Gear7 min read
Best Clip-On Guitar Tuner: Peterson StroboClip
The Peterson StroboClip HDC: 0.1 cent accuracy and 65+ instrument tunings. Why strobe beats needle, and when a $15 clip is genuinely enough.
Learn Guitar
Free guides, tutorials, and tips to help you become a better guitarist. From fretboard memorization to music theory fundamentals.
Chord Library: charts for every key →Scale Library: fretboard diagrams →Mode Library: all 7 modes in every key →
Learning roadmap
Build the basics, connect the theory, then play lead.
Start with the beginner series. After lesson 9 introduces your first scale, use the modes book to connect scales, chords, and the fretboard. Then continue into the lead series with that theory in place.
Step 1 · Start here
The free 12-lesson beginner series
Read tab, play riffs and chords, learn your first scale, and finish with a complete solo.
Theory companion · After lesson 9
Understand scales and modes
Connect major, minor, pentatonic, and modal sounds with playable tab, audio labs, short games, and quizzes.
Step 2 · Lead guitar
The free 12-lesson lead series
Build your picking, legato, bends, pentatonic shapes, speed, tapping, and sweep picking.
Featured interactive workout
Guitar Speed Exercises: Daily Rhythm Guitar Workout
Build rhythm guitar speed with a free interactive metronome workout for eighth notes, triplets, downpicking, and tight metal riffs. Find your clean BPM. Built for rhythm guitar, metal downpicking, and anyone who wants a real speed number instead of guessing.
30-second roundsBuilt-in metronomeEighth notes and triplets
Start the free speed workoutWhat it tracks
- Clean eighth-note downpicking speed
- Clean triplet picking speed
- Your last result on this device
- Strokes per second, not BPM alone
84 articles
Latest8
Chords7 min read
Bass Guitar Chords: Why Bassists Play Them Differently
Chords on bass turn to mud below the fifth fret. Where they actually work: tenths, root-fifth shapes, and arpeggios that imply a chord.
Scales9 min read
Bass Scales: The Four Shapes That Cover Most Songs
Minor pentatonic, major, natural minor, and blues on bass — the fingerings, the songs each one fits, and why bassists use them differently.
Fretboard8 min read
Bass Guitar Notes: How to Find Any Note on the Fretboard
The notes on all four strings, the three shapes that let you find any note without memorising 84 positions, and the octave trick that does most of the work.
Basics9 min read
Bass Guitar for Beginners: What to Learn First, and in What Order
The four things that make someone sound like a bass player — root notes, locking to the kick drum, muting, and one octave shape — plus what to skip until later.
Guitar Quest8 min read
Learn Bass Guitar by Playing an RPG: Bass Is Now in Guitar Quest
Bass guitar is now a full learning track in Guitar Quest: every mode on four strings, its own character and lessons, note detection down to E1.
Tools9 min read
The Best Tool for Guitar Skill Improvement Is the One Aimed at Your Weakness
Diagnose the weak spot first, then pick the tool. One recommendation each for timing, fretboard, ear, technique, phrasing, theory, and consistency.
Tools8 min read
The Best Tools for Interactive Guitar Lessons in 2026
Interactive means four things: tab that plays and loops, lessons that listen to you, playable widgets on the page, and a teacher on video.
Comparison11
Comparison8 min read
Can You Actually Learn Guitar From a Game? An Honest Answer
What guitar games genuinely teach — fretboard, timing, endurance, showing up — what they can't teach, and how to use one so it works.
Comparison9 min read
The Best Gamified Guitar Learning Apps in 2026
Eight gamified guitar apps compared: Rocksmith+, Yousician, Soundlane, fee[dB]ack, StringTheory, ImmerRock, Notey, and Guitar Quest.
Comparison7 min read
fee[dB]ack Is Live at got-feedback.org: The New Slopsmith
Slopsmith's successor now has a home at got-feedback.org and a downloadable v0.3 alpha. The open-source rhythm platform and the open feedpak format.
Comparison9 min read
The Best Apps to Learn Guitar in 2026 (Free and Paid, Honestly Ranked)
The best apps to learn guitar in 2026, including which ones listen to your real guitar. Games, structured lessons, tab players, prices, and free tiers.
Comparison9 min read
Rocksmith Alternatives in 2026: 7 Ways to Learn Real Guitar (No Cable Required)
The best Rocksmith alternatives in 2026: StringTheory, fee[dB]ack, ImmerRock, ToneLib Jam, Soundlane, and a browser RPG. Which ones actually listen.
