Shortcuts, Tips, & Tricks

Here is a list of some shortcuts, tips, and tricks that you might not discover by just poking around the app. In this chapter we assume that you already know how to get around Guitar. If you don't, we recommend either reading the other chapters first, or spending some time using and getting familiar with iShred. All the information in this chapter is also found in the previous reference chapters. It is collected here for convenience.

Quick Button Reordering

When editing a song, you can quickly swap buttons. Just hold you finger on a button and slide it where you want it. (There will be a yellow glow under your finger as you do this.) It will then be swapped into that position.

Using Real Sharp and Flat Symbols

Song names and User Chord names can include real musical sharp, natural, and flat symbols (rather than # signs and "b" for flats. When editing a Song or User Chord name, enter ".s." for a sharp, ".n." for a natural, and ".f." for a flat. When you are done editing the name it will be turned into a real musical symbol.

Multi-Page Songs

OK, so the entire works of some punk bands can fit on the 10 buttons of a single Guitar song. But what if you're creating the next Bohemian Rhapsody? Ain't going to fit, is it? But it is simple enough to break up more complicated songs into sections that do fit on those 10 buttons, and to transition between song sections using the Next/Previous song buttons.

Quick Chord Changes

When you're playing really fast, sometimes it is difficult to slide your "button finger" accurately between two buttons. But you can use more than one finger in the button area! iShred remembers the order that buttons are pressed, and makes the most recently pressed button the active one. For example, keep one finger on a "D Major" button and use another finger to press and release a "D sus4" button while you strum for quick suspended/resolved chord progressions. This works kind of like doing a 'hammer-on" and "pull-off" on the strings.

Advanced Scale and Fret Play

For any active button that shows frets (namely Scale, Chromatic Scale, and Fret buttons), you can just plunk out melodies with one finger. But you can also:

• play multiple notes by just tapping with more than one finger or by holding a finger down one one string while tapping a different string.
• slide up or down the frets of a string with your finger.
• "hammer-on" and "pull-off" by holding one finger on a lower fret of a string while tapping and releasing another finger on a higher fret of the same string.
• bend the pitch up by sliding your finger left or right, or add vibrato by shaking your finger side-to-side.

String Label Logic

A reminder about string label logic. Scale, Chromatic Scale, and Fret buttons always show the lowest fret number when active. Chords (including User Chords) show labels as set by the "Chord String Labels" control on the Settings screen. The one caveat is when this control is set to "Scale Degree" in which case User Chord strings show their note number since iShred does not know what the root is of these chords.

Playing Along With Music

With Guitar, you can play along with your iTunes music. The method for doing this is a little different on the iPod touch than on the iPhone, so we'll explain both methods. You can also see a video demonstration of how to play Guitar with your music here.

On an iPhone: First use the "iPod" app and start the desired song playing. Click the "Home" button to send it to the background, and then open "Guitar." You can now play along with your music.

click to zoom

If you have set your iPhone so that double-clicking the Home button brings up your iPod controls, then you can double-click Home to change volume, pause the song, restart it, and more. (Run the Settings program and go to General > Home Button to set the double-clicking preference to "iPod" to enable this features. We strongly recommend it!)

On an iPod touch: First use the "Music" app to start the desired song playing, or set to "Pause". Hit the "Home" button to send the Music app to the background, and then launch "Guitar" to get it running. To access the Music controls while running Guitar, just double-click the Home button. This brings up the "Music" controls. Tap the "Close" button when you are done with them.