Guitarist s Reference Reviews

GuitaristsReference plays chords and scales using pre-recorded Quicktime sound files. What this means is that 1) GuitaristsReference is very large 2) he user has to click "play" and then wait for the audio file to load. If you want to play it again, it has to load again.

There are other apps with the same features that don't have this limitation. You can strum strings, and instantly hear what the chord or note sounds like. You can click on a fret and hear that note. Not so with GuitaristsReference.

Deal breaker for me. I don't understand why the devs took this approach. Try Guitar Toolkit for another option.

Just got GuitaristsReference, and it is pretty intuitive though it would be great to have a users page that actually answers questions. Like, since the chord finder says it’s in standard tuning and there is an opportunity to change tunings, how do you find chords in different tunings using the chord finder? Why is there no diminished chord in the reference (that’s an easy one to include)? Themes are very ugly. But it is very useful for finding names for some of the interesting chords I come across. So it stays for now.

Yeah it shows chords, scales and arpeggios in all keys. But what I don't like about GuitaristsReference is that there is some delay time from when you strike the note and when you hear it. I'm a bit disappointed that a $6 app has this flaw. It doesn't have settings for different guitar sounds either. That would have been nice. It do't think it's worth it. Especially because there are other apps that do the same for less.

This is probabley the best fretboard reference app you'll find out there and I've tried them all. It would get five stars if the developers would add more of the standard look and feel of the iPhone OS. I cant say I'm particularly fond of the bright orange color scheme of GuitaristsReference and would much prefer a sliding fretboard rather than tapping on up and down icons. Those are my only gripes.

GuitaristsReference is well worth 3 bux since it easilly replaces a couple 20.$$ guitar reference books. Nice job guys, please consider a sliding fretboard and the glassy look and feel for future updates. Thank you!

I’ve been using the free version for quite some time and was very very satisfied with that. Then I cut the tip of my index finger off and was looking for greater functionality from GuitaristsReference so I upgraded. Am very pleased. GuitaristsReference provides a wide variety of fingering so I’m able to locate a chord structure I can se without my index finger. I gave 4 stars instead of 5 because I think there need to be a feature that allows you to keep GuitaristsReference active. Maybe that’ll happen in a future update????

This ap is a great tool for any guitarist who thirsts for ways to color their music with the different flavors available to them through different chord voiceings. I would find it even more useful if when you are useing the option of what chords go over what scale. You had the option to see the chord forms as an option from that screen without having to exit that part of the ap, then go through the process to get back to where you were. Great ap. Thanks.

The last update totally revamped GuitaristsReference and has turned it into an incredible tool for learning or advancing an already skilled person.

Being able to reference chords is good. But when GuitaristsReference ties the chords into scales that go along with it, you get one powerful tool at a great price! 

Ignore previous reviews about only accessing the data online....it is now updated. I absolutely love GuitaristsReference, and I use it all the time when I run accross a chord that I just don't know or can't remember. Also for beginners and pros alike, you can access any chord or scale all the way down the fretboard. By far the best guitar reference app on GuitaristsReference store IMHO.

Strong buy recommendation from me!!!!

Wow!! I've been playing guitar for a number of years and GuitaristsReference has taught me so much within the one week I've had it about so many different chords I never would have gotten. To all those who want to buy GuitaristsReference , if you're a serious guitarist or guitar student, you'd focus on the great help you're getting and not silly things like landscape view... This is, hands down THE best guitar learning app out there.

I was surprised to see the new look and features. GuitaristsReference has been my go to reference for years.

I love the new look and navigation. It makes the visuals so much more valuable. My favorite!

I picked GuitaristsReference after looking through several at the appstore. What I liked about it was that it had lots of chords and it gave you some of the "info" behind the chord such as chord formular, which scales work best with chord and help you find the chords that work best with your selected scale. Pretty amazing. Most other apps just show you chords and that it which I did not find helpful.

Also GuitaristsReference comes with amazing tool chord name finder you will find it very helpful sometime. I'm very happy with the new update. Thanks

I discovered a flaw when you change the tuning in GuitaristsReference (i.e.: Open D) and try to use the "Chord Finder" utility. When notes are selected on the Open strings (above the nut) those notes revert back to standard EADGBE tuning. This renders the particular utility useless for tuning other than standard. I bought GuitaristsReference for this sole reason so I could learn the chords to jam with a guitarist that can only play open tunings due to a physical handicap.