Comparison8 min read
Yousician Alternatives: 6 Better (and Cheaper) Ways to Learn Guitar
The best Yousician alternatives in 2026, from free browser tools to a one-time-purchase RPG. What each costs, how it teaches, and how to skip the sub.
Comparison6 min read
What is StringTheory? The Open-Source Rocksmith-Style Guitar Game, Explained
How the free, open-source guitar and bass game works, the file formats it plays (psarc, Guitar Pro, MusicXML), the CDLC gray zone, and how it compares.
Comparison7 min read
Slopsmith Is Back and Renamed Feedback (fee[db]ack): What's New in the 0.3 Update
Slopsmith is back after Ubisoft's DMCA takedown, renamed fee[dB]ack. The 0.3 update drops CDLC for the new .feedpak format and adds a rig builder.
Comparison7 min read
Ubisoft DMCA'd Slopsmith: What Happened, and Why It Won't Happen to Guitar Quest
Ubisoft filed a DMCA takedown against Slopsmith and its forks, and GitHub pulled 131 repos. What the app did, why it happened, and what it means.
Comparison6 min read
What is Slopsmith? The Open-Source Guitar App, Explained (and a Guided Alternative)
What Slopsmith is, who it's for, and how its note-highway works — plus an honest look at a guided RPG that teaches fretboard, scales, and theory.
Comparison8 min read
Yousician vs Rocksmith vs OpenFret: Honest Comparison 2026
I used all three for at least a month each. Here's what I found about pricing, teaching methods, hardware requirements, and which one is worth your money.
Gear11
Gear7 min read
Best Clip-On Guitar Tuner: Peterson StroboClip
The Peterson StroboClip HDC: 0.1 cent accuracy and 65+ instrument tunings. Why strobe beats needle, and when a $15 clip is genuinely enough.
Gear8 min read
How to Manage a Guitar Gear Inventory (and What to Actually Write Down)
What to record about every guitar you own, where to keep it, and why the spreadsheet dies by month three. Specs, gauges, serials, photos, insurance.
Gear6 min read
The Best Cheap Audio Interface for Guitar: The $18 JOYO (USB-C, Built-In Monitoring)
The cheapest way to get a clean guitar signal into your phone or computer is the ~$18 JOYO: USB-C, plug-and-play, with headphone monitoring.
Gear6 min read
The Best Amp Modeler for the Money: Donner Arena 2000 (Modeler + Interface in One)
The Donner Arena 2000 has 80 amp models, 100 IR slots, 278 effects, a looper and drum machine, and a USB-C interface, at a fraction of the big names.
Gear7 min read
The Best Amp Modeler and Audio Interface: Neural DSP Quad Cortex
The Neural DSP Quad Cortex has 90+ amps, Neural Capture to clone your own rig, and an 8-in/8-out USB interface. What it does and who it's for.
Gear5 min read
The Best Guitar Cable: Why the Mogami Gold INST Silent Is Worth It
Oxygen-free copper, a silent plug that kills the pop when you unplug, and a lifetime warranty. Why a good cable matters, and when a cheap one is fine.
Gear6 min read
The Best Guitar Picks: Why the Jazz III (Matt Heafy Signature) Win for Speed and Control
The Dunlop Matt Heafy Custom Max-Grip Jazz III is a small, sharp 1.38mm pick that won't slip. Why Jazz III wins for lead, and who needs bigger.
Gear6 min read
The Best Battery-Powered PA Speaker for Gigs on the Go: EV Everse 8
The Electro-Voice Everse 8 gives you 400W, 12+ hours of battery, weatherproofing, Bluetooth, and a built-in mixer — a PA for busking and patios.
Gear6 min read
The Best PA Speaker for Live and Practice: EV ZLX 15P G2
The Electro-Voice ZLX-15P G2 is 1,000W and 15-inch, with DynaCord DSP, Bluetooth, and app control. The pick for gigs, rehearsals, and FRFR use.
Gear8 min read
The Best Electric Guitar Strings: Why Elixir Nanoweb Wins (and How to Track Them)
Why Elixir Nanoweb win, the gauges I use for E and D standard, how often to change strings, and how OpenFret logs every change for you.
Gear8 min read
Best Beginner Guitar 2026: Why We Pick the Ibanez GIO
The best beginner guitar is the one that doesn't fight you. Why the Ibanez GIO GRGR221PA is our pick, and what actually matters in a first guitar.
Practice11
Practice8 min read
How to Gamify Guitar Practice (Without Downloading Anything)
What makes a game compelling, and how to bolt those parts onto practice: personal records, dice, cards, timed rounds, boss fights, and streaks.
