# Guitar Riff - Play by Ear — Learn Your Favorite Hooks

> Learn guitar riffs by ear with a virtual instrument and extensive song library. (iPhone/iPad app by Learn To Master Ltd.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-riff-play-by-ear/id520215526 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Learn To Master Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/431947334)
- Category: Education, Music
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.50/5 from 91 App Store ratings · 157 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 14.0 · 55 MB
- Languages: Russian, Hindi, Vietnamese, American English, Arabic, Indonesian, European Spanish, Italian, Korean, German (Germany) and 6 more
- Released: 2012-04-24
- Data updated: 2026-08-28
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-riff-play-by-ear/id520215526/reviews.md

## What is Guitar Riff?

• Learn To Play Your Favorite Riffs on the Electric Guitar
• Over 1000 Songs to learn from different eras and genres.
• Highly configurable guitar with clean / distortion effects.
• Resizable fretboard suitable for all devices and tablets.
• High simulator quality and is quick and responsive.

***** Riffs *****
Songs cover all genres: Rock, Indie, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, Naughties, Modern, Latin, Classical, Film Themes, TV Themes, Pop, Traditional. Well known riffs such as ACDC, Alice Cooper, Arctic Monkeys, Beatles, Cream, Deep Purple, etc: 
...and more

***** Other Features *****
• Professionally recorded digitised Fender Stratocaster sounds for each separate note or go acoustic or plug in the distortion!
• Support for Left Handers
• Focus on sections of the song to master those licks.
• Adjust the speed and volume of the riff for playing along.
• Highlight notes on/off to play by ear.
• Standard note tab naming convention.

## Key features

- Learn over 1000 songs
- Configurable virtual guitar
- Clean and distortion effects
- Adjustable speed and volume
- Left-handed support
- Highlight notes option

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Version | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual Premium Version | $24.99 | per year |


## What do users think of Guitar Riff?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 🎸 Effective riff learning tool for beginners
- 📚 Large song library with diverse genres
- ⚙️ Customizable playback options (speed, fret width)
- 💰 Free content available without mandatory purchases
- 🎯 Intuitive progression system (5 notes to 10 notes, etc.)
- 🎵 Helps users play actual music quickly

**Cons**

- 🐛 Sound quality poor and unrealistic
- 📱 No left-handed support available
- 🔊 No sound output on some devices
- 🎨 Difficult to see highlighted notes during playback
- 📺 Small fretboard difficult for fat fingers
- ⚠️ Aggressive ads throughout app
- 🔄 Navigation issues and sticky screen transitions
- ⏱️ Playback speed cannot be adjusted easily mid-use
- 🔌 App crashes and logout issues
- 🎛️ Limited difficulty adjustment options

**Commonly reported bugs**

- No sound output on iPhone 5 and iPhone 4
- App doesn't play songs or is non-functional
- Random logouts during use
- App crashes frequently
- Screen navigation requires song selection to exit
- Fretboard highlighting difficult to see
- App requires upgrade prompt immediately upon opening

**Most requested features**

- Left-handed mode support
- Ability to slow down playback speed
- Wider fretboard for easier use
- Record and playback user's own riffs
- Customizable note highlight colors
- Playback controls at bottom of screen
- Actual guitar sound samples
- More songs from specific artists (Metallica, AC/DC, Green Day, Pink Floyd, etc.)
- Difficulty level selection
- Tuning feature
- Chord labels on display
- Comparison to actual live recordings
- Note color customization for colorblind users

## Recent user reviews (10 of 157)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-riff-play-by-ear/id520215526/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Absolutely awesome!

*2026-08-21*

I’m in my 40s and finally picked up the guitar after wanting to play for many years but life was too busy so I looked for a little help to learn and found this app and I’m so happy I have, you can simulate on the screen guitar to become familiar with the music then plug in and it will assist you as you play. It makes it very easy to learn. I would highly recommend this to anyone picking up a guitar for the first time or even seasoned players because they break down the music in an easy and very user friendly way. Great app!!

### 3/5 — Не очень потому что с рекламой

*2019-09-20*

Почему не сделаете версию для покупки?

