There are plenty of guitar tab apps out there. What there isn't is a good practice system—something that teaches technique, provides drills, explains concepts, and helps you actually improve. So I built one.
More Than Tabs
Tabs are useful for learning songs, but they don't teach you how to play. They assume you already know alternate picking, sweep picking, hybrid picking—all the techniques that make guitar playing fluid.
I structured the app around learning, not just playing:
- • Techniques: Explanations of different picking styles
- • Drills: Exercises to build muscle memory
- • Genres: Context for when to use what
- • Songs: Real music to apply your skills
- • Tutorial: How to read tab if you're new
Picking Techniques
Most guitarists know about alternate picking, but there's more to it. I broke down the main techniques:
Alternate Picking: Down-up-down-up on every note. The foundation. Essential for speed and evenness.
Economy Picking: Uses the direction of travel. If you're moving to a higher string, use a downstroke. Lower string? Upstroke. More efficient for scalar runs.
Sweep Picking: One continuous motion across multiple strings, each note sounding separately. The key to arpeggios. Looks flashy, but it's actually about control, not speed.
Hybrid Picking: Pick and fingers together. Country players live here. Great for chord melody and skipping strings.
Practice Drills
Knowing a technique isn't the same as being able to use it. Drills bridge the gap.
I included chromatic exercises, string-crossing patterns, speed builders. Each drill has a specific purpose. Some build synchronization between hands. Some develop pick control. Some just hurt until you get stronger.
The important thing is to practice slowly at first. Speed comes from accuracy, not the other way around. That's why I built the metronome integration.
The Integrated Metronome
Practice without a metronome is just noodling. Timing is everything. I built a floating metronome widget that stays visible while you're reading tabs or working through drills.
Start slow—60 BPM, maybe even slower. Play the pattern perfectly. Then nudge it up by 5 BPM. Repeat until you can't play it clean anymore. That's your current limit. Tomorrow, you'll push it a little further.
Genre Context
Different genres use different techniques. Metal leans on alternate and sweep picking. Country favors hybrid picking. Jazz uses more legato. Blues is all about feel.
I organized the content by genre so you can focus on what's relevant to the music you want to play. Not everyone needs to sweep pick, and that's fine.
Real Songs
Drills are important, but music is the point. I included tabs for real songs across multiple genres—things you'd actually want to learn.
The tab display was a challenge. Tabs need to be monospace and preserve exact spacing. They need to scroll horizontally on mobile without breaking. I ended up with a custom display component that handles all this.
How to Read Tab
Not everyone knows how to read tablature. I included a tutorial section that explains the basics:
- • Six lines = six strings (high E at top, low E at bottom)
- • Numbers = frets
- • 0 = open string
- • h = hammer-on, p = pull-off, / = slide up, \ = slide down
- • b = bend, ~ = vibrato
It's not complicated, but everyone has to learn it at some point.
No Account Required
I didn't want to build a signup flow. No email collection, no passwords. Just open the page and practice. The web should have more tools like this—useful and free, no strings attached.
Check it out at /projects/guitar-shredding. Pick a technique, grab the metronome, and start slow. Speed will come.