Practice7 min read
Guitar Practice Analytics: Which Numbers Are Worth Watching
There is no Tableau for guitar and you don't need one. The practice metrics that predict improvement, the ones that flatter you, and a monthly review.
Practice8 min read
How to Track Guitar Progress When Progress Is Invisible
Five things worth measuring on guitar, the recording habit that beats all of them, and the tools that keep the numbers: tempo, accuracy, repertoire.
Practice9 min read
Guitar Speed Exercises: Daily Rhythm Guitar Workout
Build rhythm guitar speed with a free interactive metronome workout for eighth notes, triplets, downpicking, and tight metal riffs. Find your clean BPM.
Practice8 min read
The Best Guitar Practice Tracker in 2026: Apps, Journals, and Templates Compared
Guitar practice trackers compared: OpenFret, Riff Quest, AxeLog, Notion templates, and paper journals. What each costs, and what the research says.
Practice8 min read
Are Rhythm Games Good for Your Brain? What the Research Says
Rhythm games are back in 2026. The research on why they're good for your attention, memory, and coordination — and why a real guitar goes further.
Practice8 min read
The Complete Guide to Guitar Backing Tracks: Practice, Solo, and Improvise
What backing tracks are, how to practice and solo over them, how to pick a key and scale, and why isolated stems build timing and phrasing fastest.
Practice8 min read
Beginner Guitar Exercises: 7 Drills That Build Real Technique
Seven beginner guitar exercises that build finger strength, accuracy, and speed: the chromatic walk, the spider, one-minute chord changes, and more.
Practice8 min read
How to Learn a Guitar Song: The Chunking Method That Actually Works
You don't learn a song, you learn its pieces. How to break a riff into chunks, loop the hard parts slow, fix the transitions, and chain it together.
Practice8 min read
The Best Guitar Practice Routine for Beginners (15, 30, and 60 Minutes)
Three structured routines for different time budgets. Why 15 focused minutes beats an aimless hour, and what to actually work on during each block.
Practice8 min read
How to Stay Motivated Learning Guitar (When the Excitement Wears Off)
The two-week wall is real, and it isn't about willpower. Why motivation fades, and how to build a practice habit you can't talk yourself out of.
Basics8
Basics9 min read
Bass Guitar for Beginners: What to Learn First, and in What Order
The four things that make someone sound like a bass player — root notes, locking to the kick drum, muting, and one octave shape — plus what to skip until later.
Basics8 min read
Are Patreon Guitar Lessons Worth It? An Honest Look at Paying a Guitarist to Teach You
What you're actually buying when you sub to a guitarist's Patreon, the teachers people pay for, when it makes sense, and the practice gap it won't fill.
Basics9 min read
The Best Free Guitar Lessons on YouTube (and How to Actually Learn From Them)
The best free guitar lessons on YouTube, sorted by what you want to learn: beginner courses, theory, soloing, technique. Plus the habit that sticks.
Basics7 min read
How Long Does It Take to Learn Guitar? An Honest Timeline
An honest timeline, milestone by milestone: your first song in a week, open chords in a month, and what 'good' really takes. Plus why consistency wins.
Basics6 min read
Finger Pain From Guitar: Why It Hurts and How to Build Calluses
Sore fingertips are normal when you start. Why it happens, how long calluses take, what speeds it up, and the pain that means you should stop.
Basics7 min read
How to Read Guitar Tabs: A Complete Beginner's Guide
Guitar tablature explained from scratch. The six lines, the numbers, and all those weird symbols like h, p, /, and b that nobody explains properly.
Basics8 min read
Guitar Lessons for Beginners: How to Learn Without Wasting Money
The real options for beginner guitar lessons — private teachers, apps, free online — what each is good at, and when a teacher is worth paying for.
Basics10 min read
How to Play Guitar: A Complete Beginner's Guide to Your First Month
Everything you need in your first month on guitar. How to hold it, tune it, fret cleanly, your first chords, your first strum, and how to practice so it sticks.
Backing Track7
Backing Track4 min read
E Major Punk Rock Guitar Backing Track (140 BPM) for Practice and Soloing
E Major punk rock backing track at 140 BPM. A fast, driving loop through E, C#m, A, and B for phrasing, time, and chord-tone targeting at speed.
Backing Track4 min read
A Major Neo Soul Guitar Backing Track (90 BPM) for Practice and Soloing
A Major neo soul backing track at 90 BPM. A warm, looping groove through A, E, F#m, and D for phrasing, chord-tone targeting, and major-key soul.
Backing Track4 min read
G Minor Jazz Rock Guitar Backing Track (67 BPM) for Practice and Soloing
G Minor jazz rock backing track at 67 BPM. A slow, looping groove through Eb, Cm, Gm, and Bb for phrasing, chord tones, and minor-key movement.
