Guitar and Bass

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on August 28, 2011

Too many people who teach themselves to play the guitar end up learning how to form chords and strum, but not the theoretical underpinnings that are critical to understanding how music actually works. If you want to go beyond playing your favorite songs and gain the skills to improvise and write your own music, try Guitar and Bass. This comprehensive program will teach you plenty of music theory as it applies to fretted instruments and help you take your musicianship to the next level.

When we first opened Guitar and Bass the program asked us to select our instrument--options include guitar, bass, banjo, and mandolin--and tuning. The program's interface is plain and easy to navigate, with a few menus across the top and major features listed down the side. A reference section gives users quick access to common chords, intervals, a chord builder, scales, and keys; each of these has various options that let users explore how their instrument works and sounds. An exercise manager contains exercises that help users learn theory, fretboard skills, ear training, and absolute pitch. Other tools include a metronome, a key finder, and a chord finder, as well as a jam band feature that lets users build chord progressions. A tablature editor lets users create and play tabs, a great tool for learning and mastering your favorite songs. A built-in Help file provides brief explanations of the program's features, but users who are not already at least a little familiar with music theory will need to seek out additional resources. Overall, we think that Guitar and Bass is a great resource for anyone who's serious about learning to play a fretted instrument, and we recommend it.

Guitar and Bass installs and uninstalls without issues.