You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Guitar Tuners

One of the most useful pieces of equipment for any guitarist to carry around is a decent guitar tuner. Luckily for iPhone and iPod Touch users there are quite a few guitar tuner apps available in the app store. These allow you to have the full functionality of a guitar tuner, in your pocket, wherever you go. But with so many available how do you know which one to buy?

Essential Apps
GuitarToolkit

GuitarToolkit

by Agile Partners

At $9.99 GuitarToolkit is the most expensive app of this type in the app store but it is well worth spending the extra money on. It is everything you would expect from a guitar tuner and a whole lot more. The app includes tuning support for 6 and 12 string guitars 4, 5 and 6-string bass, and even covers banjo, mandolin, and ukulele. You can also choose alternate tunings for each of these instruments.The chord library is nothing short of impressive and boasts over 500,000 chords. The UI is slick and really easy to use. The built in metronome is perfect for keeping in time and great for trying out new time signatures. Without a shadow of doubt the Chord Finder feature is definitely the jewel in this apps crown. With Chord Finder you simply touch the notes on the fretboard that make up a chord and GuitarToolkit will identify the chord for you. This is a great way to pick up new chords from watching other musicians at gigs or on TV. With its impressive UI, massive chord library and Chord finder feature this app is the best of its kind in the app store. If you're looking for the ultimate guitar app then you need look no further than GuitarToolkit.

iStroboSoft

iStroboSoft

by Peterson Tuners

Peterson Tuners have brought us a fantastic strobe tuning application for the iPod touch and iPhone. iStroboSoft is by far one of the most accurate tuners available in the App Store. This level of accuracy is gained by using strobe displays which are renowned for their unique tuning methods. The reliability of the app can also be further enhanced by purchasing an adaptor cable from Peterson. This adaptor allows direct line-in access as well as mini capsule microphone which dramatically improves accuracy. Some may find the $9.99 price tag a little steep when considering iStroboSoft does not have the feature set of GuitrToolkit. But with Strobe Displays, Octave Window, variety of tuning modes and unrivalled accuracy iStroboSoft is definitely the professional musicians 1st choice for guitar tuning and worth every cent.

TuneORama

TuneORama

by Yonac Inc.

TuneORama may not have the features included in GuitarToolkit but as a standalone tuner it is certainly one of the best around. What TuneORama lacks in features it makes up for in accuracy and value for money. You will be hard pressed to find a more accurate tuner at such a low price. TuneORama comes with a standard automatic tuner that is specifically designed for guitar and bass. The automatic tuner uses a four-tier detection algorithm which gives you increased accuracy and sensitivity. The app also has a chromatic tuner mode. In this mode the app uses a more sophisticated version of the original algorithm to detect the pitch of other types of musical instruments. This is perfect for tuning instruments such as the mandolin, uke and violin. With its professional accuracy and simple interface Tune-O-Rama is a great tuner and a steal at only $2.99

Notable Apps
Gibson Learn & Master w/ StudioShare

Gibson Learn & Master w/ StudioShare

by Legacy Learning Systems

With the Gibson Guitar App you get the guitar tuner you have always wanted but with the Gibson TradeMark seal of approval. In this app Gibson have partnered with Legacy Learning Systems, to provide you with some essential tools to help you become a better guitar player. The features include a guitar tuner, metronome and chord library as you would expect but along side this are a set of free full length guitar lessons. The lessons are from the award winning Learn & Master Guitar course and they promise to take you from beginner or intermediate to advanced. The standard features twinned with the guitar tuition make this app stand out from the crowd but the fact that its free also makes this a very popular app among guitarists worldwide.

PitchBot - Smart Chromatic Tuner

PitchBot - Smart Chromatic Tuner

by Yonac Inc.

In PitchBot, Yonac Software have developed a really good quality chromatic tuner. PitchBot is designed specifically for string instruments. Like TuneORama, PitchBot uses custom-made algorithms to capture, measure and interpret audio data to tune your instrument. PitchBot can be used for almost any stringed instrument including Guitar, Bass, Mandolin and Cello. This app is a great alternative to TuneORama and outperformed most other apps in this genre when put to the test in a noisy environment. With dual tone readouts, RMS amplitude measurement, adjustable pitch and transposition PitchBot is great value at $1.99. For anyone who plays a stringed instrument and owns an iPhone this is certainly worth a look at.

Cleartune - Chromatic Tuner

Cleartune - Chromatic Tuner

by Bitcount ltd.

Cleartune is a chromatic tuner with a built in pitch pipe. Cleartune has a unique UI based around a "note wheel". This allows you to quickly and easily find your pitch. Cleartune also has a highly responsive fine-tuning meter to help you find the perfect tune. Features include support for custom temperaments, transposition, notations such as solfège and adjustable calibration. Cleartune can tune acoustic or electric guitar, bass, bowed strings, woodwinds, brass, piano, tympani, tablas and any other instrument that can sustain a tone. Cleartune is sophisticated enough to appeal to professional musicians and yet it's simple enough for everyone to use. It's simplicity and unique interface make Cleartune a highly popular tuning app.

Decent Apps
inTuna Strobe Guitar Tuner

inTuna Strobe Guitar Tuner

by HotPaw Productions

Strobe tuners are well known for their speed and precise accuracy of tuning. inTuna Strobe Guitar Tuner includes both a large frequency meter and a precise pitch strobe window for guitar tuning. Using an abstract waterfall waveform displayed within a strobe window you can also achieve extremely accurate fine tuning. A feature to reference pitches though your earphones is also really useful. Some musicians prefer to use strobe tuners, and if you are one of them, then this could be the app you have been searching for.

Stay In Tune - Chromatic tuner

Stay In Tune - Chromatic tuner

by Sonzea

Stay In Tune can tune a broad range of instruments. Using the chromatic tuning mode you can tune Guitar, Drop-D tuned Guitar, Banjo, Violin, Viola, Cello, Mandolin, and Ukulele. Stay In Tune allows you to tune visually using the iphones clear display or, if you prefer, by ear with built-in reference notes. The ability to calibrate the app to fine-tune your instrument to off-pitch tunings is also a handy feature. All in all a neat little tuning app.

OmniTuner

OmniTuner

by Mauvila Software

OmniTuner is a versatile chromatic tuner suited to a variety of different instruments.Features include a sophisticated pitch detection engine that works with most musical instruments. You can tune most stringed instruments but you can also tune woodwinds, and brass. The fretboard mode is an excellent feature that's ideal for tuning guitar, banjo, mandolin, ukulele and bass guitar. OmniTuner is a great tuning app but at $5.99 there are apps of a similar quality available in the app store at a much lower price.

Other Apps
Related Appguides