Backing Track4 min read
Db Major Progressive Rock Guitar Backing Track (60 BPM) for Practice and Soloing
Db Major progressive rock backing track at 60 BPM. A slow, spacious loop for phrasing, chord-tone targeting, and a key most guitarists avoid.
Backing Track4 min read
E Major Pop Rock Guitar Backing Track (116 BPM) for Practice and Soloing
E Major pop rock backing track at 116 BPM. A bright, up-tempo loop for phrasing, chord-tone targeting, and moving around the neck at pace.
Backing Track4 min read
E Minor Psychedelic Rock Guitar Backing Track (80 BPM) for Practice and Soloing
E Minor psychedelic rock backing track at 80 BPM. A slower, heavier groove for working on phrasing, bends, and finding notes that actually fit over a dark vamp.
Backing Track4 min read
C Major Pop Guitar Backing Track (100 BPM) for Practice and Soloing
C Major pop backing track at 100 BPM. A clean-looping jam for phrasing, timing, chord tones, and moving around the neck without getting lost.
Theory6
Theory10 min read
Guitar Chord Progressions: The Complete Guide (Every Style and Mood)
How chord progressions work, and the patterns behind thousands of songs — pop, blues, jazz, doo-wop — in Roman numerals so you can play them anywhere.
Theory6 min read
OpenFret's Chord, Scale, and Mode Library: A Free Reference for Faster Learning
Free fretboard diagrams for every chord, scale, and mode in every key, built for quick reference mid-practice — and how to play what you look up.
Theory9 min read
Circle of Fifths Explained: A Visual Guide for Guitarists
The circle of fifths in plain English: how to read it, how to use it to find keys and chord progressions, and why guitarists should actually care.
Theory8 min read
Guitar Key Signatures Explained: Sharps, Flats, and How to Find the Key
How key signatures work on guitar. Reading sharps and flats, figuring out what key a song is in, and the two rules that cover most of what you need.
Theory10 min read
The CAGED System Explained: Play Chords and Scales All Over the Neck
How five open chord shapes become movable templates that map the whole fretboard, how to find any chord anywhere, and how to embellish with scales.
Theory10 min read
Guitar Chord Progressions Every Beginner Should Know
Five chord progressions behind thousands of songs. The four magic chords, the 12-bar blues, the doo-wop, and why so many songs sound the same.
Tools6
Tools9 min read
The Best Tool for Guitar Skill Improvement Is the One Aimed at Your Weakness
Diagnose the weak spot first, then pick the tool. One recommendation each for timing, fretboard, ear, technique, phrasing, theory, and consistency.
Tools8 min read
The Best Tools for Interactive Guitar Lessons in 2026
Interactive means four things: tab that plays and loops, lessons that listen to you, playable widgets on the page, and a teacher on video.
Tools7 min read
Free Online Metronome for Guitar: Practice With Perfect Timing
A free online metronome for guitar players. How to pick a tempo, use tap tempo, set time signatures, and build timing that holds up when the drummer disappears.
Tools5 min read
OpenFret Studio: A Free Guitar Practice Workspace That Gets Out of Your Way
Eleven music theory tools in one browser tab: metronome, tuner, fretboard, chord voicings, scale explorer, circle of fifths. Drag, resize, it saves.
Tools4 min read
OpenFret Guitar Tuner: Free App for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch
A tiny, native guitar tuner for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. No sign-up, no ads, no pop-ups — as accurate as clip-ons that cost $20-30, and free.
Tools6 min read
Free Guitar Tuner: How to Tune Your Guitar Online
How to tune your guitar with a free browser-based chromatic tuner. Covers standard tuning, alternate tunings, and the mistakes most beginners make.
Chords4
Chords7 min read
Bass Guitar Chords: Why Bassists Play Them Differently
Chords on bass turn to mud below the fifth fret. Where they actually work: tenths, root-fifth shapes, and arpeggios that imply a chord.
Chords8 min read
Guitar Chord Voicings Explained: Multiple Shapes for Every Chord
One chord, many voicings. Why a C major at the 8th fret sounds nothing like an open C, and how swapping voicings makes your playing more interesting.
Chords8 min read
How to Play Barre Chords: Tips That Actually Work
Barre chords are the wall most beginners hit around month two. The capo trick, the thumb adjustment, and why squeezing harder makes it worse.
Chords9 min read
Guitar Chords for Beginners: The First 8 Chords to Learn (and the Order)
The eight open chords that unlock most songs, the order to learn them in, how to read a chord diagram, and the fixes for buzzing strings and slow chord changes.
