# Fretuoso — Learn the fretboard

> Educational game for learning guitar and string instrument fretboard note locations. (iPhone/iPad app by Catloaf Software LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretuoso/id443265532 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Catloaf Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/316792340)
- Category: Education, Music
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.60/5 from 949 App Store ratings · 147 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 79 MB
- Languages: British English, Arabic, Bangla, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish and 35 more
- Released: 2011-07-07
- Data updated: 2026-08-27
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretuoso/id443265532/reviews.md

## What is Fretuoso?

Master the Fretboard with Fretuoso

Fretuoso is an engaging educational game designed to help you learn the location of notes on the fretboard of the guitar and other stringed instruments. With support for eleven instruments—including 4, 5, and 6-string basses, mandolin, ukulele, and banjo—you can expand your musical knowledge no matter your instrument of choice.

How It Works

Presented with random notes on the fretboard, you choose the correct answer from multiple options. Simply tap the right button to score points and improve your skills! The new Staff Training Mode helps you learn the positions of notes on the musical staff relative to your instrument’s fretboard, making reading sheet music a breeze.

Features

	•	Train Your Ear and Mind: Enhance your auditory skills while deepening your understanding of your instrument.
	•	Learn Sheet Music: Master the positions of notes on the musical staff; say goodbye to tabs!
	•	Eleven Realistic Instruments: Choose from 4 guitars, 3 basses, mandolin, ukulele, and banjo—all with beautiful, lifelike graphics.
	•	Customized Training: Focus on specific fret ranges or string subsets to target your practice.
	•	Flexible Tunings: Use built-in common tunings or create your own custom tunings.
	•	Progress Visualization: Track your improvement with detailed statistics for every fret.
	•	Smart Learning Engine: The app adapts to focus on areas where you need more practice.
	•	Competitive Play: Enjoy Game Mode with levels of increasing difficulty, compete with friends, and share your achievements via Game Center.
	•	Left-Handed Mode: Fully compatible with left-handed players.

What Artists Are Saying

“Learning the notes on the fretboard is key to any guitarist’s development, and Fretuoso is a neat way to get that info burned into your brain without having to carry a guitar everywhere you go. Pretty cool!”
— Bryan Beller (The Aristocrats, Steve Vai, Mike Keneally)

“This is one of the best apps I’ve seen in a while. It’s simple, fun, and educational. Very useful for guitar players, as many tend to play by ear and not focus on knowing the fretboard.”
— Rick Musallam (Mike Keneally, Gryphon Labs)

Unlock Full Access

This version offers free access to only part of each available instrument. Unlock the full potential of Fretuoso with a Premium subscription, including every instrument, level, and feature, ad-free!

Terms Of Service (EULA): https://fretuoso.app/terms/

## Key features

- Learn note locations on fretboard
- Supports 11 string instruments
- Staff training for sheet music
- Customizable practice modes
- Flexible tuning options
- Progress tracking and statistics
- Adaptive learning engine

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Instruments | $89.90 | one-time |
| Guitar | $39.90 | one-time |
| Bass Guitar | $39.90 | one-time |
| Banjo | $39.90 | one-time |
| Mandolin | $39.90 | one-time |
| Ukulele | $39.90 | one-time |
| 7-String Guitar | $39.90 | one-time |
| 5-String Bass Guitar | $39.90 | one-time |
| 6-String Bass Guitar | $39.90 | one-time |
| Acoustic Guitar | $39.90 | one-time |
| 8-String Guitar | $3.99 | one-time |
| 12-String Guitar | $3.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Fretuoso?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Good way to learn the fretboard
- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Helpful learning tool
- 👍 Fun and engaging way to learn
- 👍 Effective for learning notes on the fretboard

**Cons**

- 🐛 Random note generator gets stuck
- 🔍 Unclear instructions
- 💰 Paywall for full access
- 📢 Intrusive ads
- 🤔 Fretboard orientation issues

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Restore purchases not working
- Sound not working
- Crashes and freezes
- Incorrect note display
- Syncing issues

**Most requested features**

- Allow adjusting fret marker positions
- Add 'play the fret' mode
- Improve randomness of note selection
- Provide more tuning and instrument options
- Add landscape mode support

## Recent user reviews (10 of 147)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretuoso/id443265532/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Great tool

*2026-07-12*

Great for helping learn the fretboard on the phone especially when you’re away from your guitar. Pair it with an actual guitar and it’s even more fun

### 5/5 — amazing little app

*2026-02-14*

learned the guitar fretboard practically overnight with this app 🎸also was settled using tab until I turned on the staff-notes option. Unbelievably helpful to now read sheet music showing octaves

Not gonna drop it down to 4 stars for this but would have an option to fix the neck in place so the nut is always visible.  Some of us don’t so much use fret numbers but view the neck graphically using inlays/markers

### 5/5 — Good way to learn the fretboard

*2026-01-18*

I’ve been using this to help me memorize the fretboard on the banjo. It’s also good for sight reading single notes. There are a lot of ways to personalize it. My only criticism is that the tunings for banjo are a little weird… but I assume there aren’t too many banjo players using the app so gets a pass. Would recommend

### 5/5 — Great!

*2025-11-29, version 7.4.2*

10

### 5/5 — For the price very good

*2025-10-25*

Very useful app. I’ve been using it every day to learn the fret board. One thing that bugs me a little bit. The random number generator that picks a new note for you to identify seems like it almost get stuck going back-and-forth between the same couple of notes longer than randomness would allow. I only do one string at a time, I’m not sure if that has anything to do with it. 
Edit. A few months later… I continue to use and enjoy the app daily, but I’m still frustrated. The random number generator doesn’t work randomly at times and just get stuck oscillating between two notes for an irritating a long time. 
Will the developers please take a look at this?

