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Can you learn to play the guitar using an app?
This is what I asked myself when I considered starting a new guitar-playing hobby while at home during the pandemic.
And I realized that learning to play the guitar today is different from 20 years ago.
In fact, learning to play is now MUCH EASIER because there are more free and easily accessible resources to assist us.
Learning guitar online is now a popular option for many beginners. It is simple to use, inexpensive, and dependable.
You can also do it from the comfort of your home at any time.
That is, we are in an excellent position to practice as much as possible.
If you have a reliable Wi-Fi connection, internet, or mobile phone, and a standard guitar, you can make incremental progress without ever hiring a private instructor.
There are numerous free guitar apps that teach you how to play the guitar and have some excellent guitar-learning software. When it comes to learning guitar online, the options are almost limitless!
A good guitar app can meet all of your learning needs, whether you want to learn to play crazy licks, heavy riffs or just strum along with some simple chords. But the question is, what is the best guitar-learning app available?
There are numerous apps available on the market. I’ve looked at a lot of them.
Some guitar learning apps are both time and money well spent. However, the majority of them will not assist you. There are numerous free online guitar lessons that you should avoid. It’s also critical to be able to distinguish between good and bad apps.
Don’t be concerned:
In no particular order, I’ve compiled a list of some of the best guitar apps available.
Top 13 Best Guitar Learning App
- If you want an app with a large and easy-to-use library of lessons and songs, Guitar Tricks is your best bet.
- Jamorama is without a doubt one of the best guitar learning apps. Though there are a few advanced lessons, the majority of Jamorama lessons are geared toward beginners and thus are not intended for advanced players.
- Jellynote has over 100,000 sheet music options, allowing you to learn a wide range of music. The app also includes a study mode to help you improve your skill level and playing ability in whatever way you want.
- Fender Play allows you to choose your own learning path. There’s a reason why Fender is a household name. Their fantastic app will allow you to learn guitar online with the assistance of expert and experienced instructors.
- Guitar Pro allows you to read your tabs and take notes wherever you go. Music can be shown in a variety of ways, and many’smart reading’ features will help you improve your technique. It is one of the best beginner guitar apps.
- Truefire allows single course downloads for a one-time fee; this is one of Truefire’s main selling points, as many other apps do not. Truefire offers over 700 courses and 33,000 lessons in total.
- JamPlay is an excellent place to begin as a beginner. They have over 450 On-Demand courses and over 6,500 lessons, with something for everyone from beginners to advanced players.
- Ultimate Guitar: Chords and Tabs is the world’s most comprehensive collection of guitar chords, lyrics, and tabs. Ultimate Guitar may be the best guitar learning app for you if you want a wide variety of resources and one of the best guitar learning software out there.
- Chordbank has curated a wide range of practice tools and interactive lessons to ensure that you can learn guitar online with ease. Chordbank is a good place to start if you want to expand your chord knowledge.
- For over ten years, Justin Guitar has been providing high-quality, free online guitar lessons on YouTube. This app, which is an extension of his interactive step-by-step lessons, has been extremely popular.
- Gibson powered by Amped! is a one-of-a-kind resource that uses augmented reality to help you learn to play the guitar. This app may be for you if you’re looking for an innovative and challenging way to learn to play guitar online and advance your guitar training.
- Amplitube is a useful app that allows you to process, play, and record your guitar while you’re on the go. It greatly simplifies online guitar instruction.
- Yousician is another entertaining app that aims to make beginner guitar lessons enjoyable and affordable. You can spend hours a week learning guitar online thanks to their extensive video lesson library.
You can use one or more of these guitar lesson apps to improve your technique and musical knowledge.
These apps have aided in the formation of a community of musicians who are all learning guitar online. Virtual learning is an excellent way to connect with music lovers all over the world who are also attempting to learn to play the guitar online.
Each guitar app will be available on your mobile phone. I included apps that are compatible with both Apple and Android devices.
The following are the criteria that I considered:
- Accessibility (Apple vs. Android)
- Content
- Price (free or subscription)
Do you want to know what the best guitar-learning apps are? Let’s get started!
What is the Best App to Learn the Guitar?
1. Online Guitar Lessons by Guitar Tricks
Why I Selected It: The Best Guitar Learning App for Beginners and Advanced Players
Guitar Tricks has created a fantastic guitar learning app with over 11,000 unique and substantial lessons that can help both beginners and experts.
