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Solo Alternatives: 3 Fretboard Trainers Worth Trying
Guitar

Solo Alternatives: 3 Fretboard Trainers Worth Trying

By Udit M.·

The short answer: Solo is built for players who already know the neck and want to drill intervallic function for improvisation. If that's a level ahead of where you actually are, Gitori is the alternative that builds up to it — with a 7-day free trial and a guided path from fretboard notes into scale degrees, triads, and arpeggios. If you want a different kind of advanced tool, Fretuoso goes deep on notation reading and Fretonomy offers the broadest instrument toolbox.

Why look for a Solo alternative

Solo (from guitarists Tom Quayle and David Beebee) is a genuinely serious tool for intermediate/advanced improvisers, with four trainers, 100+ chord progressions, and 50+ scales and modes. The usual reasons to look elsewhere:

  • The learning curve is steep. It's built around intervallic-function drilling against a root, chord, or scale, not a beginner-friendly, sequenced path — a rough entry point if you're not already comfortable on the neck.
  • It's guitar and bass only — no keyboard support.
  • Pricing is a free tier plus subscription, and the free tier only goes so far for a tool this deep.

See the full Solo vs Gitori breakdown for specifics.

1. Gitori — best overall alternative

Gitori starts exactly where Solo assumes you already are and builds the path there: fretboard notes → scale degrees → triads → seventh chords → arpeggios → modes and the circle of fifths, for guitar, bass, and keyboard.

  • A sequenced curriculum, so you're never guessing what to practice next.
  • Runs everywhere, instantly — browser-first, with mobile apps too, no install to try it.
  • Live instrument detection and spaced review, answering with your real guitar and getting missed concepts resurfaced until they stick.
  • 7-day free trial, enough to work through the early courses.

The honest trade-off: if you're already past the fundamentals and specifically want intervallic-function drilling against real chord changes for improvisation, that's exactly Solo's specialty, and Gitori doesn't try to replace it.

2. Fretuoso

If your goal alongside improvisation is building real sight-reading skill, Fretuoso has the best staff-to-fretboard notation training in this space, plus eleven instruments with custom tunings and iCloud sync across Apple devices.

It's Apple-only (no Android or browser), and like Solo it's a notes-and-intervals tool rather than a full theory curriculum.

3. Fretonomy

If you want an advanced-feeling toolbox with more instrument variety than Solo's guitar-and-bass focus, Fretonomy covers nine instruments, 30+ mini-games, real-time audio detection, and a fretboard heat-map, with some depth into intervals and the circle of fifths.

It's mobile-only, and it doesn't offer Solo's dedicated intervallic-function-against-chord-changes drilling.

Which alternative should you pick?

  • Not quite ready for Solo's intervallic drilling and want to build up to it with a 7-day free trial? Gitori.
  • Want advanced practice plus real sight-reading training on Apple devices? Fretuoso.
  • Want a broad toolbox across more instruments than guitar and bass? Fretonomy.

Frequently asked questions

What's an easier alternative to Solo for beginners?

Gitori is the better starting point if Solo's intervallic-function drilling feels too advanced. It sequences fretboard notes, scale degrees, triads, and arpeggios into a guided path, so you arrive at the level Solo assumes with a clear route to get there, with a 7-day free trial.

Is there a free alternative to Solo?

Solo has a free tier, but Gitori's guided curriculum goes further, with a 7-day free trial before a subscription is needed, covering notes through arpeggios in guitar, bass, and keyboard courses.

Does Solo have a keyboard version?

No — Solo covers guitar (6/7-string) and bass (4/5-string) only. Gitori is the alternative here if you want the same kind of scale-degree and interval training on keyboard too.

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