New Version of Capo, an App to Help Guitar Players Learn Songs, Lands on iPhone and iPad

A new version of the Apple Design Award-winning Capo, a Mac app praised by professional musicians that automatically generates guitar tablature from music in iTunes, has landed on iOS.

Developer SuperMegaUltraGroovy today released new iPhone and iPad versions of Capo, allowing users to learn how to play songs on the go with chord and beat detection as well as a number of other features to help guitar players learn songs quickly and easily. The Mac version of Capo has been updated as well, with iCloud sync between all devices and improved chord detection accuracy.

Capo touch offers musicians the same power and versatility they have on the Mac with Capo 3 in an even more portable design. The app features the essential tools of instantly importing a song from your iTunes library, automatically detecting its chords, and showing how to play them using helpful guitar chord boxes. It can slow down the tempo without changing pitch while you learn, and transpose the song to any key with a simple pitch slider. Optional metronome, looping, EQ and "karaoke-style" voice reduction make Capo 3 and now Capo touch valuable tools for musicians whether in the studio, rehearsal or on tour.

Capo touch is available for $4.99 for the iPhone and iPad from the App Store, half off its normal price for a limited time. [Direct Link]

Capo 3 for Mac is available from the Mac App Store for $14.99, half off its normal price for a limited time. [Direct Link]

A previous version of this article implied that Capo had never been available on iOS. There was a prior version of Capo for iOS, but the new version has been completely rewritten, with a new user interface, beat and chord detection, as well as iCloud support.

Top Rated Comments

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b166er

52 months ago

I use a better app than Capo. It's called my ear.

If you need an app to learn a song, get a day job, you're not a musician.

I installed a light switch the other day. I guess that makes me an electrician. I also change my own oil, so I guess I'm a mechanic as well.

You may not have a use for this, but that doesn't make it useless. Plenty of people who want to learn music for the sheer joy of it could find this helpful. Not everyone who plays an instrument is trying to quit their day job.

Rating: 8 Votes

milo

52 months ago

If you need an app to learn a song, get a day job, you're not a musician.

You do realize that most of their customers probably do have day jobs and aren't professional musicians, right?

Yeah, how dare they create an app for people trying to learn to play music.

Rating: 5 Votes

M87

52 months ago

I use a better app than Capo. It's called my ear.

If you need an app to learn a song, get a day job, you're not a musician.

It's very handy for transcribing fast and complex passages. It's also great for learning songs that are in non-standard tunings because you can transpose the recording to match your instrument. If you think these things are only useful for beginners I'd wager you're not much of a musician yourself.

Rating: 5 Votes

Fender2112

52 months ago

I use a better app than Capo. It's called my ear.

If you need an app to learn a song, get a day job, you're not a musician.

Are we allowed to say douche bag?

Rating: 5 Votes

sahnert

52 months ago

This article and headline make it sound like this product has never existed in iOS before. I've been using Capo for iOS almost daily for years it seems.

I'm a little bit annoyed that this is not an update to the version I own and I will need to purchase it again, but it's a great price for a great piece of software, so I will buy.

Rating: 3 Votes

M87

52 months ago

I've been using Capo on my iPad for years. This article is poorly worded.

Rating: 3 Votes

skadd

52 months ago

Diversify. I'm a film composer, performer and music teacher. I like them all.

You're a music teacher?? Oh the irony

Rating: 3 Votes

mpress03

52 months ago

Why so harsh?

I use a better app than Capo. It's called my ear.

If you need an app to learn a song, get a day job, you're not a musician.

Everyone has to start somewhere. No one becomes a musician overnight. I have been playing and writing music for both the piano and the guitar for almost 20 years. I can tell you that learning to play by ear is one of the hardest things to learn. If there is an app that can help people learn and practice then what's the problem? You won't learn to play by ear overnight and if you don't enjoy what you are learning to play, then most people are more apt to give up. If this can help people learn the songs they want to learn, it can make the process a little more enjoyable. Also, how can you trash an app and the people that use it and then recommend another app that does essential the same thing?

I have never used the software, but anything that helps people learn to play the music they love gets a thumbs up from me.

Rating: 3 Votes

milo

52 months ago

I'm a film composer

Yeah, and I'm sure for no "films" that any of us have ever heard of. No way anyone with an attitude as clueless as yours makes it to the point of doing real film scoring. And a real film composer wouldn't be anonymously trolling a message board trying to get people to take private lessons.

And by your logic, if you need an music teacher to learn a song, get a day job, you're not a musician?

Rating: 2 Votes

marmiteturkey

52 months ago

I use a better app than Capo. It's called my ear.

If you need an app to learn a song, get a day job, you're not a musician.

That old chestnut. Are you one of those people who also say that if you can't read music, you're not a musician? Or that tab is 'cheating'? Or that electronic music isn't music? What about gilmourish.com - surely I should I be able to identify a signal chain just by listening?

If someone makes music in the way they want, who are you to say they're not a musician? Why is someone who has a day job not a musician? Purist nonsense.

Capo is a great tool for musicians, professional or otherwise. So says this musician, who plays three instruments, occasionally gets paid for it, and has a day job. And I'm glad I was never taught by someone who prevented me from using whatever tools helped me develop my ear and my musicianship.

Rating: 2 Votes

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