The 8 best apps for bass tabs on mobile

Learning bass can be tough, but with the right tools, it's totally doable. If you're looking for an easy way to learn new bass lines on your phone, you've come to the right place! We've rounded up the eight best apps for bass tabs on mobile, covering everything from beginner-friendly lessons to advanced features like backing tracks and custom transcriptions.

Our top picks? Yousician is awesome for learning the basics and getting feedback on your playing. For a huge library of tabs and chords, Ultimate Guitar is your go-to. And if you're really serious about bass, Real Bass electric bass guitar is a realistic simulator that lets you play along with real songs.

App Logo Available On Reviews Downloads Features
1. Yousician Yousician Icon Android, iOS 4.6/5 39M+ Interactive lessons, Immediate feedback, Personalized learning
2. Ultimate Guitar Ultimate Guitar Icon Android, iOS 4.7/5 23M+ World's largest catalog, 15,000+ songs in original sound
3. Real Bass electric bass guitar Real Bass electric bass guitar Icon Android, iOS 4.5/5 13M+ Interactive play-along loops, Multiple video lessons
4. Songsterr Guitar Tabs & Chords Songsterr Guitar Tabs & Chords Icon Android, iOS 4.6/5 4M+ Realistic Guitar Engine, Million+ Accurate Tabs, Official Audio
5. GuitarTab GuitarTab Icon Android, iOS 4.7/5 3M+ 1,000,000+ free tabs, Realistic sound engine, Offline access
6. Learn how to play Bass Guitar Learn how to play Bass Guitar Icon Android, iOS 4.2/5 1M+ Visually shows how to play, Helps to read music, Slow speed playback
7. Guitar Tabs X Guitar Tabs X Icon Android, iOS 4.1/5 740K+ Interactive tablature interface, Special tab editing keyboard
The 8 best apps for bass tabs on mobile

1. Yousician

Yousician Icon

Interactive lessons, learn as you play, Instant feedback, track your progress

Cost:

Free (Free), Premium ($19.99/month)


Download:

Android iOS

Application information

Category Education
Downloads Over 39 million downloads
Features Yousician offers interactive lessons, personalized feedback, a learning path designed by music teachers, step-by-step videos, and thousands of songs to play.
Who It’s For Beginner to advanced bass players looking for an app that uses interactive lessons and feedback to improve their skills.
App For Bass Tabs Yousician includes a comprehensive library of bass tabs, making it ideal for learning and playing songs.
Yousician - Interactive lessons, Immediate feedback, Personalized learning
  • Tags:
  • Real-time feedback
  • Personalized learning
  • Thousands of songs

Yousician, a popular app for bass tabs, promises a fun and engaging way to learn the instrument, but some users find the learning experience falls short. While the initial free portion provides a basic introduction, the paid subscription unlocks a library of songs that require a level of proficiency that the app doesn’t fully prepare you for. Users have also expressed frustration with the app's push to constantly progress to new material, even when they haven't mastered the basics. This leaves some feeling like the app doesn't adequately address the fundamentals and forces them to repeat lessons at a frustratingly slow pace.

Pros & Cons

  • Interactive learning experience
  • Provides feedback on playing
  • Offers a variety of songs
  • Good for beginners
  • Limited free content
  • Expensive subscription cost
  • Limited focus on technique

Why we chose it?

Yousician is my go-to app for bass tabs because it's super interactive and makes learning fun. It's like having a personal bass teacher in your pocket, guiding you through each note and chord with instant feedback. Plus, the huge library of songs means I can learn my favorite tunes and impress my friends!