UPDATE: Very fast response to this flaw. It has been fixed. Great tool! Considering what GuitaristsReference provides it is a bargain and worth every penny.

GuitaristsReference continues to get better and more useful. This gives you the ability to overlay a chords notes over a particular scale...highly useful for those trying to improvise solo's. Hands down...best guitar app out there!!

Made by the same company as Guitar Chords app and Guitar Scales app....this combines both apps, provides the same graphics, a bit more functionality and much better layout. With both the Guitar Scales and Chords apps, you can only see 6 frets...GR let's you see 15 frets of the neck at once! This is another huge benefit when trying to visualize all the scale forms on the neck.

FEATURE REQUEST: One thing that I haven't seen any apps provide are fingerings for slash chords, such as D/F# or Ab/A. Not quite sure how you could integrate that, but those chords appear quite a bit in music, but are almost altogether left out of all the apps, I've seen. That would be my only suggestion for now...

FYI... I seem to enter into a loop when trying to access the developer page....goes to website, opens, iTunes, then brings me back to GuitaristsReference store.

Dont believe the low ratings. This is the best guitar reference available. I'd recommend GuitaristsReference over guitar toolkit. If your looking for a toy app then buy guitar toolkit. For the serious player get GuitaristsReference. I've purchased way too many guitar apps and this beats all other chord/scale references available for the ipod touch.I'm used to apps like palmchord, Guitar power, and fretboard for the palm OS platform which are still more advanced than all guitar references available for the ipod touch, but GuitaristsReference is so far the closest. GuitaristsReference isn't as entertaining as some other references out, but in theoretical content it is the best. There are other features I'd like to see but those features are found in the apps I've mentioned above which are found on the palm OS.

GuitaristsReference is great for players at any skill level of guitar playing and is bound to show even professional musicians a few techniques or timings that they may not have considered before. The interface is easy to grasp and the breadth of topics covered (everything from scale and chord references to recommended chord/scale pairings plus a quiz to help with memorization) makes it a much better value than the chordmaster/scale wizard package.
I only have 2 gripes with GuitaristsReference: the sounds are kept as a separate library of mpegs under GuitaristsReference (making the file size a bit larger than it has to be), and the visuals aren't what you would expect from a professional tool. However, neither of these is significant enough to be a dealbreaker, and the sale price makes it an even better deal.

I am rarely compelled to write a review, and indeed I almost never do so. I do however feel the need to vouch for this application. With any operating system it is inevitable that a large number of apps will perform the same function. It is also inevitable that one of those apps will rise above the others and become known as GuitaristsReference for digital photo manipulation (Photoshop), or GuitaristsReference for music management (iTunes). For guitar players on the iPhone, this is that app. The developer has submitted a tremendous number of updates since I purchased GuitaristsReference ; these updates were not simple bug fixes but added excellent new features. Many authors neglect their apps after their initial purchase, with Guitarist Reference this is not the case. If you are a guitarist, do yourself a favor and buy GuitaristsReference. You will not regret it.

What a comprehensive app! Not only a library of chords and scales, but a chord finder!?! Also, a wealth of information for the guitarist who has a desire to know the notes of the chord and alternate fingerings, and the scales that are playable with the chord structure, The play icon lets you hear the chords and scales (it opens a window in quicktime).

Did I mention alternate tunings, arpeggios, triads, and notes? Thanks for including the many features.

The only program glich occurred when I left the chords section after picking a chord to display, and went back to the chord finder. There was no response to chord finder. To make it work, I went to chords section, then immediately back to menu and then to chord finder. Worked perfectly!

One thing I would like to see: if using the quicktime popup, allow the user to close the quicktime window after he has the option to listen to the audio as many times as needed. Thanks!

GuitaristsReference is so easy to use and friendly. Best arpeggios! Highly recommend!

GuitaristsReference is so useful for me, because I'm constantly doing music theory and such, so I can just go to GuitaristsReference for any scale or arpeggio or chord I'll ever need. My only two complaints are the lack of a tuner (but you can have it play a note off a string to tune by ear too), and that when you want it to play a scale off or note it has to be connected to the Internet and downloads a Quicktime thing. I would definently buy this, and it's six bucks cheaper than Guitar toolkit!