If you're like most beginner guitarists, trying to learn to play the guitar isn't always fun. Even picking up your instrument some days can seem like a pretty daunting task.
Everything from getting the guitar in tune to mustering up the courage to press your dainty little fingers down on those mean metal strings can seem like an insurmountable challenge—especially when there is no help or guidance in sight.
Sure, you could enroll in private lessons, but those can cost you a pretty penny—besides, you might even be a bit embarrassed at first sharing such vulnerable moments as your first fumbling attempts at guitar playing with a near stranger. In this case, apps to learn to play the guitar are probably the best way to start.
Fortunately, Simply Guitar was designed with just such situations in mind.
This guitar learning app, from the same people who have had smashing success with Simply Piano, is perfect for complete beginners who need help doing, well, pretty much everything related to learning guitar.
In this review, we'll walk you through our experiences with the Simply Guitar app and find out whether this unique and exciting learning tool is the right choice for you to begin your guitar-learning journey.
We'll also explore a few alternatives if you decide Simply Guitar is not for you.
Read on to get a sense of this fun app and determine whether or not you'd like to make Simply Guitar your choice for learning guitar online.
Simply Guitar Review: What Is Simply Guitar?
SPECS
- Price: $9.99/month or $119 annually
- Features: iOS and Android app, step-by-step tutorials, direct feedback, song lessons
Ever since Simply Piano was launched by JoyTunes in 2011, they've taken the online piano lessons world by storm with their fun and interactive piano lesson app. And as of 2020, they've branched out into the realm of guitar lessons, touting much the same promise for aspiring guitarists.
And they haven't disappointed—Simply Guitar is, at heart, a fun and accessible guitar-learning app that's ideal for complete beginners.
Simply Guitar combines bright graphics and a joyful ambiance with serious guitar instruction and a user-friendly interface for a highly effective and frankly addicting guitar platform.
Learning to play guitar is a blast with Simply Guitar, thanks to their gamified approach to teaching guitar. Similar to a video game, Simply Guitar uses animated graphics and sound effects along with a lively user experience that makes for a perfect guitar learning method, especially for kids (and the young at heart).
How Much Does Simply Guitar Cost?
Simply Guitar is shockingly affordable, especially when compared with other comparable online guitar learning platforms. A subscription will set you back just $9.99 a month, billed monthly, or $119 billed annually.
It's really a great value, considering you're likely to learn your first chords and start playing your first song within the first day of using the app! Plus, the interface is so addictive you're sure to get your money's worth, and then some, very quickly because you're not going to want to put your guitar down.
Plus, there's a 14-day free trial that will allow you to test the waters and see if you think Simply Guitar is right for you. No reason not to sign up; try Simply Guitar free of charge for two weeks, and find out for yourself today!
What You'll Need to Get Started Using Simply Guitar
All you need to get started using Simply Guitar is a computer or iOS/Android-compatible mobile device with internet access and, of course, the instrument of your choice. Simply Guitar also recommends using headphones when learning for the optimal experience.
You can start with either an acoustic or electric guitar. And it doesn't hurt to have a pick handy if you intend to use one!
Simply Guitar Review: What's Included in the Curriculum?
Simply Guitar does one thing well, and that's teaching guitar basics to complete beginners. Guitar skills covered in the curriculum include basic chord shapes, single note runs, and, in what is probably the app's primary focus, playing songs.
Simply Guitar's lessons are based around songs in a way that keeps users engaged and enjoying their time playing guitar.
You'll be guided through a course consisting of songs that you'll likely enjoy learning based on your answers to an introductory quiz, and each song you do learn unlocks more, like new levels in a game.
A helpful introduction video shows you how to get started using Simply Guitar, explaining what you need in order to use the app, as well as how to hold the guitar, tune it properly, and so on.
In fact, tuning the guitar is the first lesson. If that doesn't give you an idea of who this app is for right away, we don't know what will!
Song lessons initially consist of either learning the chords of popular songs, along with their strumming patterns or picking out a lead melody, with real-time feedback letting you know how if you're playing correctly.
Ultimately, Simply Guitar's learning paths (more about these in a minute) will lead you to some more intermediate-oriented content, like pentatonic scales for the lead guitar path and more advanced chord switching, strumming techniques, and finally, barre chords for the chords path.
