Calling all budding guitarists that want to be this millennium’s Hendrix but can’t quite get the hang of reading sheet music and tablature; Coach Guitar can help you master your favourite songs simply by showing you step-by-step videos of how to strum those strings!
So, your parents didn’t shell out for music lessons when you were a kid and you’re still pretty bitter about it; what better way to get back at them than to learn an angsty rock song like Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ and play a note-perfect rendition to them outside their bedroom window? OK, I might be projecting a few of my own issues here but I was really impressed with the way that Coach Guitar is set out to help wannabe axe heroes learn their favourite songs without having to understand tabs or sheet music.
The lessons are divided into ‘Intro’, ‘Verse’, ‘Chorus’, ‘Bridge’ and ‘Solo’ segments and each section has a video of a proficient acoustic guitarist’s fingers strumming, plucking and picking his way through the parts. Each segment is broken into separate videos that show the notes on an on-screen fretboard that light up as he plays them. Sound complicated? It isn’t. This way, you get to listen to the guitar part on its own, without any other instruments masking its sound, and you can match your finger structures to the ones shown in the video. For anyone versed in tablature, you can read the tabs on each song as well as the chord progressions but I find it much more fun and easy to watch the videos. Once you’ve got the song parts down pat, you can play along to the full video or just the backing track to make sure that you’re totally in tune.
The app is free to download and you get a selection of free songs to learn including Green Day’s ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ and Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway To Heaven’. As you can see, there’s a real range when it comes to difficulty levels and these are noted by the amount of plectrum images next to each song (‘Stairway…’ gets a full 5/5). You can then scroll through the impressive and expansive library and purchase more guitar lessons for songs from a range of artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eagles and Bob Dylan. Each song has a BPM setting so you can get the rhythm and the chord names in the top right-hand corner of the video screen, just incase your memory requires a little jog.
All in all, if you really want to learn to play guitar like a pro then I can’t recommend Coach Guitar enough; now, it’s back to nailing my Johnny Greenwood thrash to match my Thom Yorke wail…altogether now, “I’m a CREEP, I’m a WEIRDO!!!”
iTunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/coach-guitar-learn-to-play/id405338085?mt=8