✨ Read more: app to learn singing for free

2. Ultimate Guitar

Ultimate Guitar Icon

Largest bass tab catalog, Offline access for practice, Personalized tab collections

Cost:

Free (Free), Ultimate Guitar Pro ($9.99/month)


Download:

Android iOS

Application information

Category Music & Audio
Downloads Over 23 million downloads
Features Ultimate Guitar provides a vast collection of bass tabs, chords, and lyrics, allowing you to learn your favorite songs, customize tabs, access offline content, and even watch instructional videos.
Who It’s For Bass players of all levels who want to learn new songs and improve their skills.
Ultimate Guitar - World's largest catalog, 15,000+ songs in original sound
  • Tags:
  • Massive song catalog
  • Offline access
  • Tonebridge effects

Ultimate Guitar is a powerhouse app for bass tabs, offering a vast library of accurate tabs and chords that helped one user break through a decade-long plateau. While the recent change to the chord library, displaying only finger positions instead of chord names, has been met with disappointment, the app continues to shine with its comprehensive catalog and ability to sync with Spotify playlists. A highly-requested feature would be a count-in before the tab starts, allowing bassists to position their hands and be ready to play. Whether you're a seasoned musician or just starting out, Ultimate Guitar offers a wealth of resources to enhance your bass skills and open up a whole new world of musical possibilities.

Pros & Cons

  • Extensive bass tab library
  • Quick access to information
  • Accurate tabs for learning
  • Improved timing and rhythm
  • Chord library usability reduced
  • Difficult tab contribution process
  • Missing count-in feature

Why we chose it?

Ultimate Guitar is my go-to for bass tabs because it's packed with an enormous library of tabs for all genres and skill levels. The user-friendly interface makes it easy to find what you're looking for, and the offline mode lets you practice anywhere, anytime. Plus, the community aspect lets you connect with other bass players and share tips – it's the ultimate bass learning experience!

✨ Read more: app for learning piano

3. Real Bass electric bass guitar

Real Bass electric bass guitar Icon

Interactive bass tab learning, High-quality bass sounds, Play-along with loops

Cost:

Free (Free), Pro ($4.99/month)


Download:

Android iOS

Application information

Category Music
Downloads Over 13 million downloads
Features Real Bass is an app for bass tabs that provides lessons, interactive play-along loops, and a diverse range of instruments with high-quality sound.
Who It’s For Anyone who wants to learn how to play bass guitar or practice playing their favorite songs.
Real Bass electric bass guitar - Interactive play-along loops, Multiple video lessons
  • Tags:
  • Interactive Play-Along
  • Multiple video lessons
  • Diverse range of instruments

Real Bass is a fantastic app for bass tabs that lets you learn, practice, and jam along to your favorite tunes. It's packed with features like adjustable tunings, including drop D, and even lets you record your playing as an MP3. While the app is incredibly fun to use on the go, some users have pointed out the need for added features like muting, bends, and customizable tone controls. Although the app's volume could be improved, Real Bass remains a great option for bassists seeking a portable and engaging way to practice and play along with their favorite tracks.. Real Bass electric bass guitar

Pros & Cons

  • Good for learning bass
  • Lets you drop tuning
  • Records and saves as mp3
  • Fun to play on the road
  • Laggy string response
  • No mute or palm mute
  • Low volume for playing along

Why we chose it?

I'm a huge fan of Real Bass! It's got a fantastic selection of bass tabs, and it's super easy to use. The app is really intuitive, so I can quickly find what I'm looking for, and the lessons are really helpful for learning new techniques. Plus, the sound quality is amazing, so I can practice without bothering anyone!

✨ Read more: app for learning guitar

4. Songsterr Guitar Tabs & Chords

Songsterr Guitar Tabs & Chords Icon

Huge catalogue of bass tabs, Interactive playback with realistic sound

Cost:

Free (Free), Songsterr Plus ($9.99/month)


Download:

Android iOS

Application information

Category Music & Audio
Downloads Over four million
Features Songsterr offers a massive library of bass tabs with an interactive player that includes features like playback speed control, looping, and solo mode for learning and practicing.
Who It’s For Bass players who want to learn new songs, practice their skills, and access a vast library of accurate tabs.
Songsterr Guitar Tabs & Chords - Realistic Guitar Engine, Million+ Accurate Tabs, Official Audio
  • Tags:
  • Huge tab library
  • Realistic guitar sound
  • Original synchronized audio

