I’ve been playing guitar for over 40 years. I started when I was 15, and I’ve seen thousands of beginners quit before they ever learned their first full song.
Why? Because the ‘traditional’ way of learning is brutal. Your fingers hurt, the theory is boring, and you feel like you aren’t making progress.
So when I heard about Simply Guitar, I was skeptical. I expected a mobile game, not a serious teaching tool. To find out the truth, I downloaded the app, grabbed my guitar, and spent the last three weeks testing it as if I were a complete beginner again.
Is it a gimmick, or is it the ‘secret weapon’ that will finally get you playing real songs? Here is my honest, unfiltered review.
The Quick Verdict: “If you want the short version: Simply Guitar is the best ‘fun’ entry point I’ve seen for beginners in decades. It won’t make you a virtuoso overnight, but it will get you playing songs faster than traditional methods.”
The $10 App vs. The $50 Lesson: A Guitar Teacher’s Verdict
Words and Actions: The Simply Guitar app provides “gamification.” It’s a fun way to learn guitar, especially as a total beginner. It gives you measurable progress markers in the form of playing streaks for motivation.
Guitar Basics 1 starts off with tuning your guitar, then moves on to understanding strings and the fretboard. From there, you’ll learn open chords and strumming patterns. Everything a beginner guitarist needs to get started quickly.
Character and Destiny: A teacher will go deeper into the “mechanics” of playing, such as proper fretting and picking hand techniques, palm-muting, legato and alternate picking, etc. Having a pro, online or in-person, can correct any mistakes as you go.
Also, learning from a guitar teacher with years of playing experience, like me, will help you understand the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of what you’re playing. (basic music theory, building chords and scales, and ear training)
Simply Guitar App: Total beginners wanting to learn the basic fundamentals.
Experienced Teacher: Those who want to dive deep into more advanced playing techniques like improvised soloing and songwriting.
⚡️Pair the lessons in the app with a quality electric guitar that’s also very affordable. Check out my Epiphone Les Paul Studio E1 Review to ignite your “inner rockstar!”
The lessons are super approachable, with a strong focus on practicing popular songs and building confidence early. More experienced players will probably outgrow the lesson library and want more depth, and some of the note and chord detection can trip you up if your room is noisy. For getting over the first obstacles as a new player, though, it’s tough to beat for its ease and fun factor.
Yes, its bite-sized lessons fit an entrepreneur’s or busy professional’s schedule perfectly, though the interface is quite colorful/bright.
Yes, the app features a massive library of rock and pop hits. As a 41-year player, I found the song library to be its strongest motivational trigger.
No, the app uses your iPad/Phone microphone to hear the acoustic or electric guitar strings.
Like I said, I have been testing this app using the iPad(in the String Shock Studio). You can also use your cell phone but you have to turn it sideways, and depending on where you’re at, it can be awkward sometimes.
The app feels inviting from the second I open it. The graphics are bright and cheerful, which then leads you through a series of questions designed to evaluate exactly where you are and what you want from the lessons.
The layout is simple, and the lessons start off feeling much more like a friendly game than a class. It immediately takes the fear out of making mistakes and makes getting started a whole lot less stressful.
When I started learning guitar, progress felt slow (no online lessons back in 1984). Nowadays, lessons online can either be too easy or too complicated. This one feels “just right.”
I wondered if Simply Guitar could make things feel light and fun. From the first lesson, it’s clear that this app is designed to help newbie guitarists keep going at moments when they might otherwise quit traditional courses.
The app is visually appealing and simple to navigate, hence the name “Simply Guitar.” ?
For a complete beginner, this will definitely motivate you to WANT to learn. Read here if you’re curious on how long it takes the average person to learn guitar.
In the above example, if you play the right chord, it shows green, and if it’s the wrong chord, it shows up red. Straightforward right?
The heart of Simply Guitar is its step-by-step lesson packs.
Each one aims at a specific skill, such as chords, your first songs, or strumming patterns. One thing I really appreciated? The lessons are short, nearly all are five to ten minutes each.
This makes it much easier to squeeze in a session between work or before bed, which matters a lot for busy adults or teens.
Here are some major strengths:
For true beginners, the early lessons will have you strumming easy pop and rock tunes quickly. You will definitely impress your friends/family at parties and family gatherings.
There’s a light touch on theory and reading notation, which means you’ll get moving faster, but you may not build reading skills as thoroughly as with a formal course.
Simply Guitar’s biggest pull for me is its modern song selection.
The app features well-known hits, current pop favorites, and those classic riffs everyone recognizes. Playing real songs is seriously motivating, and the app mixes them with skill drills to keep things balanced.
?Quick heads up: some fan favorites are locked behind paywalls, which is pretty typical for most subscription-based learning apps. The free content lets you sample things, but the monthly plan is what gets you into the full library.
If Simply Guitar’s music library is a priority for you, it’s worth checking the latest selection before you pay. Overall, the regularly updated playlists and badge-chasing features mean there’s always something fresh to keep you practicing.
?Sometimes you need a little extra motivation by getting your hands on some affordable, quality gear. Take a peek into the String Shock Gear Zone.
I tried Simply Guitar on both iPhone and iPad. The interface was the same on both, and setup was a breeze. Download, grab your guitar, and start.
You don’t need to buy special gear, the built-in microphone suits most situations, though a loud or noisy room can throw off the chord detection from time to time.
If you practice in a room with lots of echo or background noise, you might run into missed chord detection. Choosing a quieter spot helps accuracy, but that’s a small issue weighed against all the fun and convenience this app brings to practice time.
The bite-sized lessons and instant progress tracking make it easy to stick with a daily routine (even five minutes a day adds up fast). The reminders and achievement badges add a little extra push.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Super easy to use and welcoming for absolute beginners | ⚠️ Too basic for more advanced or even solid intermediate guitarists |
| ✅ Teaches by having you play real songs instead of endless exercises | ⚠️ Audio detection can sometimes miss or mishear played notes |
| ✅ Instant feedback helps make practice more productive | ⚠️ Most of the song library is stuck behind a paid subscription |
| ✅ Friendly interface encourages you to pick up the guitar daily | ⚠️ Limited focus on deep music theory or advanced notation |
| ✅ Progress tracking and reminders help you build lasting habits |
Price (as of January 2026):
Order Here:
For what’s included, the I think the price is more than fair. It costs less than even a couple of private lessons, and total beginners will find enough practice motivation for their money as they get rolling.
Compared to in-person lessons, Simply Guitar is much more flexible and saves you scheduling time. The low-pressure, colorful layout beats out dry classes for most people just getting started.
P.S. If you’re just starting out and feeling a bit overwhelmed by the gear, I’ve put together something special for you. It’s my “Rockstar Setup Guide” specifically for the Epiphone E1 (though it works for any starter electric). I’ll show you the exact settings I use to get that classic rock tone without the headache.
I’ve been playing guitar 40 years now; writing, recording, and rocking in bands. Randy Rhoads, Warren DiMartini, and of course, Jimi Hendrix all lit the fire for me, and I’ve been chasing that passion ever since.