But the real meat and potatoes here are the song lessons, which, by the way, take the form of a Guitar Hero-style game with synced tablature lighting up an animated fretboard. We have to say, even as advanced players, using this program was tons of fun—almost like playing guitar for the first time.
How Is Simply Guitar’s Course Content Structured?
As soon as you launch Simply Guitar, you're asked to answer a few questions about yourself and your intentions. They'll want to know about your experience with the guitar, as well as some of your musical interests and ultimate goals. This will help set the program on a course specially curated for your needs.
The courses are organized, fittingly, within the "Courses" tab, which is the user's means of accessing most of their lessons. The first lessons are mostly "Guitar Essentials," which show you the basic chords and give you new songs to learn.
Once you've mastered a song, it is added to your song library. Learning a new song will also unlock some other songs that employ the same chords and skills, like new strumming patterns you have just developed.
Likewise, new chords encountered on your journey will also be added to your chord library, where you can revisit the charts any time to brush up on what you've learned.
Eventually, as in life, it comes time to choose a path. In Simply Guitar (really though, also as in life), the choice comes down to the Lead path or the Chords path. Once you select a path, your lessons will become more focused on either lead guitar skills or rhythm guitar skills.
It's worth noting that while the Simply Guitar app has the semblance of a game structure, with unlocking levels and so forth, it also allows you to skip ahead if you want to jump forward into more advanced material.
Simply Guitar Review: Who Is This Course Best Suited For?
If we haven't made it clear by this point, we will again state unequivocally that the ideal Simply Guitar user is the complete beginner with no experience.
This is not only made clear in their marketing materials; it is clear from the get-go that Simply Guitar seeks to first orient its users with a guitar for perhaps the very first time.
And it certainly succeeds in this—among the first exercises a user encounters are instructions for how to properly hold and sit with a guitar, how to tune the guitar using the built-in guitar tuner, and other such rudiments. You'll go from plucking your first guitar strings to playing your first song in a matter of minutes, with any luck.
That being said, we don't recommend Simply Guitar for guitar players with a fair amount of experience under their belt.
Not only is there not sufficiently stimulating material for intermediate and advanced players, but the way the lessons are taught (the game interface) could actually get in the way of developing real musicianship past a certain point.
What We Like
Perhaps what stands out most about Simply Guitar is its fun, playful UX—humor is used effectively throughout the program, and its very slick app features video game-like bright graphics and fun sound effects. Simply Guitar definitely places among the most fun music apps we've used.
The friendly instructor gives helpful explanations without coming across as patronizing or condescending, and his, ahem, attempts at humor are actually rather charming and serve to set users at ease within the Simply Guitar app.
The exercises are designed to go along with (at times sort of goofy) original jam tracks that incorporate the lessons in a way that's very fun and rewarding to play with—it's truly like a cross between playing music and playing a game.
I am a jaded, salty old player, and doing the very first exercise brought a huge smile to my face, despite being decades below my experience level. There's something to be said for the encouraging noises and graphics, congratulating you for accomplishing even the most menial exercise as though it's a great victory.
Because, for brand-new players, it is!
What Could Be Improved
Now: the bad. The first thing we noticed was occasionally slightly long loading times for exercises and videos. This app packs in a ton of content and streaming high-quality video lessons, which is awesome, but if your internet connection is less than stellar, you could have a bad time with it.
And, although it's not necessarily in line with the brand's stated mission, it wouldn't be a bad thing to include more content for intermediate to advanced players. Although, we will say the teaching methods could be borderline offensive/sacrilegious to experienced players who learned the hard way.
Finally, we got the sense at times that the real-time feedback might not be super accurate. Let's just say, one time, I sort of... giggled with joy at one of the exercises, and the animation lit up as though I had just played the correct note on my guitar.
Simply Guitar Alternatives
Now, while Simply Guitar is a terrific platform with a ton of great video content to offer for beginners and intermediate players, that doesn't mean it's going to be right for everybody.
So whether you're an advanced player looking for more suitable material or just want to shop around, below we'll offer some brief reviews of alternative online guitar lesson platforms for you to consider.
