These fretboard lights show you how to play guitar

We've seen dozens of guitar learning aids this year, but it seems there's still room for innovation, as French co FRETX launches its own brand of teaching tool.

As you can see in the cheeky promo video above, FRETX is a series of coloured lights that attaches to any guitar and shows budding guitarists where to place their fingers to aid chord and scale playing.

An iOS/Android app then sends Bluetooth signals with chosen chord fingerings, which tell the FRETX which lights to illuminate.

The system itself is thin and lightweight, and compatible with electric, acoustic and classical guitars, as well as right- and left-handed guitar players.

Pretty nifty. Obviously, the device only covers the first four frets, so you're not going to be undertaking any John Petrucci-style rock disciplinaries with this, but for beginner guitarists, it might just provide a push in the right direction.

FRETX has just launched on Indiegogo, and will retail for $89, but early adopter packages are available for $49.

This isn't the first guitar learning aid we've seen in recent months - here are just a few of the other wacky ideas that aim to make playing the six-string simple:

Michael Astley-Brown

Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and 15 years' experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. His writing also appears in the The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.