Fretboard4
Fretboard8 min read
Bass Guitar Notes: How to Find Any Note on the Fretboard
The notes on all four strings, the three shapes that let you find any note without memorising 84 positions, and the octave trick that does most of the work.
Fretboard9 min read
How to Learn the Guitar Fretboard: Every Free OpenFret Tool (and the Game That Makes It Stick)
Every free OpenFret tool for learning the fretboard: the chord, scale, and mode libraries, the Studio fretboard viewer, the tuner, and Guitar Quest.
Fretboard8 min read
How to Use a Fretboard Viewer to See Scales and Chords on Guitar
A fretboard viewer turns the guitar neck into a living diagram. How to use one to see scales, chords, modes, and intervals without buying another book.
Fretboard12 min read
How to Memorize the Guitar Fretboard (Complete Guide)
Four practical methods for learning every note on the fretboard. Natural notes, octave shapes, the CAGED system, and a game that made me actually stick with it.
Rhythm3
Rhythm8 min read
How to Fingerpick Guitar: Patterns for Beginners (with Tab)
Fingerstyle from scratch: which fingers pluck which strings, the Travis picking pattern, an easy waltz pattern, and how to practice so it sticks.
Rhythm8 min read
How to Read Strumming Patterns: Every Symbol Explained (Arrows, X, and More)
What the arrows, the X, the accents, and that sideways-equals symbol mean in a strumming pattern, the counting behind them, and when to change chords.
Rhythm9 min read
Guitar Strumming Patterns for Beginners: 8 Patterns You Need
Eight strumming patterns that cover folk, rock, pop, and country. Plus the one mistake every beginner makes with their strumming hand.
Guitar Quest2
Guitar Quest8 min read
Learn Bass Guitar by Playing an RPG: Bass Is Now in Guitar Quest
Bass guitar is now a full learning track in Guitar Quest: every mode on four strings, its own character and lessons, note detection down to E1.
Guitar Quest7 min read
What is Guitar Quest? Learn Guitar Through RPG Gaming
Guitar Quest is an RPG where you fight monsters by playing real guitar notes through your mic. How it works, and why it kept me practicing longer.
Scales2
Scales9 min read
Bass Scales: The Four Shapes That Cover Most Songs
Minor pentatonic, major, natural minor, and blues on bass — the fingerings, the songs each one fits, and why bassists use them differently.
Scales10 min read
Guitar Scales for Beginners: The 5 Essential Shapes
The five scale shapes that cover most of popular music: minor pentatonic, major pentatonic, natural minor, major, and blues. What each sounds like.
Songs2
Songs10 min read
How to Play Blues Guitar for Beginners: 12-Bar Form, the Shuffle, and Your First Licks
A beginner path into blues: the 12-bar form in Roman numerals, dominant 7 chords, the shuffle rhythm, the blues scale, and your first licks.
Songs8 min read
Easy Guitar Songs for Beginners: 12 Songs You Can Play This Week
Twelve real songs you can play with two, three, or four beginner chords. Grouped by how many chords you need, so you can match songs to what you already know.
Streaming2
Streaming10 min read
How to Stream Guitar on Twitch: Setup, OBS Audio, and the DMCA Rules (2026)
The audio interface and OBS setup, hearing yourself without latency, picking the Music category, and Twitch's rules for covers, in plain English.
Streaming7 min read
Can You Stream Rocksmith on Twitch? DMCA Rules and Safe Workarounds
Yes, but the licensed music can get you DMCA-flagged. What Twitch allows, why VODs get muted, the OBS audio-track workaround, and a clean alternative.
Technique2
Technique9 min read
Guitar Bends and Vibrato: How to Sound Like the Pros (and Bend In Tune)
Why your bends sound off and your vibrato sounds nervous, and how to fix both: bending in tune by ear and by tuner, the bend types, and control.
Technique8 min read
Palm Muting and String Muting on Guitar: How to Get a Tight, Clean Sound
The difference between palm muting and string muting, how to do each, and how to stop unwanted strings ringing. The chunky metal sound, clean chords.
Tuning2
Tuning7 min read
Drop D Tuning: How to Tune to Drop D (Plus Chords, Riffs, and Songs)
How to tune to Drop D in seconds, why one-finger power chords make it a rock and metal staple, the shapes that change, and the songs that use it.
Tuning9 min read
A Beginner's Guide to Alternate Guitar Tunings (Drop D, DADGAD, Open G)
Five alternate tunings that open up sounds you can't get in standard. How to tune each one, what it's used for, and famous songs you'll recognize.