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iPhone Applications for Music
By Kevin | March 31, 2009
Have you got an iPhone or an iPod touch yet?
If so maybe you are aware of the amazing amount of applications (programs) that are available through the iTunes app store. There has been an explosion of the development of these applications in the last year, and there are a great many related to music.
When we first looked at this around six months ago there were hardly any applications for music – but now a click on “music” within the itunes app store reveals 45 pages worth of applications, all based around music.
It used to be that you’d pay over $100 for a decent chromatic tuner, and sometimes even over $200 for a metronome. We’d also have to carry them around in our bags. now there is the iPhone and the iPod touch we don’t have to have expensive pieces of hardware to do these jobs – we can use our mobile phones!
With the iPhone and the iPod touch you have the option of adding applications to do these things in many cases for free, or for just a few dollars.
Firstly, a Metronome:
The best application available free:
Metronome
This simple application is the most amazing metronome we found available for iPhone or iPod touch, and whats more it is FREE!
This application was developed as sample code for iPhone developers – and therefore was probably developed by someone very talented at apple themselves, and so the interface is beautiful!
You simply drag the arm horizon ally to start it, and drag the arm vertically to change the tempo – just like an old fashioned wind up metronome!
For more features the best paid one we tested was:
Tempo
This metronome application has a wide variety of time signatures, plus a tap function. If you are looking for a little more functionality than the free metronome, then this one would be ideal, and for only $1.19 it is excellent value.
Secondly, A Tuner
There is a wide variety of tuners available in the iTunes App store, ranging from just over a dollar to over $100 for “pro” level tuners.
For most musicians a simple tuner is all that is required – which you can buy for as little as $1.20 at this stage:
The cheapest option we found:
Easy Tune
The best option we found:
Cleartune
This Tuner is the best we’ve found to do a simple yet effective tuning Job. It easily works as well as any fixed hardware tuner, and has support for different temperaments, transposing instruments and different notations (eg solfedge) so it is very useful for anyone teaching music.
This little application is vitally important for those who want to know exactly how LOUD something is. It contains all the features of a professional SPL meter, and you can have it on hand any time you need to check the volume of something for occupational heath and safety reasons.
This set of ear training tools is excellent for music teachers and anyone wishing to improve their aural skills.
The paid version at $17.99 contains every type of interval, plus chord and scale recognition. Its an excellent tool, and makes a game out of aural drills which can be quite tiresome for students learning for the aural component of music exams.
There is a free version available, featuring just a few levels, but it is certainly enough to get you started – and if you are working towards exams then it is ideal to help with your aural training.
I thought I’d let this video from the developers explain what this ear training tool can do:
We’ll continue to add more excellent Apps as we find them – and we’ll do some follow up articles based on Apps for iPhones and other mobile devices as we find them.
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Topics: Uncategorized | 9 Comments »
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:20 pm
[...] iPhone Applications for MusicHave you got an iPhone or an iPod touch yet? If so maybe you are aware of the amazing amount of applications (programs) that are available through the iTunes app store. There has been an explosion of the development of these …http://music-software-guide.com/?p=44 [...]
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:26 pm
[...] iPhone Applications for MusicHave you got an iPhone or an iPod touch yet? If so maybe you are aware of the amazing amount of applications (programs) that are available through the iTunes app store. There has been an explosion of the development of these …http://music-software-guide.com/?p=44 [...]
August 21st, 2009 at 8:49 pm
I just came across this site. Great information here! It’s crazy what you can do with some of these i-Pod applications, isn’t it?
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:47 am
Thanks for sharing this post. Music teachers must appreciate and take advantage of these innovative applications appropriate for music students and enthusiasts. These amazingly great programs can surely enhance and modify the levels of development of each and every learner. Also, these music teaching software can also be utilized both in the classroom and in a private music studio. Just in case, you wish to have more reliable and useful resources for music teachers, feel free to check this page out and see how these tips can take your teaching experience to the next level.
January 19th, 2010 at 5:55 pm
[...] All that sitting time, no matter where it is, can be put to good use for practicing music, too. Use your imagination. I do fingerings but that wouldn’t work for a trombone player. Singing works for everyone. If you have an iPhone, check out the following apps: Karajan, app list. [...]
March 12th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Your readers need to be aware of a trumpet practice app for fingerings and ear training entitled “Trumpet Pro” with a companion product called “French Horn Pro”. Both products enable the user to write their own short music segments and practice them at different speeds. See the website http://www.contactplus.com/trumpetpro for more info.
April 13th, 2010 at 11:15 am
I still think it’s amazing what the new ipod applications are doing. And with the new iPhone coming out soon, I’m even more pumped up!
May 24th, 2010 at 6:06 am
What a liar, you were never a musician, the most expensive real metronome out there is around $50 but most musician goes for the more compact metronome which costs around $20. Keep lying and you may make few sales with your app.
June 27th, 2010 at 7:19 am
Thanks for your comment. I actually am a professional musician. I paid $350 Dollars for a Boss Dr Beat DB66 in around 1991, when I was at university studying for my masters degree. I still have it today.
PS I’m not making a cent out of sales of any apps here. The main iphone app I recommend in this article is a free one from apple.