10BEST
iPhone Apps
for Guitarists
BY ADAM MOORE
TECHNOLOGY
Technology sure is something, isn’t it? Just
a few years ago, we could only get email
on our cell phones. Now every gadget
on the market seems to pack in robust
capabilities. The iPhone is no exception.
If you’ve gotten your hands on Apple’s
latest gotta-have-it piece of geekery, you
know that there’s a lot of power inside.
But it’s all about learning to harness that
power for good. This month, we’re taking
a look at the 10 best guitar-centric applications available for your shiny new iPhone.
From simple chord references to complex
four track recorders, you can load up that
iPhone and potentially lighten your load
elsewhere. You can find all of these apps
and more in the i Tunes App Store.
Omni Tuner ($4.99)
Fast, accurate and easy to use, OmniTuner
gets our vote for one of the best tuners available on the iPhone. Featuring a
wealth of options, including a variety of
alternate tunings for both the guitar and
other instruments, and a bright LED read-out, OmniTuner could be good enough to
replace your traveling pocket tuner. If you’re
looking for selectable temperaments or a
tone generator, check out Cleartune ($3.99).
Four Track ($9.99)
Musical inspiration can strike when you
least expect it; be prepared with a fully-featured four-track recorder in the palm of
your hand. Featuring unlimited recording at
16 bit, 44. 1 kHz quality, latency compensation and the ability to sync your recordings
with your computer or DAW, Four Track
gives you freedom from the studio. You can
even record multiple songs within the same
session, making this one of the most versatile recording apps available. If you prefer
a less cluttered interface and the ability to
label your tracks, check out 4 Tracks ($7.99).
ResistorCode
(FREE)
If you’ve
ever found
a resistor
lying around
your work-
bench, but
you have no
clue what its
value is, try
ResistorCode.
Simply select
the color
bands found
on your resistor and this app will tell you
the value. It supports 4, 5 and 6 band resistors, and also includes a handy function for
calculating the total value of resistors wired
in series or parallel. If you’re more of a
visual guy, check out iResist (FREE).
Don’t Fret ($2.99)
If you’ve ever made the New Year’s resolution to learn your fretboard better, Don’t
Fret could get you on your way. Teaching
you the fretboard through two quiz
modes—finding the correct fret when given
the note, and identifying the note name
when given a fret—this straightforward app
also includes alternate tuning modes and
stats to fuel your competitive side.
Practice ($1.99)
It can be tough to practice smart—many of
us make the mistake of continually falling
back into old habits and patterns, or limiting ourselves to minor variations on the
same concept. Practice provides you with a
completely random exercise with a press of
a button, enabling you to try out scales and
