Guitar World Lick of the Day

As a guitar-player/entusiast for over 20 years, if asked what my favorite or most popular guitar magazine is, I, and 99% of my fellow players/enthusiasts, will undoubtedly (after giving an irresistible, incredulous look) refer you to Guitar World Magazine. For over 30 years, Guitar World has been the premier guitar-playing periodical of choice for most, if not all, musicians, guitar enthusiasts and hobbyists, providing unrivaled, quality content that shreds the pages of its competition. That said, it came as no surprise when I learned Guitar World teamed up with Agile Partners to bring its music-loving masses an iDevice app they could use to improve their playing skills and technique.

Guitar World Lick of the Day is an instructional application which teaches its users new guitar licks to expand their skills and repertoire. When first using the app, it was quite obvious its creators put their heart and soul into creating a quality resource for musicians of all skill levels, which could be used over and and again to build and refine those coveted skills displayed by the pros featured within it.

The app's interface is very straightforward and easy to use/understand. The main screen consists of a collection/list of licks, from which users can choose and interact with. Tapping a selection brings users to the lick's intro-screen, which displays the instructor, a comprehensive explanation of the lick and guidelines on playing it, the lick's tuning key and Video/Notation buttons, which are located at the bottom of the screen.

Tapping the Video button opens the lick's instructional video, while the Notation button provides users with an overview of the lick in tabulature format.

Both modes contain a comprehensive feature-set, allowing users to control lick/video playback speed, count, looping, metronome settings and display modes, such as tab/standard notation and left or right-hand orientation.

These features, combined with a comprehensive set of built-in help features, such as a glossary of guitar-related terms, tutorials on reading music/tab notation and the app's FAQ, give users complete control over their chosen lick's playback, while providing an instructional atmosphere custom-tailored to fit their needs.

Those who decide to use the app on a routine basis are provided with three different levels of subscription: $4.99 for 1 month, $12.99 for 3 months (a $2 dollars savings if purchased in lieu of 1 month three consecutive times) and $19.99 for 6 months (a $10 dollars savings when purchased instead of 6 1-month purchases). Considering what you get for the price, this app is totally worth its asking prices.

Overall, this app is pure guitar gold. Regardless of your playing-level, Guitar World Lick of the Day evens your playing field, providing access to quality tools and resources that would normally cost hundreds of dollars, at a minimum, in instructor fees. Whether you're looking to build on your existing skills or learn new ones, you can't go wrong with this app. It absolutely shreds.