Guitar Gravitas: Chords Scales

I looked at maybe 10 apps and this was clearly the best of the bunch. I like it so much that I went ahead and did a complete upgrade to support the developer ($10). I’d like to see them improve it and really “knock it out of the park”. Here are some of my wish list items. 1) I wish there was a rosewood neck option. It’s cosmetic but the bulk of players out there are rosewood or ebony players, not maple necks. The strings would have more contrast too. 2) I wish there was a way to keep the app on defining which fingers make the chord (that’s the hand icon). When you close the app and open it again, it didn’t save my preference. Maybe I missed a setting here? 3) I really appreciate that there is a left-handed mode (your awesome), but open & played strings could have a green O on the string (at the nut) and unplayed strings could have a orange or blue X (at the nut) instead of being an invisible string. Maybe it’s just me, but I like to quickly look without much thought, but the way it is currently I have to stop to interpret, “well are there any open invisible strings”. I’m just saying it could more obvious. 4) An AppleTV app would be a “home-run”. Have you seen the current AppleTV apps?! Good lord they are needing a stand-out app like yours. I appreciate that you have made a dedicated iPad and iPhone app. That is a big deal for me. It sounds like I am nit-picking. I am…because I love this app and want to see them to keep supporting it…so I’m offering suggestions. Great job and let’s make it even better…

I didn’t think anything would ever de-throne GuitarToolkit. It was one of the earliest guitar apps in the App Store, and was amazing. It hasn’t been updated in years and doesn’t even support current device screen sizes. FINALLY somebody comes along and does guitar reference right. It’s lightning quick to look up any chord shape, arpeggio, or scale at any spot on the neck. And most importantly, you can preview what everything sounds like. I do wish there was a “scratchpad” where you could select some chords and hear what they would sound like in a progression (much like “Suggester”), but outside of that, this has everything you’ll need. And it’s also very well designed, easy to navigate, and looks pro. The devs did a great job.

I am an experienced guitarist but know most chording and theory based off of keyboard as piano was the instrument required as I learned at university. Prior to that I was self taught and seemingly useful in what I could do based on bands and recordings I sat in on. However.... It was obvious I could be more useful if I could communicate with more musicians. Ironically, my degree was computers and music using synths. After all of this I realized that what came natural via keyboard just didn’t translate to how I played guitar. Chording in particular was still pretty deficient on my end. Literally, I composed and wrote by ear and for lack of a better phrase, feel. But not anymore and that is because of Guitar Gravitas. I’d be lying if I said it has helped me to think more formally on guitar and I don’t know if I want to get too analytical, it’s partially superstitious but when I Do think that way - and this is me, others have been served well doing so - but I’m still kind of a guitar dilettante. But, I decided to check out the lessons literally today so if they are anywhere like the rest of the app it will take a positive purchase and make it stellar.