List of Awesome Alternatives to Chordify (Guitar Specific)

The method of Chordify is quite simple: Teach you songs by showing you chords as the song plays. Since most songs are available on YouTube these days, Chordify draws on those videos to play music along with the chords that move in real-time and show you exactly where to change.

This is similar to how Riffstation operated back in the day before Fender bought it out and - seemingly - dissolved it. Chordify showed up a few years later with an app that was more affordable and easier to use.

All this to say: Chordify is a great program and this list is not meant to disregard or downplay its value.

You can checkout Guitar Chalk's full review of Chordify to get all the details on it.

This list is for those looking for a Chordify alternative, for whatever reason. Maybe you don't like how it works, or you want something more involved. Whatever the case may be, we'll cover some recommendations here that could be helpful to you. 

Before we get into specific recommendations, I want to list some of Chordify's weaknesses to help illustrate why some of the alternatives we're suggesting might make more sense. Chordify has three main weak points.

Three Weak Spots for Chordify

1. No melody or tablature covered (only shows you chords)
2. No instruction, demonstration, or explanation of what you're playing
3. Has limited application within certain songs, styles of music, and methods of guitar playing

Chordify's objective is to show you chords of a song's progression in real time. A task it performs admirably. However, getting more depth, instruction, or help with songs that add a lot of complexity above the bass line will require that you look for additional help.

We'd recommend getting that help from one of the following four programs:

4 Chordify Alternatives Recommended for Guitar Players

1. Ultimate Guitar Pro Membership

Our top recommendation as a Chordify alternative is an Ultimate Guitar Pro membership, which upgrades an existing account to provide you with Guitar Pro-style tabs and chord sheets for each song. This also includes the playalong option that is so helpful about Chordify, yet with a lot more detail in the accompanying tab sheet.

Here's a quick summary of what you get with Ultimate Guitar Pro:

• Clean, completely correct tab sheets
• Chord sheet versions of each song
• Playback with additional control (tempo, looping, etc.)
• An upgraded existing Ultimate Guitar account

Since Chordify's main function is providing chords, here's a look at a chord sheet in Ultimate Guitar Pro, just so you can compare the two:

This isn't quite as intuitive as the Chordify follow-along setup, and it doesn't integrate YouTube. However, the added features, tracks, and tab resources are worth it if you're looking for something more than just chord progressions and bass lines.

Here's what the multiple instrument tracks and playback functionality looks like:

If you prefer a simpler interface with just chords and nothing else, then Chordify is likely the better option for you. However, those looking for a more extensive and complete resource for learning songs, perhaps in a more advanced context (solos, multiple tracks, lead technique, etc.), will be much better off with an Ultimate Guitar Pro membership.

Read the full review: Ultimate Guitar Pro

IDEAL FOR: Learning more complex songs with heavy lead elements and integrating with an active Ultimate Guitar user

The Pros

• Integrates easily with an existing Ultimate Guitar Membership
• Pro version's yearly price is really cheap
• Great for learning lead parts, solos, and more complex aspects of songs
• Multiple instrument tracks for most songs

The Cons

• Chord display isn't quite as smooth/intuitive as Chordify
• No YouTube playalong like in Chordify

2. Guitar Tricks Song Lessons and Tutorials

Guitar Tricks owns the largest library of licensed, streamable video guitar lessons. Currently there are over 1000 HD tutorials, each with multiple videos, covering a wide range of popular bands and artists. Each lesson covers the song in a full, over-the-shoulder fashion with instruction from professional guitar teachers, delivered in small chunks that are easy to process.

As I mentioned, each tab is licensed and comes with a 100 percent accurate tab sheet, similar to the Ultimate Guitar Pro tab tracks.

Ultimate Guitar just leaves out the video tutorial.

For those considering this format, that video element should be the determining factor. Does it matter to you? Do you want the detailed instruction and a walk-you-through-it type of option? If so, we'd say the added help of having an instructor talk you through the song is really valuable. It's the most comprehensive solution we can recommend for those wanting to learn songs, since you get all of the following:

• Chords
• Full, licensed tabs
• Playback
• Instruction from a real person/teacher

IDEAL FOR: Getting full, tutorial-style song lessons with demonstrations and explanations of each section.