And if you find yourself still wanting more, be sure to check out our list of the best online guitar lessons for an even more comprehensive look at what's out there on the market today.
1. Guitareo
SPECS
- Price: $30/month or $240 annually
- Features:
If you're a beginner, but you're looking for a slightly more traditional lessons app, you might want to consider Guitareo. Like Simply Guitar, Guitareo is designed to be especially beginner-friendly, with a focus on playing songs and having fun with the guitar rather than rudiments and scales.
That's not to say there isn't a trove of valuable resources, however—Guitareo is actually loaded with content centered primarily around fun and well-produced video lessons.
There are over 1,000 individual song lessons with synced tablature, plus tons of instructional videos covering guitar fundamentals, chord and scale charts, and more.
Set off on a goal-oriented plan with your own 10-level learning path. Each level contains 8 video lessons and is designed to build your skills from one video to the next.
Or simply browse around and hone your skills based on whatever catches your eye—there's a ton of really engaging content based around cool ideas.
While Guitareo is priced at a premium, it definitely has a premium feel to it. The instructors are likable and engaging, the interface is attractive and easy to use, and while it's tailored to beginners, there's a lot there for intermediate and advanced players as well. If you've got the budget, we highly recommend Guitareo.
Guitareo offers an incredible one-month free trial, so we suggest signing up today to start your guitar-learning journey!
2. Yousician
SPECS
- Price: Starts at $7.49/month or $89.99 annually
- Features: One-of-a-kind game approach featuring audio recognition and thousands of songs and lessons
Yousician is an app-based guitar lesson platform that brings a welcome approach to online guitar lessons: in lieu of the standard video lessons with a virtual instructor, it applies a game-like approach—very similar to Simply Guitar—that allows learners to play through their lessons in real-time and with instant feedback.
Building on the gaming aspect of the lessons themselves, the learning journey is motivated by challenges, achievements, and a level-up system, allowing learners to engage in a way that is very fun and stimulating, even borderline addictive. (If you're going to get addicted to something, why not make it learning guitar?)
If you (or your kids) are of a certain generation, Yousician is sure to be a hit. It's like Duolingo for guitar lessons. If you're already addicted to the bright colors and flashing lights on your phone, you may as well harness that addiction and channel it into something productive, like learning guitar!
If the idea of a gamified guitar lesson app appeals to you, and you're not totally sure about Simply Guitar yet, Yousician is another great option. They offer a 7-day free version, so sign up today and see for yourself!
3. Guitar Tricks
If you think you might need a bit more than Simply Guitar can offer in the advanced curriculum department, we recommend Guitar Tricks. The lessons are focused on learning songs, riffs, and licks that will help you establish your guitar-playing skills in a wide range of genres and at all skill levels.
There's a wide variety of video lessons, from guitar fundamentals for complete beginners to creative guitar techniques for advanced players and beyond. Guitar Tricks has a special focus on more obscure genres like Rockabilly and Surf music in addition to the well-trod blues and classic rock music lessons.
In contrast to Simply Guitar, intermediate and advanced players will find a lot to enjoy and learn from Guitar Tricks.
Where Simply Guitar is designed mainly to allow beginners to get the hang of fundamentals, Guitar Tricks' curriculum is comprehensive and wide-ranging enough to keep even experienced players coming back for more.
And not only does a Guitar Tricks subscription include a 14-day free trial and tons of free lessons on their platform (as well as many more on YouTube). They also include a 60-day money-back guarantee if you're not having fun learning guitar on their platform.
Simply Guitar Review: Verdict
If you're a brand-new beginner looking to learn guitar basics, like how to play chords and fun songs, Simply Guitar is a great starting point. This app makes learning the guitar a lot of fun, keeping you engaged with a gamified structure, fun interactive lessons, and more.
And, as Simply Guitar offers a 14-day free trial, we highly recommend you check it out if you're interested in learning to play the guitar.
You'll start learning actual songs from your very first lesson, and there's no better way to get hooked on playing the guitar than playing chords to your favorite songs.
Be sure to check out our complete list of best online guitar lessons if you're still not sure—learning the guitar may only be a click away!
