Scale Trainer Guitar Edition Editor's Review

Scale Trainer Guitar Edition is a small piece of software designed to help you learn to play the guitar. If you plug an electrical guitar into your computer's sound card, the program will sample it while you play. In my opinion, this program is basically created to help you learn more music theory than actually how to play a guitar, up to a certain point.

The program will teach you the three main categories: the keys (A, B, C, D, E, F, G major, minor, etc.), scales and modes (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolyidan, Aeolian, Locrian). The notes and key are numbered and displayed on a guitar fret. You can also check out the sound of each one. When playing a key or a scale, the program will display the name of the note, its frequency as well as the scale and mode information.

However, in this trial version you can't learn how to play chords. There aren't any explanations of how to place your fingers on the fretboard in order to play a chord. You can't even learn how to hold the guitar, a pick or how to tune your guitar. You can't learn how to read a score or a tablature. I found the lack of this information pretty disappointing.

Pluses: You can learn how to play a guitar without knowing how to read a score or a tablature.

Drawbacks / flaws: Among other drawbacks, I must mention the fact that during the trial period, you can only check out the A major scale in the Ionian mode. All other modes and scales are locked.

In conclusion: In my opinion, this program is not recommended for beginners, since it can mostly help you learn music theory rather than how to actually play a guitar.

version reviewed: 1.0