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Guitar Focus - Scales & Modes app for iPhone and iPad


4.8 ( 9808 ratings )
Utilities Music
Developer: Jose Roux
1.99 USD
Current version: 2.5, last update: 7 years ago
First release : 13 Mar 2014
App size: 19.04 Mb

Beautiful, minimalist visualization tool to learn scales on guitar-style instruments.
The most unique aspect of this app is its chord/mode view, where you see a scales notes as intervals from a chosen scale degree (i.e. mode intervals), with the chord tones (1,3,5) emphasized. This helps you learn scales in the context of its chords, i.e. learn the true "color" of notes when played over a particular chord (or while implying it with chord-melody playing). With this view, each dot is visually weighted (styled differently) according to its importance; By default, chord tones have the higher emphasis, the two additional notes that make the pentatonic scale have a medium emphasis, and the two others that completes the scale have low emphasis. You can change these visual weights, to put your focus on a particular extended chord or practice any arpeggios.

Note: Each scales degree correspond to a mode name - here these are just labels to differenciate the palettes of intervals in a scale. "Mixolydian" may be easier to remember and more evocative than "the fifth mode of the major scale"...

There are two fretboards so you can practice over chord or scale changes, and theres a moving and resizable window that let you focus on a (more or less) narrow region of the fretboard.

Features include:
• 3 scales: Diatonic, Harmonic Minor and Melodic Minor;
• 3 views: chord/mode intervals, scale notes or scale degrees;
• Left-handers support;
• Guitar, Bass and other instrument support: chose from 3 to 6 string;
• Portrait orientation / vertical fretboard (manual setting, also works for left-handers);
• Custom tuning;
• Light theme;
• [chord/mode view] Normal or compound intervals display (2,4,6 vs 9,11,13);
• Open strings (highlight string and hide notes), or hide completely any string for special exercises;
• Choose one of 12 colors as a fretboards color theme;
• Freely scroll to any position up to the 24th fret.

If you are a beginner or if you have difficulties, follow the support link - Youll find detailed instructions and a beginner guide.

Have a suggestions or a bug to report ? Please email me at [email protected]
Now have fun !