Now in public beta
𝄞 FretStudio 𝄢

Guitar Creative Studio

Music is a language.
Learn to speak it.

Notes are the alphabet. Chords are the words. Songs are the stories. FretStudio teaches you the grammar — so you understand music, not just memorize it.

Free tier is permanent  ·  Works in any browser  ·  No App Store required
Notes are
Letters
The building blocks — individual tones with specific positions in a key.
♪♪
Chords are
Words
Each chord has emotional meaning. G is home. Em is longing. Dm7 is bittersweet.
𝄞
Progressions are
Sentences
Four chords in the right order become a complete emotional sentence.
Songs are
Stories
The guitar and your voice are just the pen and pencil. Start writing.
guitar
Peter
Physician · Performer · Founder

Why this exists.

I picked up guitar late in life. I wanted something portable — an instrument I could play while I sang at private events. I had a little music theory from grade school, but none of it translated to the fretboard. I was stuck, memorizing chord shapes without understanding why they worked.

So I did something slightly reckless: I scheduled a real performance before I was ready. A deadline to force my hand.

I went looking for tools to help me get there. I found a lot of them. None had what I needed in one place. Learning felt like a chore — I was engaged with the idea of music, but I didn't have the right perspective to actually get in.

"Music is a language. Notes are letters. Chords are words. The guitar and my voice are just the pen and pencil."

Once I had that frame, I didn't just want to learn — I wanted to explore, experiment, and build something worthy of the idea. So I built FretStudio.

This is my journey — and if you're on the same one, come find me.

Who it's for

Built for every stage of the journey.

Whether you're playing your first chord or your five-hundredth gig, FretStudio has the tools for where you are right now.

Performing Musician

Your chord sheets. Any device. Better than before.

OnSong is Apple-only, went subscription, and the reliability issues finally got old. FretStudio gives you everything for a professional setlist — and the tools to improve your charts.

  • ChordPro import/export — bring your whole library in minutes
  • Gig Mode teleprompter with auto-scroll
  • Setlist builder with drag-and-drop sequencing
  • One-tap transpose + capo mapping
  • Works on iPad, Android, laptop — no App Store
Import your first song free →
Gig Mode — Live Teleprompter
G
D
Em
C
Song 4 of 28● Live
Self-Taught Guitarist

Guitar finally makes sense when you know it's a language.

Fender Play and Yousician gamify the surface. FretStudio teaches the grammar underneath — so you understand why the chords work, not just which fingers go where.

  • 36-week structured guitar curriculum
  • Theory track built on the language metaphor
  • Interactive exercises — ear training, chord changes, rhythm
  • Fretboard explorer with note and chord mapping
  • Play Mode — practice songs you actually love
Start Week 1 free →
Theory Track — Week 4
"Em is the word for longing. It appears in Blackbird, Hotel California, Stairway to Heaven."
Lesson ✓
Exercise ✓
Quiz →
🔥 12-day streak · 847 XP
Songwriter

You already have the song inside you.

FretStudio gives you the vocabulary to get it out. The Song Builder is a creative sandbox built around the language framework — write progressions that say something, then perform them.

  • Song Builder Sketchpad — write first, refine later
  • Progression Builder with emotional chord vocabulary
  • Key Finder — know what key your instincts are in
  • DAW Light — 4-track recording for arranging ideas
  • Export to ChordPro, PDF, OnSong
Build your first progression →
Song Builder — Progression
Am
"longing"
F
"warmth"
C
"hope"
G
"home"
Key of Am · Natural Minor · i-VI-III-VII
Guitar Educator

Your students practice more when you can see whether they actually did.

FretStudio gives you a complete homework and progress-tracking platform. Free lifetime Pro for verified teachers — and 20–25% commission on every student who converts.

  • Educator Dashboard with class roster
  • Assign lessons, exercises, and songs
  • Student progress — streak, XP, practice minutes
  • Free lifetime Pro for verified teachers
  • 20–25% revenue share on student conversions
Apply for free educator access →
Educator Dashboard
Sarah M.
Week 3 · 🔥 8 day streak
✓ Complete
James T.
Week 1 · No recent activity
⚠ 4 days ago
Maya R.
Week 5 · 🔥 22 day streak
✓ Ahead
Worship Team

The whole team. Same key. Any device.

No iPad required. Shared setlists where the leader sets the key and everyone's teleprompter syncs automatically. Works on whatever your team already has.

  • Shared setlists — leader controls, team syncs
  • Transposition lock — one change, everyone updates
  • ChordPro library — import any song in seconds
  • Works on iPad, Android, laptop — no App Store
  • Group plans from $99–199/team/year
See worship team pricing →
Shared Setlist — This Sunday
How Great Is Our GodKey: G
OceansKey: D
Way MakerKey: A
✓ 4 team members synced
Early Users

What musicians are saying.

★★★★★
[Beta user quote — performing musician — about Gig Mode or import experience]
P
Beta User
Performing musician
★★★★★
[Beta user quote — self-taught guitarist — about the language metaphor]
S
Beta User
Self-taught guitarist
★★★★★
[Beta user quote — songwriter — about Song Builder or creative framework]
M
Beta User
Singer-songwriter
Pricing

Start free. Upgrade when it earns it.

No credit card required. Nothing locked away at trial end. The free tier is permanent.

Free
$0forever

Everything you need to discover whether FretStudio works for you — no time limit.

  • Full theory curriculum
  • Guitar curriculum weeks 1–4
  • 3 songs in Song Builder
  • Basic chord reference
  • Text export
Start Free →
Lifetime
$99once

Pay once. Every Pro feature, all future updates, no recurring charges.

  • Everything in Pro
  • All future features included
  • Priority support
  • One payment, done
Get Lifetime →

For educators and worship teams

Free lifetime Pro for verified guitar teachers · Educator Dashboard · Group plans from $99–199/year

Get team pricing →

Every song you love is a story
someone learned to tell.

Start with any device. No card required. The free tier is permanent.

Open FretStudio Free →
Free tier is permanent
No credit card required
Works in any browser
Nothing deleted at trial end