You will never run out of resources thanks to the massive database of online guitar lessons. As your skill level improves, you will always have a lesson to refer to.
Since 1998, Guitar Tricks has provided online lessons through its website. Their expertise is evident in a guitar app built on tried-and-true methods and ample resources.
This, in my opinion, is the best guitar learning app available.
The Core Learning System is the name given to the Guitar Tricks method for easy learning.
Guitar Tricks is one of the best guitar apps for beginners because of the Core Learning System. This system guides you through a lengthy process in which you begin your guitar training with the fundamentals. They will first teach you how to pick a guitar, hold a guitar, basic guitar chords, and strum on your guitar.
From there, you’ll progress to more advanced lessons where you’ll learn scales, minor chords, and how to read music correctly. The lessons continue to build on each other as you become more familiar with the fundamentals of guitar playing. What’s more, the best part? You will be playing songs at every stage of the Core Learning System!
It simplifies guitar instruction for beginners.
This is reassuring for a novice like me (and you!).
This guitar app is simple and easy to use. It ensures that you have a solid foundation before moving on to more complex elements.
If you want to self-teach guitar (which is possible! ), having an app like Guitar Tricks on hand is a great way to stay motivated and inspired to play whenever you can.
The guitar app will also appeal to beginners because it teaches various music styles in an easy-to-understand manner.
You might want to learn the fundamentals of rock, country, funk, or blues. Guitar Tricks provides you with learning resources as well as a variety of instructors to choose from. They provide some of the best online guitar lessons for both beginners and advanced players.
(I’m starting with the Beatles’ catalog.)
Here’s what another Guitar Tricks student, Robert G., had to say:
“Most guitar lesson websites make beginners do tedious exercises and drills for months before they can make music. If you’re new to Guitar Tricks, you’ll be making music by Day 1!
Every time you learn something new, it is immediately placed in a musical context to make it more enjoyable! I began by playing simple songs.”
Guitar Tricks’ guitar playing app has excellent features for both beginners and advanced players.
Some of these features include over 1,000 iconic songs with new releases every week, step-by-step video lessons in its Core Learning System, an easily navigable website, some of the best-experienced guitar instructors, and individual coaching sessions.
Guitar Tricks also provides a free trial period, allowing users to determine whether they like the platform and believe it is the best guitar learning app.
Guitar Tricks’ Guitar Lessons app is available for iOS and Android devices.
If you want to improve your guitar skills, this is the first app you should try.
As previously stated, Guitar Tricks is one of the best guitar apps for beginners; however, with its wide range of services, it is also an excellent starting point for guitar players of all levels.
To begin your free trial, please click the button below. Believe me, you’ll be hooked in no time.
2. Jamorama
Why I chose it: Jamorama provides unlimited access to their content.
One of the most significant advantages of using Jamorama is that you have lifetime access to their content. This feature is not available from every company, distinguishing Jamorama from its competitors.
Jamorama also provides a 120-day money-back guarantee. If the Jamorama interface or video content does not suit your tastes, you are entitled to a full refund.
Jamorama teaches a variety of essential guitar skills.
The Jamorama guitar system teaches the following lessons:
The Jamorama guitar system offers the following lessons to be learned:
- Foundational skills
- Chords
- Strumming
- Styles
- Techniques
- Scales
- Progressions
- Lead Guitar
- The Blues
- Fingerstyle Guitar
- Picking Patterns
- Songs
- Music Theory
- Guitar TAB
- Improvisation
- Goal Setting
- Practice Routines
- Guitar Maintenance
3. Jellynote
Why I Selected It: Jellynote provides training for a wide range of musical instruments.
Perhaps you want to learn the guitar but also want to learn the piano, bass, ukulele, violin, flute, or another instrument. Jellynote is one of the few guitar learning apps that also teaches you how to play other instruments. However, because it is not solely focused on learning the guitar, Jellynote may not be the best guitar teaching app. However, if you want to become a dynamic musician, Jellynote is an excellent place to start.
Jellynote also provides some free sheet music. If you already know how to read sheet music and just want access to more music, Jellynote is a fantastic resource!
4. Fender Plays
Why I Selected It: You have the ability to “choose your path.”