### 5/5 — For the price very good

*2025-09-06*

Very useful app. I’ve been using it every day to learn the fret board. One thing that bugs me a little bit. The random number generator that picks a new note for you to identify seems like it almost get stuck going back-and-forth between the same couple of notes longer than randomness would allow. I only do one string at a time, I’m not sure if that has anything to do with it.

### 1/5 — Ridiculous consent requirements

*2025-06-04, version 7.1.5*

Looked promising but the first thing I had to do before even being able to use the app was to get through the consent screen. There was no “Reject All” option, so would’ve had to toggle each setting off - and there were lots of them. Sod that! I would have happily paid for extra content offered in the game as well. Hopefully the developer reads this and re-thinks the consent screen, as it does look like it would be a good app.

### 1/5 — Family share not working

*2025-05-24, version 7.1.3*

I paid to unlock all guitars. Family sharing as advertised does not working

### 4/5 — Fretuoso is fun!

*2024-10-29*

Fretuoso is a great tool for learning the notes of the staff and the location of the notes on the fingerboard. You can play it when you’re away from your guitar which is great on vacation or on a break at work. Thank you for a great product! Chad

### 3/5 — Faulty

*2024-09-13, version 6.14.4*

It will show a higher position for a note like high G then the A above G it shows a lower position on the same string. Just spent $9 to have false information.

## Frequently asked questions about Fretuoso

### What does Fretuoso do?

Fretuoso is an educational game designed to help users learn the exact location of notes on the fretboard of various stringed instruments like guitars, basses, ukuleles, and more. It uses a game-based approach where users identify notes presented on the fretboard to score points and improve their musical knowledge.

### What instruments does Fretuoso support?

The app supports eleven different instruments, including guitars, 4, 5, and 6-string basses, mandolin, ukulele, and banjo. This wide range allows musicians of different backgrounds to utilize the learning tools effectively.

### How much does Fretuoso cost?

The app offers free access to a portion of each instrument's content. To unlock the full potential and gain complete access to all instruments and features, users can make in-app purchases.

### Can Fretuoso help me learn to read sheet music?

Yes, Fretuoso includes a Staff Training Mode that specifically helps users learn the positions of notes on the musical staff in relation to their instrument's fretboard. This feature aims to make reading sheet music easier and move away from relying solely on guitar tabs.

### Is Fretuoso suitable for left-handed players?

Absolutely. The app is fully compatible with left-handed players, ensuring that everyone can comfortably use its features to learn the fretboard and improve their musical skills.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 8.3.1 — 2026-08-26

Minor bug fixes and improvements.

### 8.3 — 2026-08-15

We've made the app better for you! Addressed a few bugs and minor issues.

### 8.2 — 2026-08-12

Expand your musical knowledge with 12 new consolidation and mastery levels, bringing the Fretuoso curriculum to 52 levels!

### 8.1 — 2026-08-04

Good news! You can finally zoom in and out of the fretboard at will. Just use pinch and zoom in any of the modes.
We also overhauled the way fret statistics are measured, and improved smart note picking to better focus your training.
Plus, we fixed a few more bugs and improved the overall performance of the app.

### 8.0 — 2026-07-27

Welcome to Fretuoso 8.0!

We’ve given the app a fresh new look to make learning the fretboard feel even better.

This update also introduces Premium, our new subscription that unlocks every instrument, feature, and level, completely ad-free.

We’ve also made many under-the-hood improvements for a smoother, more reliable experience. Fretuoso now requires iOS 17 or later.

Thanks for learning with Fretuoso!

## Apps similar to Fretuoso

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Yousician: Learn & Play Guitar](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yousician-learn-and-play-guitar/id959883039) | 4.6 (137,698) | Free | Education |
| [Justin Guitar Lessons & Songs](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/justin-guitar-lessons-and-songs/id1176125504) | 4.8 (26,003) | Free | Education |
| [Fender Play: Learn Guitar](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fender-play-learn-guitar/id1226057939) | 4.8 (60,614) | Free | Education |
| [Guitar : Play & Learn Chords](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-play-and-learn-chords/id405338085) | 4.5 (7,639) | Free | Education |
| [Fretonomy - Learn Fretboard](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretonomy-learn-fretboard/id1279576225) | 4.7 (2,445) | Free | Education |
| [Simply Guitar - Learn Guitar](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simply-guitar-learn-guitar/id1476695335) | 4.7 (392,313) | Free | Education |

## More apps by Catloaf Software LLC

- [Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-him-off-keyboard-cat/id323885108)
- [Texts From Jesus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/texts-from-jesus/id387789101)
- [Texts From Oscar Wilde](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/texts-from-oscar-wilde/id423745077)
- [Texts From Founding Fathers](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/texts-from-founding-fathers/id464184560)
- [Fretuoso - Complete Edition](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretuoso-complete-edition/id586162387)

All apps by Catloaf Software LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/316792340

## Related topics

[fretuoso](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/fretuoso) · [fretboard learn](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/fretboard-learn) · [fretboard hero](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/fretboard-hero) · [fretonomy](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/fretonomy) · [bass fretboard](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bass-fretboard)

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-27.*