Best Guitar Apps for Kids who Dream of Rock Stardom

Your kiddo is enthralled with a favorite band and wants to learn how to jam on the guitar. You may be aware that learning how to play an instrument increases a child’s memory capacity, promotes time management and organizational skills, teaches dedication and perseverance, and fosters healthy self-expression.

But instruments and lessons can be pricey, and when kids repeatedly pick up new interests with enthusiasm only to put them back down with disinterest after a few classes or months, parents can understandably become wary about investing in new ones.

If you already have access to a guitar or can get your hands on one without spending a ton of cash, you might consider starting with an app. Kids can learn the basics of learning how to play guitar in the comfort of your own home. You can opt to enroll in genuine lessons later if you choose, should your youngster show a propensity toward the instrument. Alternatively, an app might be the perfect tool to supplement a class.

Following are five highly recommended guitar-playing apps for beginning students. With apps for iOS and Android geared toward a variety of ages and abilities, there is something for every wannabe guitarist:

Songsterr

Kids can select a song that they want to play from a catalog of 500,000 tab tracks and 90,000 songs. The interface is simple to use.

Users pick the song they want to learn by browsing, selecting tags, or searching. They can press play to start from the beginning, or double tap any part of the song to start there. Select solo mode to hear only the guitar parts of the song, tap the slow down feature to listen to a difficult part more slowly, or loop a specific section of the song.

You can download this app free from iTunes, although there is a monthly subscription fee to access some of the features. Visit Songsterr for more details.

Gibson Learn and Master Guitar

This app works as a tool kit for anyone learning how to play the guitar. Kids can use the chromatic tuner to help tune their guitar to any key or switch modes and tune it to a tone by tapping the string they want to tune on the screen and matching to the tone.

The built-in metronome lets users set beats per minute and time signature, or tap a custom tempo. The chord chart teaches beginning guitar players commonly used chords. In addition, the app provides full-length lessons from the “Learn and Master” collection with options for beginning, intermediate, and advanced players.

Download the free app from Google Play or iTunes or read more on the Gibson Learn and Master website.

Guitar Jamz Beginner Guitar Songs

For a true beginner, this app promises to help users learn how to play even if they’ve never picked up a guitar before.

Whether kids want to play acoustic or electric guitar, the first eight video lessons are ideal for letting them start playing on the very first day. Users will learn how to play seven primary chords, six strumming and rhythm patterns, and nine simple, yet impressive songs quickly and easily.

Other features include a beginner’s manual, lessons you can download and access offline, optimized video streamed lessons and access to more than 900 lessons in genres including rock, pop, jazz, and more.

The free app is only available on iTunes. For more details, visit GuitarJamz.

Coach Guitar

Kids can view both a video of proper finger positions for both hands as well as an animated illustration of the tabs using this app. Beginning guitar players simply follow the animated fingers on the fretboard to recreate the song played. Slow motion and loop features help kids learn more difficult parts of a song.
One feature that makes this app unique is the option to choose right- or left-hand playing. The free version of the app offers four songs, but you can upgrade to the paid version to gain access to the complete library.

Download on iTunes, Google Play, or the Windows App Store. Go to CoachGuitar to find out more.

Rock Prodigy

Perhaps the closest thing to an actual guitar lesson, Rock Prodigy uses a pay-as-you-learn subscription basis to teach beginners how to play the guitar.

The user-friendly interface shows kids which note to play and when to play it, rewarding them when they play correctly. Each course focuses on the appropriate exercises for the specific skill level, so learners don’t feel overwhelmed. The app also includes several tools and features so that users can customize their learning experience.

Along with an iTunes app, you can also download a Mac or Windows version of Rock Prodigy. While the download itself is free, you will need a subscription to use the service. Monthly and annual subscriptions are available. Check out RockProdigy to learn more.

What are some of your favorite guitar apps for kids? Share with us!