Many guitarists are familiar with the brand Fender. Even if you’ve never plucked a single note on a guitar string, you’ve probably heard of Fender.
This music industry titan is now allowing anyone to learn to play the guitar online.
Fender Play, their app, is available for both Android and Apple devices. It aspires to be a professional and all-encompassing resource for people looking for the best online guitar lessons.
This guitar tutorial app is designed for beginners.
Fender Play provides a wide range of bite-sized tutorials for both beginning and advanced guitarists. Their lessons can range from three minutes to longer courses, depending on the subject matter. Furthermore, their bite-sized lessons make learning to play the guitar easy to digest, making Fender Play one of the best guitar playing apps for guitar training.
Fender Play, like its competitors, provides a free trial.
You can start a free trial, as with some of the other apps, before committing. This will enable you to determine whether these beginner guitar lessons are appropriate for you. Furthermore, their trial period lasts seven days, giving you just enough time to see how the app can help you with your guitar practice.
Fender Play is one of the most user-friendly and dependable guitar-playing apps.
Fender is a trustworthy brand, and its app has been recommended by many other well-known music and entertainment companies.
They want you to be able to play your favorite songs in minutes. If this is how you want to learn guitar online, Fender Play could be the app for you.
It is a straightforward app that can be accessed via phone, tablet, or computer. Following your free trial, you can select a monthly or yearly plan.
Both beginning and advanced guitarists can benefit from their guitar learning system. The app will teach you strumming patterns, finger placements, and chords.
Fender Play is one of the best guitar learning apps available due to its high quality and flexibility. If you’re just starting out with online guitar lessons, I recommend this app.
5. Guitar Pro
Why I chose it: It is constantly changing.
Guitar Pro ensures that learning guitar online never becomes monotonous or repetitive. The most recent version of the app, Guitar Pro 7.5, has some features that make it one of the best apps to learn guitar on, such as the ability to edit the clef, key signature, time signature, tuning, tempo, triplet feet, sections, chords, fermata, and texts all within your score.
Other features of the 7.5 update include the ability to search for files directly in the browser, the ability to play thousands of tabs, the ability to convert your old Guitar Pro files, the ability to set up tuning string by string, and many more.
Guitar Pro has an excellent guitar learning system that allows you to play along with transcriptions, access a music library, and educate yourself freely.
You can either choose from a list of favorite guitarists’ best riffs or write down your own. The abundance of resources available ensures that learning guitar online is a simple process.
Smart reading features like “loop mode” help you improve your reading technique. Because the app is powered by a guitar learning system, both beginners and seasoned pros can benefit from using it for a few practice sessions in their guitar training.
6. Truefire
Why I chose it: Truefire promotes working at your own pace.
To become a good guitar player, you must consistently carve out time to learn and develop your skills; Truefire allows you to develop skills at any time and on any device.
Truefire is intended for guitarists of all abilities.
They advertise as a platform for players of all skill levels. Some platforms cater to either beginners or advanced players, but Truefire is a good compromise that caters to everyone.
Truefire will undoubtedly provide value if you are looking for the best guitar app for beginners. Furthermore, if you want to create a long-term strategy for learning and growing on the platform, Truefire offers courses for when you graduate from the beginner stage.
Other advantages of using Truefire include:
- Top Educators
- Tab & Notation
- 1080p HD Video
- Progress Tracking
- Slow-mo & Looping
- Learning Paths
- Interactive Curriculum
- Videos for All Skill Levels
7. Live Guitar Lessons by JamPlay
Why I chose it: It is suitable for beginners to advanced students and offers live lessons.
JamPlay is the next app I recommend.
JamPlay, like Guitar Tricks, has a large library of chords and lessons to help you practice.
The guitar app includes a variety of lessons that will allow you to use it as both an acoustic and an electric guitar app. It is a valuable tool that provides specific guidance on a wide range of techniques.
JamPlay provides a wide range of courses and lessons taught by qualified instructors.
They have 450+ On-Demand Courses with over 6,500 lessons. These courses and lessons are taught by over 100 different teachers.
They are among the best online guitar lessons available today due to their variety and breadth of expertise. And, as evidenced by the numerous reviews, the teaching is of high quality.
A JamPlay membership grants you access to all lessons taught by all instructors.
JamPlay provides lessons in a variety of genres.
