting you to play and improve.

Secondly, the community aspect is fantastic. The app offers a platform where you can share your progress, ask questions, and even get advice from other users. You’re not just learning alone; you’re part of a supportive community of fellow guitar enthusiasts.

Where the approach can fall short

The simple, guided style that makes the first steps approachable can feel restrictive if you want to choose your own curriculum from the start. A fixed sequence may not match your immediate goal, whether that is accompanying a particular song, learning fingerstyle or understanding why a chord progression works. In that situation, I would use the app for a basic practice anchor and supplement it with material aimed directly at that goal, rather than expecting one beginner path to cover everything.

Another limitation is that screen-based feedback cannot tell the whole story of a performance. It can encourage you to repeat notes and sections, but it cannot fully assess musical expression or the physical habits that are easiest to see from across the room. If you keep receiving corrections on a passage you believe you are playing correctly, pause, check tuning and placement, and try a quieter environment before repeating it endlessly. If the same difficulty remains, another explanation or a teacher’s eyes may save time.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, Simply Guitar - Learn Guitar is a fantastic app for anyone looking to learn guitar or improve their skills. It’s user-friendly, effective, and, most importantly, fun! Whether you’re a total newbie or someone looking to polish their skills, this app has something to offer.

So, if you’ve been thinking about picking up the guitar, stop hesitating and give Simply Guitar a try. Who knows? You might just be the next guitar legend in the making!

Who I would recommend it to

My recommendation is strongest for a beginner who wants a clear next step, owns or can borrow a guitar, and is comfortable practising with a phone nearby. It is also a reasonable choice for a returning player who wants a low-friction way to rebuild a habit. I would steer away from it as a sole resource if you need close supervision, have a specific advanced goal, or prefer learning through written notation and theory rather than prompted practice.

For most new players, the practical question is not whether an app can make them a guitarist by itself; it is whether it helps them pick up the instrument again tomorrow. Simply Guitar gives structure and a reason to repeat useful material, while the learner still supplies patience, careful listening and regular practice. If that balance sounds right to you, it is a friendly place to begin, with a clear understanding that broader musical growth may eventually call for other resources too.