**Developer response:** We do. It's Guitar Riff Pro.

### 1/5 — Support for Left Handers

*2019-01-30*

This is a total ripoff so far. Where’s the Support for Left Handers? Only one star from me until this is rectified and the Left Handed option is made clearly available.

**Developer response:** Yes, you're absolutely right. It's been added back in now. Please download latest version.

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work

*2018-10-01*

Doesn’t work

**Developer response:** We've just downloaded and tested the latest version. All working fine. Email us at LearnToMasterLtd@gmail.com if you disagree and we'll resolve.

### 5/5 — Learned quite a few riffs

*2018-04-15*

I have learned quite a few riffs from this app. I can actually make music with my guitar! I start on the app, 5 notes, then 10, etc., until I get to the end. It does have nice options....speed, fret width, etc. Be nice if you could change speed without opening options.

**Developer response:** Thanks and we hope you like how this guitar app has improved over the years and moreover we hope you are a better guitar player.

### 4/5 — All free

*2017-10-27*

Please make all the songs free I love harry potter

**Developer response:** All songs can be unlocked. You just need to play 10 consecutive notes correctly.

### 3/5 — 아이폰 용량부족으로 구입목록 삭제해주세요

*2017-02-25*

아이폰 용량부족으로 구입목록 삭제해주세요

### 1/5 — Uma bosta

*2016-11-19*

É muito ruim tudo não percam tempo

### 1/5 — Bosta

*2015-12-31*

É uma merda, trava td hora, só não dou 0 estrelas pq não tem como, uma merda com M maiusculo

### 1/5 — Sehr schlecht

*2015-08-05*

Sehr schlecht

## Frequently asked questions about Guitar Riff

### What does Guitar Riff - Play by Ear do?

This app helps you learn to play your favorite guitar riffs by ear. It provides a virtual guitar simulator with over 1000 songs from various genres, allowing you to practice and master specific sections at adjustable speeds and volumes.

### What are the key features of this app?

Key features include a library of over 1000 songs across many genres, a configurable virtual guitar with clean and distortion effects, resizable fretboard, left-handed support, adjustable speed and volume for practice, and an option to highlight notes to aid in playing by ear.

### How is this app monetized?

The application is free to download and use, but it includes in-app purchases and advertisements. This means you can access basic features for free, with options to buy additional content or remove ads.

### What devices is Guitar Riff - Play by Ear compatible with?

The app features a resizable fretboard that is suitable for all devices and tablets, suggesting broad compatibility across various screen sizes and operating systems.

### Who would benefit from using this app?

This app is ideal for guitarists of all levels, especially those looking to improve their ear training skills and learn popular songs. It's also beneficial for left-handed players and those who prefer to practice at their own pace.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 26.6.2 — 2026-08-17

New Rock Riffs
Awolnation - Sail
Bob Marley - Redemption song 
Deftones- Engine No.9
Iron Maiden - Darkest Hour
Kino - Summer is Ending 
Oasis - The Importance of Being Idol
Switchfoot - We are One Tonight
The Meters - Cissy Strut
The Offspring - Self Esteem

### 26.6.1 — 2026-08-14

New Rock Riffs
Awolnation - Sail
Bob Marley - Redemption song 
Deftones- Engine No.9
Iron Maiden - Darkest Hour
Kino - Summer is Ending 
Oasis - The Importance of Being Idol
Switchfoot - We are One Tonight
The Meters - Cissy Strut
The Offspring - Self Esteem

### 26.5 — 2026-05-29

Improved haptic feedback for a better user experience

### 26.4.1 — 2026-05-27

Bug fix on the latest enhanced immersive experience

### 26.4 — 2026-05-25

Added haptic feedback for a more immersive experience
Improved audio quality

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## More apps by Learn To Master Ltd

- [Piano Melody Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano-melody-pro/id437498350)
- [Piano Melody - Play by Ear](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano-melody-play-by-ear/id439099401)
- [Guitar Riff Pro - Play by Ear](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-riff-pro-play-by-ear/id517794157)
- [Guitar Scales & Chords Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-scales-and-chords-pro/id528994941)
- [Guitar Scales & Chords](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-scales-and-chords/id531188385)

All apps by Learn To Master Ltd: https://appshunter.io/developer/431947334

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*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 2026-08-28.*