It’s also a great app for broadening your musical tastes. They provide lessons in over 20 different genres. It’s encouraging that they’ve been going for 14 years.
Both the website and the app are simple to use. Signing up and getting started is simple. The emphasis is on learning the guitar, and software, and you won’t be distracted by unnecessary ads or side projects.
What distinguishes JamPlay as one of the best guitar learning programs? It is live video instruction.
The JamPlay app, unlike the Guitar Play app, provides live video lessons for easy beginner songs, allowing site members to play and interact with the instructor.
JamPlay not only provides live video sessions, but they also provide them in two formats. JamPlay hosts weekly workshops live every week for those who are interested. They also record the live workshops for those who want to watch them later.
Furthermore, JamPlay provides a live Q&A where users can log in at any time during an eight-hour period and receive assistance with anything. This feature alone is one of the reasons JamPlay is at the top of my list of the best guitar learning apps.
JamPlay is one of the best guitar apps for Android and Apple, and it is used all over the world. It is a convenient app with an ever-changing database and a wide range of guitar lessons.
8. Ultimate Guitar: Chords and Tabs
Why I chose it: It has a large selection of guitar songs.
The content of this guitar app is worthy of the title “Ultimate Guitar” because it has one of the most extensive collections of chords and tabs of any app on the market.
The app contains over 1 million songs that can be learned using simple chords and tabs. The impressive database is also based on popular and easy-to-play songs that are ideal for beginners.
Ultimate Guitar: Chord and Tabs is an excellent learning resource with a sizable subscriber base. This guitar playing app is one of the best guitar apps for beginners due to its extensive library.
This online guitar learning app is reminiscent of older guitar learning resources, but it is also available to guitarists today.
The library of tabs and chords is constantly updated and rated by users to help them quickly find the best song resources. Because of the app’s simple guitar learning system, both beginners and experts can benefit greatly from it.
For over 20 years, Ultimate Gear has been refining its platform.
Since its inception in 1998, Ultimate Guitar has built a strong community of over 10 million registered users who participate in forums, contribute tabs, lessons, and articles, and are enthusiastic fans of all things rock’n’roll.
The guitar app also includes a Top 100 list where you can find and learn to play your favorite songs. It is a user-friendly app that caters to an ever-growing community of guitarists.
Ultimate Guitar is available for download from the Android and Apple app stores and will be an excellent addition to your guitar learning resources.
9. ChordBank
Why I chose it: It focuses on learning all types of chords.
Chordbank is an excellent app for beginning musicians. All of our favorite songs are built on chords. You can play thousands of pop, rock, and blues songs with ease if you learn 4 or 5 chords. Chordbank is a straightforward app with a straightforward goal.
The Chordbank app is a handy and simple tool that shows you how to finger a wide range of chords.
After only a few hours with this app, you will have a better understanding of the fretboard. It will also help you improve your understanding of harmony and rhythm.
The clever interface also includes useful video lessons and a tuner. It was one of the best apps for learning guitar in 2020, and it appears to be a popular choice in the future.
Chordbank has it all, whether you want to start with major and minor chords or progress to diminished and half-diminished chords.
Thousands of chords, scales, practice tools, and interactive lessons are available in this guitar app. ChordBank is a great resource for a wide variety of guitar chords for kids.
Because of the simplicity of the guitar learning system, both children and adults will find it easy to use.
Chordbank is available on iOS and Android devices. It is an excellent app for any musician who wants to learn the fundamentals of guitar playing and music.
10. Yousician
Why I chose it: It provides more than just the guitar.
Yousician is a fantastic learning app that includes resources for all types of instruments and is not limited to guitar.
It stands out as the best app for learning bass guitar and a standard guitar on this list.
The guitar app is designed specifically for beginners, with simple step-by-step explanations for fundamental guitar riffs and chords.
Yousician’s goal is to teach you how to move around the guitar while also teaching you how to play simple songs with simple chords.
It is free to download and has several paid premium plans for those who want to delve deeper into the Yousician library and gain a more comprehensive musical experience.
The app is simple to use and navigate. There are also a number of useful practice songs and a great tuner to make your learning experience go more smoothly.
It is a music education app that is enthusiastic. “A diverse group of hardcore audio engineers, music educators, software developers, game designers, marketers, and visual artists” make up the company. You are receiving a wide range of input and expertise, which should make your learning experience more valuable.
