Freemium app Guitar Tuna comes in from iOS and Android, but impresses

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You may recall that I did a round up of guitar tuners for Windows Phone at the start of 2014? Well, there's a new contender on the scene and it's possibly the most accurate and easy to use. The downside? It's freemium - while it will tune your bog-standard six string guitar, everything else is a pay-for option. Still, it's nicely pitched and I wish it well on Windows Phone.

From the Store description:

Why is it the ultimate guitar tuner ever built?

• Built by guitarists for guitarists (the ultimate guitar tuner tool we ourselves love)
• Simple and easy to use
• Mini game to learn guitar chords (with chord diagrams)
• Different alternative tuning sets (including for example drop d, open, custom tuning, ukulele tuning and others)
• Simple and easy to use guitar tuner for electric or acoustic guitars
• Actually listens - works with the built-in microphone
• Ridiculously accurate - built with award-winning world class audio signal processing

And that's not all, GuitarTuna is:

• Clear visual feedback with signal history - simple and intuitive
• Auto mode (lets you tune quickly, hands-free string by string)
• Supports left-handed tuning (switch to inverted strings)
• Fun game to learn guitar chords (from chord diagram)
• Listen, recognize and learn chords (from sound)
• Works in noisy conditions (background noise cancellation)
• Works with acoustic and electric real guitar
• Works for a 6-string real guitar
• All packed in one free ultimate guitar tuner tool! For real! For Tabs

Here's the app in action on Windows Phone:

Screenshot, Guitar TunaScreenshot, Guitar Tuna

Pretty intro screens show off the scope of Guitar Tuna....

Screenshot, Guitar TunaScreenshot, Guitar Tuna

Only the basic 6-string standard tuning is free, but this is fair enough for a serious tool - think of this as a trial mode? (right) The UI is terrific, with auto-tuning here getting my 6-string in tune in no time at all, without lifting a finger (on the phone, at least!) Note the multiple indicators: "TOO LOW", colour clues, waveforms, plus you also get an audio 'ding' when the string is 'in tune'.

Screenshot, Guitar TunaScreenshot, Guitar Tuna

The metronome is built-in and works brilliantly - with the rotating control adjusting tempo - or you can use the nudge buttons. All rhythms are free, by the way; (right) mini-games are also available, based around chord recognition. These are a bit of a gimmick, but full marks to the developer for lateral thinking!

Screenshot, Guitar TunaScreenshot, Guitar Tuna

Only 3 stars!! In my defense, the game randomly varies where the chord names are in the UI (in the game), to keep you on your toes, plus there's time pressure! (right) part of the freemium 'shop' for extending (in this case) the chord game.

You can download Guitar Tuna here. A free download and for basic tuning and metronome, if you were to go for every tuning and every chord pack (i.e. the 'All' purchases), you'd be out about £10. Expensive as mobile apps go in 2014, but Guitar Tuna really is incredibly slick, so quite possibly this will be worth it!

Source / Credit: Windows Phone Store