Whether you need assistance with tuning your guitar or are looking for some inspiration for playing your instrument outside of the internet and guitar tutorial books, apps are a great way to do something different relating to your guitar playing.

With this in mind, we’ve brought together our five favourite android apps for guitarists that you can use to make your guitar sound great and teach yourself some exceptional licks and musical sequences.

1. Tuner – gStrings Free

If you’re not at the level of guitar mastery yet that allows you to tune your instrument by ear, this is a great app that will come in handy for helping you to tune your instrument in whatever tone you want.

The great thing about Tuner – gStrings Free is that it is so much more than just your standard tuning app.  You have a whole range of settings you can play around with and it is even suitable for using with the violin and other string instruments.

2. Mobile Metronome

Metronomes aren’t as widely used as they once were, but that’s more down to the fact that people don’t enjoy carrying a metronome around rather than the fact musicians and guitarists started to find them unhelpful.

This app takes away that problem, providing you with a Mobile Metronome that you can carry in your pocket and start up whenever you need it, whether you’re rehearsing in a studio, busking on the street, or holding a jam session in a friend’s garage.

3. Chordbot

This is the essential Android guitar app for musicians on the move who want to be able to get their inspirations down and recorded whenever possible.  You can also use Chordbot (link to Lite version on Google Play) as an accompaniment to your guitar, making it easy for you to create and demo chords wherever you are.

If you need a backing track for a jam, or have lyrics but can’t find a musical spark to match them to anything, there’s even an automatic song generator included for you to use.

4. Ultimate Guitar Tabs

It is well known that many guitarists and other popular musicians cannot read music, preferring instead to trust their ears and use guitar tabs.

Ultimate Guitar Tabs gives you unlimited access to the database at http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/ and also allows you to access your favourite tracks and tabs offline, meaning you won’t be eating up your mobile data allowance when you head off to rehearsals or feel like having a jam session at a friend’s house.

5. GChord

This is a simple and unassuming app, but if you’re new to the guitar and are struggling to master chords, it is definitely something you should be downloading.  GChord will help you get to grips with all the finger positions you need in order to play every chord, whether you decide to search for the chords yourself or play the chord and discover what it is later.

These five apps are great for guitarists at all levels, and ought to be on your Android device if you’re passionate about getting more from your instrument and from your guitar playing in general.