Sideman

No band?
No problem.

Sideman is your backing band, on call. Pick a song or a style and the band starts playing. The chord chart, the chord shapes and the fretboard follow along, so you always know what comes next.

Coming to iPhone, Android and the web. One email when it launches, nothing else. Privacy

Sideman playing a 12-bar blues in A: the chord chart with bar 6 lit, the D7 chord shape, and the A minor pentatonic scale on the fretboard

How it plays

  1. Pick a song or a style. Blues, rock, funk, jazz, country, bossa and more, in any key and at any tempo.
  2. The band counts you in. Drums, bass and keys or guitar, playing the chart you picked.
  3. You play along. The bar that's playing lights up, with the chord shape for now and next and the notes to solo with on the neck.

The chart follows the band

Every bar lights up as the band plays it. Chord diagrams show the shape for this chord and the next, in the inversion you choose, and the band plays that inversion too. The fretboard shows the scale, the chord tones and the shape under your fingers.

  • 20 band styles, any key, any tempo
  • Loop the bars you're working on, or let the tempo trainer speed you up
  • Write your own charts, or have Sideman generate a new song
The Jam screen in dark mode playing Mixolydian Rock in D: the chord chart with bar 4 lit, D/F# and C/E chord shapes, and the fretboard

Play with a real band

Studio tracks are recorded songs with every part kept separate: drums, bass, guitar, keys, horns. Turn any part down or off and play it yourself. Slow it down without changing the key, and loop a section until it's yours.

  • Blues, surf, funk, gospel, country swing, bossa nova and more
  • More songs on the way
  • Part of Sideman Pro
A Studio track, Surf Rock, playing with the rhythm guitar muted in the mixer

Learn licks that fit the song

Original licks, technique drills and learning paths, with notation and tab that follow the band. Hear a lick, slow it down, then jam it over a backing track in the same key.

  • Blues, rock, country, jazz and funk vocabulary
  • Scales, modes and chord progressions in every key
  • A daily practice routine, and your minutes tracked
A lick lesson: Box 1 Opener, with notation and a Play button

Tune up and dial in

A tuner, tone presets for every style, a pedal chain to hear what each effect does, and a gear shop with picks at every budget, from first pedal to top shelf.

  • Plug in through an audio interface and play through amp captures
  • Honest buyer's guides and reviews
  • Find players, jams and open mics near you
The gear shop, with pedals sorted by type and budget

Bring your own songs

Add a song you own from your phone. Sideman listens to it and writes the chart: the tempo, the bar lines, the key and the chords. Then play along with the chart following the recording, slowed down if you like. Your music stays on your phone.

Free to play. Pro when you want everything.

Free

  • 6 band styles and the song library
  • Chord shapes, inversions and the fretboard
  • Loops, metronome and drums-only practice
  • Tuner, tone presets and the pedal chain
  • The first lessons, licks and learning path
  • Two of your own songs at a time

Sideman Pro

  • All 20 band styles
  • Studio tracks: real recorded bands
  • Unlimited song generator and saved songs
  • Tempo trainer and endless jam
  • Every lesson, lick, drill and learning path
  • Plug-in amp with amp captures, and track export
  • As many of your own songs as you like

Monthly or yearly, with a free trial. Prices announced at launch.

Questions

When does it come out?
Sideman is in testing now. Join the waitlist and you'll hear the day it's out on the App Store, Google Play and the web. For first looks in the meantime, follow @playsideman on Instagram.
Do I need any gear?
Just your instrument and your phone, tablet or computer. Headphones or a speaker help. To play your guitar through the plug-in amp you'll want an audio interface.
Is it only for guitar?
It's made by a guitarist for guitarists, but the band, the charts and the Studio tracks work for anyone who wants to play along: bass, keys, harmonica, vocals.
Who's behind it?
A guitarist who wanted a band to practice with any time. Say hello: support@sidemanapp.com

Your band is warming up.