Songsterr Guitar Tabs & Chords is a fantastic app for bass tabs, offering a treasure trove of accurate transcriptions for a massive library of songs. While it shines on mobile devices like iPhones, some users report issues with audio syncing on Chromebooks, which can be frustrating for learning. However, the app's strengths lie in its intuitive interface, helpful features like YouTube video integration, and constant updates, making it a go-to choice for bass players seeking to expand their repertoire and learn new songs.

Pros & Cons

  • Great for learning bass
  • Has more than expected
  • Includes YouTube videos
  • Good for college classes
  • Tabs break occasionally
  • Timing issues on Chromebook
  • No auto landscape/portrait

Why we chose it?

Songsterr is a fantastic choice for bass tabs! It boasts a huge library of high-quality tabs, making it easy to find the exact song you're looking for. Plus, its interactive player lets you slow down tricky parts, loop sections, and even play along with the original audio – a feature that really elevates your learning experience. You'll definitely be impressed with Songsterr's user-friendly interface and powerful features for bass players!

✨ Read more: app for chord progressions

5. GuitarTab

GuitarTab Icon

Massive library of bass tabs, Offline access for practice, GuitarPro tab compatibility

Cost:

Free (Free), Premium ($5.99/month)


Download:

Android iOS

Application information

Category Music & Audio
Downloads Over 2.5 million downloads
Features GuitarTab offers a massive library of bass tabs, a built-in player, offline access, customizability options, and the ability to import your own tabs.
Who It’s For Bass players seeking a comprehensive app for finding and playing bass tabs.
GuitarTab - 1,000,000+ free tabs, Realistic sound engine, Offline access
  • Tags:
  • Massive tab library
  • Offline access
  • Realistic sound engine

GuitarTab is a fantastic app for bass tabs, boasting a massive library with hundreds of thousands of entries, including Guitar Pro tabs. Users praise the convenience and speed of finding resources, with many noting the app's usefulness for both beginners and intermediate players. While some users have flagged formatting issues, the app's auto-scroll feature and its extensive song selection, with multiple versions often available, make it a top choice for bass players seeking to expand their repertoire.

Pros & Cons

  • Large database of songs
  • Easy filtering for tabs
  • Auto scroll feature
  • Beginner to intermediate tools
  • Formatting and submitting
  • Navigation not the best
  • Not all tabs accurate

Why we chose it?

GuitarTab is my go-to for bass tabs because it has the largest library I've seen, meaning I can find just about any song I want to learn. It also lets me import my own tabs, which is super helpful for those rare tunes. And, let's be honest, the offline functionality is a total lifesaver when I'm on the go and can't rely on Wi-Fi!

6. Learn how to play Bass Guitar

Learn how to play Bass Guitar Icon

Animated bass tabs for visual learning, Interactive lessons with audio and visuals

Download:

Android iOS

Application information

Category Music & Audio
Downloads Over a million downloads
Features Learn to play bass guitar with seventy lessons, including animations, reading music, and a full band experience.
Who It’s For Beginners and intermediate bass players looking for an app for bass tabs and music theory instruction.
Learn how to play Bass Guitar - Visually shows how to play, Helps to read music, Slow speed playback

"Learn how to play Bass Guitar" is a mobile app for bass tabs that offers a surprisingly polished and intuitive learning experience, despite being free. While it focuses on basic training with a few loops, users have praised its clear layout and engaging animations. The app provides a visual representation of the fretboard alongside the tab notation, making it easy to follow along. Though some have noted that the score presentation and fretboard orientation could be improved for better consistency, the overall experience is considered a standout compared to other free bass learning apps.