Yousician is a popular app available on Apple and Android that has a growing database of songs and users. It is one of the best guitar learning apps available, and you should try it out.
11. Justin Guitar
Why I chose it: Started by a Prominent Guitar Teacher
Justin Guitar is another great app for learning guitar for free. The app is the brainchild of Justin Sandercoe, one of the world’s leading guitar teachers.
Justin has over a million YouTube subscribers. His popularity is also a testament to his ability to communicate musical ideas in a straightforward and approachable manner.
The guitar learning app is ideal for beginning guitarists as well as more advanced guitarists looking to advance their skills.
The app also includes a useful self-assessment system for tracking your guitar progress.
All of the guitar songs are presented in the traditional play-along format. This means that with backing tracks and lyrics, you can learn quickly. Furthermore, the tempo and sounds can be easily adjusted to suit your ability and preferences.
This app is one of the best for learning guitar because of its small but precise elements. Perhaps because it was created by a well-known guitar instructor, the app feels very familiar and intuitive, making practicing simple.
JustinGuitar.com began as a small website offering a few lessons as a sample to promote private lessons in July 2003. It grew steadily in its early years, with Justin frequently adding content to keep himself occupied while on tour, much of which was done on a laptop in hotel rooms around the world.
Justin Guitar is a popular app available on both Apple and Android platforms. It is one of the best guitar learning apps for beginners.
12. Gibson Powered by Amped!
Why I Selected It: A new approach to learning guitar through apps.
Gibson, last but not least. Amped! is in charge. With augmented audio reality, this new app aims to supplement traditional beginner guitar lessons.
What exactly is augmented audio reality (AAR)? “The app listens to you and modifies your playing in real-time,” according to Gibson Powered by Amped!. It’s an immersive experience that makes learning more enjoyable — all in the name of keeping you motivated to play more. As a result, it teaches you how to play without making you feel like a novice.”
You only need a guitar and some headphones to completely transform your learning experience. They also provide a variety of beginner guitar lessons as well as resources for more advanced guitarists.
There are numerous free online guitar lessons available on the internet, which is why apps such as Amped Guitar are attempting to do things differently. Furthermore, if you’re having trouble learning with traditional apps, you could try Amped.
The best online guitar lessons and apps for learning guitar should both challenge and reward you. Furthermore, while the practice is never easy, a good app can make it more efficient and enjoyable.
Amped is an exciting new online guitar learning platform that is currently only available for Apple products.
They are working to make Amped available on the Google Play Store for Android devices. You’ll have to wait unless you have an iPhone or iPad!
13. Amplitube
Why I chose it: It broadens what you can do on the guitar.
Amplitube is more of a guitar accessory than a learning system. It’s an all-in-one tone studio where you can build your dream guitar or bass rig.
Amplitube is designed for advanced guitarists.
The guitar playing app gives you virtual access to some of the best guitar gear available. It is an app for guitarists who want to advance and secure the most professional guitar. As a result, it is not a beginner’s guitar app.
You can unlock gear collections inspired by some of the world’s most famous guitarists, such as Joe Satriani. These features combine to make Amplitube one of the best apps for learning guitar gear tricks.
Amplitube is the app to get if you’re into gear and sonic experimentation. “Harness the power of AmpliTube’s massive and expandable collection of ultra-realistic virtual amplifiers, stompbox effects, cabinets, and more,” it says.
It’s worth noting that the Amplitube app requires the iRig UA hardware interface to work properly.
You can install the Amplitube app on Android or Apple devices as long as you have the necessary equipment.
It is more design-friendly than some of the other apps. The content of this guitar app is expensive due to the rig required. However, if you’re looking for a complete professional guitar and bass multi-effects processor, this is the app for you.
Alternatives to Guitar Apps
As demonstrated above, technology can be extremely beneficial when learning to play the guitar.
Most people will benefit greatly from these apps, but some people may feel uncomfortable interacting with technology in this manner. As a result, it is critical to highlight alternative guitar learning methods.
If you are not technologically savvy, you may prefer to take lessons from a local musician or tutoring service.
Although guitar apps have expanded the reach of music education, personal lessons and practice can provide a wealth of information.
