Hey Product Hunt! I've been playing guitar for years, and I've always struggled with the massive gap between expensive 1-on-1 lessons and trying to learn on my own through static YouTube videos.
That frustration led me to build SoundGate Guitar - an AI music tutor that listens to your playing and gives immediate, real-time feedback. While building it, I've thought a lot about the future of creative learning. AI is incredible at detecting mistakes, analyzing technique, and providing instant guidance, but music is also deeply personal and emotional.
I m curious to hear your take: Do you think AI tools will eventually replace traditional tutors for creative skills like music and art, or will they strictly serve as practice companions between human lessons? Let me know your thoughts!
Real-time note detection on an interactive fretboard with no perceptible lag is a hard technical problem, nicely done. Curious about the audio pipeline given the USB interface support on macOS. How well does detection hold up with a distorted amp tone compared to a clean acoustic signal?
SoundGate Guitar
@adamkamaneh Great question! The algorithm is currently optimized for clean tones, so accuracy may drop with distortion. We’re working to improve detection across distortion and other effects. A USB interface generally improves accuracy by reducing background and microphone noise.
This feels like the kind of tool that keeps a beginner from quitting in month two. Instant feedback on the fretboard sounds so much better than recording yourself and guessing what went wrong. Do the practice routines adapt over time based on what the scoring shows you keep missing?
SoundGate Guitar
@doganakbulut we built this specifically to keep people playing past month two. Yes, the lessons and exercises adapt your level and the AI remembers everything you miss and dynamically adjusts your routines so you are always improving exactly what you need to.
Congrats to the team! Real-time feedback is the genuinely hard part here. Most practice tools grade you after the fact, once the muscle memory is already set. Excited to try this one. Does it work with an acoustic through a laptop mic, or do you need to plug in?
SoundGate Guitar
@ben_kahan thanks. And yes, it works flawlessly with an acoustic through your standard laptop mic! No plugging in required unless you're trying to shred on an electric.
As generative AI becomes capable of creating music, do you see it replacing musicians, or can tools like SoundGate help more people become musicians?
SoundGate Guitar
@jonatan_saban1 We see AI helping more people become musicians, not replacing them. Music is about human expression, and AI can make learning more accessible by giving people the guidance and feedback they need to develop their own skills and sound.
MinkNote
Hey @aren_barseghyan congrats on the launch!
Everything looks really slick - great video, website, content. As a guitar player can't wait to try your app. Even have the USB interface for my guitar!
Also have you heard about Apple's Music Understanding framework (no affiliation) - seems like a great way to bring in AI features for music apps.
SoundGate Guitar
@aren_barseghyan @demianturner Thanks so much, Demian! Since you already have a USB interface, you’re all set for the best detection experience. And thanks for pointing us toward Apple’s Music Understanding framework. We’ll definitely explore it! 🎸🚀
the zero lag note detection feels genuinely useful, especially when working through scales. the AI tutor suggestions were surprisingly specific to what i was messing up.
SoundGate Guitar
@stephanie_alice This is exactly what we hoped to hear, Stephanie! Practicing scales without instant feedback can be so frustrating. We specifically trained the AI to look at the exact nuances of what you are playing so it can give you that hyper-specific advice, rather than just a generic try again So glad it's helping you dial in those scales 🎸
Love the look of this! Learning scales from static fretboard diagrams has always been the part I struggle with. Having something interactive or that actually lights up as you play sounds like it would make it click so much faster. Excited to give this a go.
SoundGate Guitar
@afb Thanks, Archie! That’s exactly the problem we wanted to solve - turning static diagrams into something visual, interactive, and connected to your playing. Excited for you to try it! 🎸