Pros & Cons

  • Free and well-designed
  • Good for learning riffs
  • Intuitive interface
  • Better than other basic apps
  • Only basic training
  • Score inaccurate to fret animation
  • Fretboard orientation not ideal

Why we chose it?

I'm a huge fan of Learn how to play Bass Guitar! It's not just a tab app, it's a complete learning experience. It breaks down lessons into easy-to-follow steps, with animations showing you exactly how to play each note. And it's packed with lessons in tons of styles, so you can explore everything from rock to jazz to Latin music. Plus, the app's designed to help you learn how to read music, making it a really valuable tool for any aspiring bassist.

7. Guitar Tabs X

Guitar Tabs X Icon

Interactive tablature interface, Special tab editing keyboard

Cost:

Free (Free), Pro ($4.99/month)


Download:

Android iOS

Application information

Category Music & Audio
Downloads Over 740,000 downloads
Features Guitar Tabs X is a powerful guitar and bass tab editor with an interactive interface, chord insertion, full-screen viewing, and a dedicated tab file format.
Who It’s For Guitar and bass players, musicians, composers, bands, guitar schools, and beginners.
Guitar Tabs X - Interactive tablature interface, Special tab editing keyboard
  • Tags:
  • Interactive tablature
  • Special tab editing
  • Insert chords with a slide

Guitar Tabs X is a powerful and intuitive app for bass tabs that allows you to easily capture and edit your musical ideas. While it boasts features like a straightforward grid for setting up rhythmic complexities, various tunings, and a choice between distortion or regular tones, many users crave additional functionality. The app's current lack of hammer-ons, pull-offs, and harmonics, along with a need for improved sound quality and a more affordable pro mode, are common points of discussion. Despite these limitations, Guitar Tabs X provides a solid foundation for writing bass tabs, making it a valuable tool for musicians who want to capture their creative inspiration on the go.

Pros & Cons

  • Simple and easy to use
  • Good for writing ideas quickly
  • Supports odd time signatures
  • Offers multiple tuning options
  • Lacks hammer-ons and pull-offs
  • No tempo changes mid-song
  • Distortion effect sounds muddy
  • Pro mode is overpriced

Why we chose it?

I love Guitar Tabs X for bass! It's super easy to use with a special keyboard for entering tabs, and it even has a smart bar metrics algorithm that helps you make your tabs look pro. Plus, it's great for practicing because you can preview and play your tabs right in the app.

8. Tabs Lite

Tabs Lite Icon

Millions of free bass tabs, Offline access for favorite songs

Download:

Android iOS

Application information

Category Music & Audio
Downloads Over 20,000
Features Tabs Lite offers a vast library of bass tabs, allowing you to play along with your favorite songs, adjust the speed, transpose keys, and even save songs for offline access.
Who It’s For Bass players who want a free, easy-to-use app for finding and playing along with bass tabs.
Tabs Lite - 1 million chords and tabs, Auto scroll and speed adjustment
  • Tags:
  • Offline access
  • Key transposition
  • Auto-scroll

Tabs Lite is a fantastic app for bass tabs that delivers on the promise of a user-friendly, ad-free experience. While it might not have the sheer volume of tabs found on some other platforms, it shines in its simplicity and accuracy. Users praise its ease of navigation and ability to quickly find and save tabs, making it a worthy successor to the beloved, now-defunct, free version of a popular tab website. While the app still has room for improvement, with features like multi-selection and font customization being requested, its current iteration is a godsend for bass players seeking a reliable, free tab app.

Pros & Cons

  • Free and ad-free
  • No subscription model
  • Large tab library
  • Accurate and helpful
  • Limited song search
  • Can be buggy
  • No bass tab focus

Why we chose it?

Tabs Lite is a fantastic app for bass players because it offers a huge library of tabs, easy transposition, and a clean interface. I love that I can quickly find the bass tabs I need, adjust the key to match my song, and even create playlists to organize my favorite bass lines. And the best part? It's completely free with no ads!