Learning online can help you improve your technique, but nothing beats playing live with other musicians.
Many musicians also use multipurpose websites like YouTube to help them learn to play the guitar. I reviewed a number of YouTube channels devoted to music education and guitar instruction for beginners.
You can cherry-pick from a wide range of YouTube channels to find the right teacher for you. In addition, regardless of your skill level, YouTube is a fantastic resource.
Keep in mind that you may need to string together your curriculum on YouTube to ensure you are learning systematically (this is what something like Guitar Tricks excels at).
In recent years, there has also been an increase in the number of people who want to learn guitar through games. To avoid boredom, incorporate some games that will inspire you into your practice schedule.
There are games that can help you improve your finger placement and dexterity. Some games will help you improve your chord and harmonic knowledge. Whatever works for you is fantastic!!
If you want to get the most out of your guitar learning experience, it is worthwhile to engage with YouTube content as well as experiment with more traditional guitar learning apps.
What Is the Best Way to Learn Guitar?
The steps for teaching yourself to play guitar are listed below. Finding the best guitar app for beginners is one of the most important keys to success in learning guitar; what is considered the best guitar app for you, as a beginner, is dependent on what you are specifically looking for.
- Find and own a guitar that you adore!
Everyone has different guitar preferences, but we recommend doing some research on guitars for your level of play. Furthermore, before purchasing a guitar, we recommend that you try it out at a guitar store.
- Select your preferred guitar learning app to use.
Hopefully, reading this article has helped you decide which app is the best for learning guitar. Choose your favorite app, try it out, and then create a lesson plan using that app.
- Put in lots of practice time.
Choose and stick to a practice schedule that works for you; set aside time to learn the guitar.
- Learn the fundamental chords.
You have no chance of becoming a great guitarist unless you first master the fundamentals.
- Begin learning songs right away.
Learn a song to become acquainted with the process of learning a song. Then learn another, and another. You’ll soon be able to perform a variety of songs.
What is the Best Free Guitar Learning App?
Justin Guitar is the best free guitar learning app we recommend. Justin Sandercoe, the founder of Justin Guitar and one of the world’s leading guitar teachers, has over 1 million YouTube subscribers and is well-versed in all things guitar. This app has options for both beginning and advanced guitarists.
In addition, here are some of the best free guitar learning apps available:
- Justin Guitar
- GuitarTuna
- Guitar 3D
- Andy Guitar
- smartChord
- Metronomerous
- Yousician
- 3000 chords
Begin Learning to Play the Guitar Right Now!
To summarize:
There are numerous fantastic guitar apps available on the market that can assist you in learning to play the guitar.
Many free guitar apps offer high-quality content, and there are also paid apps that offer a more in-depth experience.
So far, my favorite is Guitar Lessons by Guitar Tricks.
You could test out several apps to see which one best meets your learning requirements.
Your choice may be influenced by whether you require a large chord database. Or a wide range of lessons on various techniques.
Both will be available in the best guitar apps.
Online Guitar Instruction
If you don’t want to learn through a guitar app, there are plenty of other online resources available. There are also numerous websites where you can find free online guitar lessons.
YouTube is a great place to find guitar lessons and resources. If you want to learn with someone else, you can look for teachers at your local musical school or music store. Right now, that would most likely be through live video.
If you are not interested in in-app learning, you should look for some of the best guitar books for self-teaching. Furthermore, the traditional method is dependable and has helped many beginners become experts over the years.
Bear in mind:
Prepare to sign up for one of these guitar apps’ subscription services to get the best experience.
There are free versions available, but even as a beginner, you will quickly exhaust the song, chord, or tab libraries.
Obtaining free online guitar lessons is now easier than ever. However, it is worthwhile to consider some of the best guitar learning apps that require payment. You will also receive more than what you paid for.
The best guitar learning app will be one that is appropriate for your skill level and learning process.
It’s time to get out there and play now that you’ve found a reliable learning resource!
Every day, spend time practicing.
Sign up with a friend for online guitar app lessons. Then, via video conferencing, jam with them!
You can learn a lot from other musicians about things you might struggle to understand on your own. Start learning in your preferred app, then start playing with other guitarists!
Now that I’ve given you a list of the best apps for learning guitar as a beginner, the next step is up to you.
What do you think is the best app for beginners to learn guitar?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
