It scores your real guitar
The app listens through the microphone and tells you which notes were right and in time. The GOONS lessons use a sampled guitar on the screen; only the tuner listens to your instrument.
Yousician · honest comparison
A Yousician alternative
A Yousician alternative
Free guitar lessons, no app
Yousician turns practice into a game: you play your own guitar, the app listens through the microphone and scores every note. This page concedes that first, then describes a free alternative in the browser: a guitar course, every chord and scale, songs with the chords over the lyrics, and a tuner.
11 GUITAR LESSONS
120 CHORDS
108 SCALES
25 SONGS
7 TUNINGS
€0 SUBSCRIPTION
Playable · no account
Play a progression in G
Eight chords in a row, the way they come in a song: G, C, G, D, then Em, C, G, D. Choose each chord above the neck or with its number key, then strum. The aim is to go straight to the next one.
The concessions, first
Three things Yousician does that GOONS does not
If one of these is what keeps you practising, Yousician is worth its subscription.
Game-style progress
Levels, stars, challenges and a path that tells you what to practise next. GOONS has a course with progress saved in your browser, not a game.
Five instruments and licensed songs
Guitar, bass, ukulele, piano and voice, with popular songs. GOONS covers guitar, bass and piano, and only publishes public domain and original songs.
Free, no account
The free guitar pages
11 lessons
Learn guitar
Tuning, chord diagrams, first chords, strumming, changes, barre chords, fingerpicking and a first solo.
See the course → 120 chordsGuitar chords
Open and barre shapes with fingering and diagrams, played on a sampled guitar.
Find a chord → 25 songsEasy guitar songs
Chords over the lyrics, strumming patterns and a guitar that plays along at your tempo.
Pick a song → 7 tuningsGuitar tuner
Tune with the microphone or by ear with reference notes, in standard and alternate tunings.
Tune up →
Side by side
What each one gives a beginner guitarist
Facts checked in November 2026. Yousician prices depend on the plan, the country and the offer: check them on its site.
| Yousician | GOONS free guitar pages | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Web, iOS and Android apps | Any browser, nothing to install |
| Listens to your guitar | Yes, scores every note | Tuner only |
| Course | Guided path by level | 11 lessons, from string names to your first solo |
| Chord and scale reference | Inside the lessons | 120 chords and 108 scales with diagrams, tab and fingering |
| Songs | Large library, popular songs included | 25 public domain songs, chords over the lyrics, a guitar that plays along |
| Tuner | Yes | Yes, microphone pitch detection, 7 tunings |
| Account | Required | Not needed |
| Price | Subscription after a 7-day trial | Free |
How to choose
Three questions
Do you need someone checking every note?
If feedback on your own playing is what keeps you honest, an app that listens is worth paying for. If you mostly need to know what to play, the free pages cover it.
Do you already own a guitar?
You can follow the GOONS course on the sampled guitar before you buy one, then play the same chords on the real thing.
Do you want a game or a reference?
Yousician is a game you come back to. The chords, scales and songs here are a reference you keep open next to whatever you use.
Practice coach or open toolbox
Yousician is a practice coach: it decides what you play next and grades how it went. That structure is its strength, and it is why it charges a subscription. The free GOONS guitar pages are an open toolbox: a course you follow at your own pace, every chord and scale you will look up for years, songs to play along with, and a tuner.
What the free course covers
The 11 lessons start with the parts of the guitar and tuning, then chord diagrams and tabs, your first chords, strumming, changing chords, barre chords, your first song, power chords, fingerpicking and a first solo. Style lessons cover blues, rock, metal, funk, jazz, reggae and fingerstyle.
Use it next to any app
The chord chart and the scales are useful whatever you learn with. Each one plays on a sampled acoustic, electric or nylon guitar, so you hear the shape before you try it.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is there a free alternative to Yousician?
The free GOONS guitar pages: a 11-lesson course, 120 chords, 108 scales, 25 songs that play along and a tuner, with no account.
Does GOONS listen to my guitar?
Only the tuner does, through the microphone. The lessons and songs use a sampled guitar in the page. If you want every note you play scored, Yousician does that.
Can I learn guitar without owning one?
You can learn the chord shapes, the strumming patterns and the songs on the sampled guitar, then transfer them to a real one. Calluses still come from the real thing.
Which songs are included?
Public domain and traditional songs, with the chords over the lyrics. No licensed pop songs.
Is there bass too?
Yes: a sampled bass guitar and bass lessons on funk, walking, reggae and rock bass lines.
Do I need an account?
No. The course, chords, scales, songs and tuner are free with no account. Lesson progress is kept in your browser.
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Ready when you are
Tune up and play your first chord
The tuner, the course and the chord chart, free in the browser. No app, no account.
Already subscribed? Open the guitar tuner →