A new release of the fab TabToolKit from Agile Partners is now available for the iPhone and iPad.

The new update now allows the importing of Guitar Pro 6 files, new hi-res images, the ability to open up tab files from the mail app and a various other support and performance improvements.

I’m a big fan of TabToolkit. I have a guitar related get-together coming up where I’ll be playing a few songs and being able to store the tablature on a nice portable device is very handy indeed.

I’ve been very excited about the possibilities of the iPad since it was announced and applications such as TabToolKit for the iPad are the reason I’m excited:

Over the years I’ve used various ways to notate scale and chord diagrams for myself. From using little credit card sized notes to TAB or just writing them down freehand.

When I started teaching back in 2006 I created all my scale and chord handouts using Illustrator, all done from scratch, which took quite a bit of time

So when I heard about the Neck Diagrams software I was intrigued.

Available for both Mac and PC, Neck Diagrams enables you to create your own Chord Diagrams, Fretboard Diagrams as well as using alternate tunings such as DADGAD or open G or creating diagrams for different instruments like mandolin, 7 string or bass etc. Interestingly it also has a scale generator for knocking up your own CAGED forms or even 3-note-per-string forms.

Diagrams can be printed off or exported to various popular formats, say, if you wanted to embed them on a webpage etc.

I’ve only been playing around with the free demo for a short while but the drag and drop nature of creating diagrams works well and it work fast!

It’s also great to see that the diagrams automatically outline various intervals involved in the scale makeup when you specify a root note. Exactly the way I tend to ‘see’ notes on the fretboard .

The demo has slightly limited features but gives a good idea of how it all works.

The full version is available in two formats, the Standard version costing £18 or the Pro version for £30 which features the scale generator wizard and also allows you to export to PNG/PDF/JPEG

No matter what level you’re at it’s always handy to be able to create some diagrams for yourself or others. I only wish it had been around when I first started teaching!

If you love guitars and love your iPhone/iPod Touch I highly recommend you check out the new Premier Guitar app.

Premier Guitar Magazine is one of my favourite reads on the net, being one of the first guitar magazines providing their great content online for free!

Featuring great thought provoking and myth busting articles on things like tone, speakers, as well as gear reviews, instructional material from likes of Greg Howe and interviews with World class players ( check out their recent interview with Guthrie Govan ).

Enjoy Premier Guitar Magazine in a format that’s as mobile as you are!

The Premier Guitar App is a one-stop-shop for guitar, amp and pedal reviews and information. Packed with the latest complete Premier Guitar print magazine issues, plus the latest gear news and all of Premier Guitar’s video demos, factory tours and rig rundowns, you’ll have all the gear knowledge you need on the go.

MAGAZINE FEATURES:
- Current and past issues of Premier Guitar Magazine, absolutely free!
- Brilliant replica format, just like the print edition you know and love.
- Text-formatted articles designed for maximum mobile readability.
- Download each issue, then return any time for offline reading.
- Search the archive of available issues.
- Bookmark your favorite articles.
- Share your comments with other readers.

This app includes issues dating back to October 2009. New issues will be available for download monthly.

You’ll also receive real-time updates from PremierGuitar.com:
- News Stories
- Videos
- Product reviews

All in one app!

There are literally tens and tens of thousands of iPhone apps out there and being a new iPhone user it’s been a little daunting sifting through them all to find useful apps, especially for Guitar related shenanigans.

I thought I’d blog about some I’ve come across ( so far! ) that have turned out to be very handy for me personally.

iStroboSoft

There are plenty of tuner apps available for the iPhone but once I saw that Peterson were offering a software version of its acclaimed strobe tuner for a measly £5.99, that was that!

Accurate to 1/10th of a cent ( for the obsessed Eric Johnson types out there ) It works really well just using the iPhone’s own mic. An input boost and Noise Filter are also available in help tuning in noisier environments and they both work very well indeed.

Peterson also offer a lead for allowing an instrument to be plugged straight into the iPhone. Something I’ll definitely be getting for a quick tuning check of my electric guitar.

TabToolkit

Created by the same team who developed the popular GuitarToolkit, TabToolkit is great little app that allows you to import ascii, Guitar Pro, Powertab and PDF files for TAB on the go.

It reminds me a little of Guitar Pro itself, in the way it can handle several tracks and uses a simple synth for TAB playback. Files can be imported using the web browser on your main machine or by using the app’s inbuilt browser allowing you to google for TABs and automatically import with a simple click on the TAB link.

The app could be improved since bends and other articulations are not handled by the synth playback. Hopefully something for future updates.

iRealBook

I’m always amazed by those players who just know ‘all the songs’, you know the type . My brain, on the other hand, tends to leak. So having a copy of a Real Book on the go is incredibly handy.

iRealBook features chord charts for 730 songs of Jazz Standards, Jazz Classics and even some Brazilian/Latin Jazz. Songs can easily be transposed ( though tbf you shouldn’t need an app to do that ) and can be edited for any ‘corrections’ you wish to make.

The charts are clearly displayed and fit on a single screen for ease of reading, and a swipe quickly changes pages.

A very handy app for students as well as those looking for a quick refresh on exactly which keys those ii V Is move through again .

Musician’s Practice Journal

If I’m working on something such as learning a song or brushing up on some sloppy technique etc. I note down progress in my notebook. Noting down current BPM of a particular exercise or lick as I work on it or even ticking off parts of a song as they are learned.

Musician’s Practice Journal is a great app for doing all of these things in one place and thankfully saves on notebooks!

Intended as a tool for regular practice the user creates practice items and can specify a starting BPM. Pressing ‘play’ starts a timer and records how much time was spent working on that item. The app records all hisorical data so you can track your progress as you practice over the following days/weeks/months! A great way to explicitly see progress and feel motivated.

It’s also possible to create folders for areas of practice. Personally I’ve got folders for Songs, Technique work and a folder any interesting new stuff to learn.

The app also lets you know the last time you practiced a particular item ensuring you keep on top of things.

Remote

Remote is a great free app from Apple that allows you to control iTunes remotely using your iPhone.

Maybe not the most obvious app for a guitar player, but I find it invaluable for controlling playback of songs/backing tracks without sitting at my Mac. Very handy for practicing songs standing up or just a nice quick way to select particular tracks easily without trying to stretch over a guitar to your keyboard

Simplify Music 2

This is a truly essential iPhone app!

Simplify Music allows you to stream your digital music collection from your home machine to your iPhone, anytime, anywhere!

As long as you have got a wireless/EDGE/3G network connection you can listen to your entire music collection on the go. Really really handy, yes, for listening to your music but also for playing backing tracks at Jams etc. without having to copy stuff over to your iPhone/iPod.

I was a little dubious at first expecting the streaming to lag and break up but I have found it works flawlessly, with music streaming uninterrupted .

So there you have it!

Lemme know if you’ve got any other recommended Guitar related apps you can’t do without!