The Pros

• Strong organization and lesson structure
• Song section is unsurpassed in quality
• Chords, tabs, playback, demonstration, looping, temp, and teacher instruction are all part of the deal. It's a comprehensive way to learn songs

The Cons

• Lacks the focus on simple chords that makes Chordify so appealing
• Getting through the songs isn't always a quick process

3. Songsterr PLUS

Songsterr was one of the first websites to break ranks with the traditional "net" guitar tabs - displayed in plain text Courier font - in favor of the more streamlined Guitar Pro-style tabs that we've already seen in the Ultimate Guitar Pro highlight.

Though it does have a paid version, Songsterr offers all their tabs and playback free, without any kind of login or even email sign up required.

However, without the paid version you can't access any playback tools. 

This means no looping, no changing the tempo, no print-friendly option, and a loss of several other advanced features. Specifically for Chordify users, the lack of a de facto chord sheet for each song is a disappointment. Some songs have them, others don't. It just depends on which community member submitted the content.

However, it is completely free, which is the main attraction of Songsterr.

In most cases, we recommend the free account and avoid the PLUS account, since the $9.90 per month price tag is - in our opinion - too steep for what you get in the form of a few advanced playback features.

We'd suggest using Chordify for getting chords and then the free version of Songsterr for when you need to access a more detailed tab sheet. The two programs together are an effective combination.

Read the full review: Songsterr

IDEAL FOR: Those looking for a low-cost, high-quality tab resource.

The Pros

• All tabs on the site are professionally displayed
• Can view for free (without advanced features)
• Interface is simple and easy to use
• All tabs play with audio (playback)

The Cons

• Chords-only sheets aren't always included
• PLUS version is underwhelming 

4. Yousician Premium

While we certainly have our complaints about Yousician, you can't ignore the fact that it's really fun, and an effective practice tool. Even if it's not a comprehensive teaching resource (and a bit over-priced), it motivates you to practice and gives you a different, more engaging way to memorize the fretboard.

Now, in terms of being an effective Chordify alternative:

Yousician uses a Rocksmith-style interface to play tabs in chords along with music and then actually tracks the quality of your playing, as you playalong with the tune. This is part of their educational curriculum and their song lessons.

The only problem is that their song lessons are behind a second pay wall. The pricing breaks down like this:

• Premium: $19.99 per month
• Premium PLUS: $29.99 per month

You need to upgrade to the "Premium PLUS" account before you get access to any licensed music. Otherwise, it's just small-time open source music and exercises.

If you don't mind paying a bit more and you like the video-game or Rocksmith-style interface, this type of program could be a great fit for you. In most cases, we would contend that it's too expensive and that there are better options.

Checkout the full review: Yousician

IDEAL FOR: Beginners, kids, practice aid, and building speed

The Pros

• Interface is addictive and fun to play
• App does a good job of parsing out correct and/or incorrect notes you might play
• Easy to use
• Can work for acoustic or electric guitar
• Works through your device's microphone

The Cons

• Licensed songs are behind a second pay wall
• Too expensive overall
• True educational content is limited

When is Chordify your best option?

What we like about Chordify is its simplicity and how easy it is to use.

Being able to search for a song on YouTube - something most of us are very familiar with - and pull up chords instantly for playing along, is a fantastic way to learn the music you like. It's fast, fun, and the monthly price of Chordify is extremely reasonable.

When that's all you need, Chordify is enough.

If you need more detail, however, Chordify doesn't quite get you there.

In other words:

Is it great for learning "Free Bird" or "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"? Sure. But for something like "Lateralus" by Tool or the solo off Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight", you're going to need more than just chords.

Conclusion

Your Questions and Comments

Do you have questions about the Chordify alternatives we've recommended? Maybe you have questions about the Chordify app itself or something else related to learning guitar.

If so, feel free to leave your questions (and comments) in the comments section below.

I'll do my best to answer personally and help out.

Related Articles