I am in the very basic stages of coming up with a guitar chord/scale app for the mobile markets. I have downloaded/purchased a few in the past that have been helpful to an extent and then leave me wanting more when I come to a fork in the road in my creative/learning process on my instrument. A lot of the apps out there cater to the beginner and intermediate markets, of which there are many, but my idea is to incorporate those beginner and intermediate ideas in to a more comprehensive app.
The motivation behind this is my awareness of how deep an instrument the guitar is. A lot of times it is considered a fast track to stardom or the constant comment I get is “Well, doesn’t everybody play guitar? Aren’t you going up against hundreds, if not thousands of people who pick up this instrument and go out and make records?” My answer is no, because I feel that a vast majority (though, not all) of people who pick up the guitar don’t have it in mind to pursue the instrument as a lifestyle. The guitar is a wonderful instrument. It’s portable, a great creative outlet, and can be picked up very easily. My purpose in creating this app is to further the desire to know the instrument and not just play the instrument. Styles of playing and music are varied and it doesn’t matter who you are or what you like to play or listen to, the awareness of all genres can deepen your knowledge of the instrument. Studying Wes Montgomery is equally as deep as studying Yngwie Malmsteen regardless of the style of music you play on the instrument.
Here is a general list of concepts for the app. 1) Chord positions/inversions/extensions in multiple places on the fretboard. 2) Arpeggio positions/inversions/extensions in multiple places on the fretboard. 3) Scales, in multiple variations in various places on the fretboard. 4) Scalar relationships to chords and the suggested scales to use over a particular chord (this is a Jazz Theory element that pushes the knowledge of the instrument past the beginner/intermediate moniker). 5) Suggested practices/use of time.
If you have any ideas or would like to see something in this app that maybe doesn’t exist in something else you’ve tried before, email me or get in touch via Facebook and I will attempt to incorporate them in versions to come.
Cheers.