As a musician, you’re well aware that inspiration can arrive at moment’s notice, when you least expect it. It’s frustrating if you can’t capture your melodies immediately. Sometimes, you just want to have fun with music, too. These apps can ensure that either way, you’ll save your musical ideas or enjoy playing your virtual instruments.
App Name: iComposer
Developer: JL
URL: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/icomposer/id317175102?mt=8
With iComposer, you can easily read or create sheet music when you want to share it with fellow musicians or friends. Just take any of the more than 80 musical elements to turn your compositions into readable music, and play it back with more than 130 instrumental sounds. This supports multi-parts, voices and staves for authentic scoring.
App Name: Symphony Pro
Developer: Xenon Labs, LLC
URL: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/symphony-pro/id412380315?mt=8
Does musical inspiration strike you at a moment’s notice? Don’t lose those ideas…instead, let Symphony Pro take down and playback music on your iPad instantly. You can either add to an existing composition, or start with a new one. Just use the built-in virtual 88-key or compatible MIDI keyboard to enter your notes or chords. Use the recording function to play what you’ve created.
App Name: Lua Piano
Developer: Truetic
URL: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lua-piano/id372097018?mt=8
This program lets you play piano, even when you don’t have one or aren’t near one. Practice your skills with the six pre-installed songs, and then download more for free when you are ready. If you like, you can compose your own songs. Lua Piano has high-quality 16-bit stereo sound and can play three octaves of sampled acoustic grand piano.
App Name: iWriteMusic
Developer: iWriteMusicProject
URL: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iwritemusic/id393624808?mt=8
Probably the most practical sheet music app around, iWriteMusic gives you the ability to create documents for rehearsals, lessons, and home assignments. Send your documents from your device to AirPrint for easy printing. Or convert it to a PDF, JPG or Standard MIDI file and email your music.
App Name: Garageband
Developer: Apple
URL: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/garageband/id408709785?mt=8
Apple’s own musical practice and composition app allows you to have your own recording studio right on your device. Even if you’ve never picked up an instrument, you can make music by adding different keyboard, guitar, drum, and bass sounds, and you’ll sound like a pro. If you’re an experienced musician, GarageBand can help you compose original songs and store them safely.
App Name: Master Piano
Developer: Better Day Wireless
URL: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/master-piano/id364897373?mt=8
With over 250 free songs to play, Master Piano has the only tempo-based learning instruction of any piano-playing app with adjustable keys. Just follow the animated falling notes, and you’ll discover the sound quality is superb – almost like you’d hear in a concert hall. You will enjoy playing piano with this program, whether you’re a beginner or expert.
App Name: forScore
Developer: MGS Development
URL: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/forscore/id363738376?mt=8
One of the most elegantly designed music reader apps – forScore also has the most extensive sheet music library for an online reference. Instead of carrying around volumes of sheet music, you can now download any PDF file from the web. Use the highly readable interface with the auto-turn and half-turn page features to practice your music easily and without interruption.
App Name: Polychord
Developer: Shoulda Woulda Coulda
URL: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/polychord/id402625491?mt=8
Designed for both beginning and advanced musicians, Polychord allows you to create songs, play your music, record and share it with others. Just press any of the chord circles, strum the notes, switch keys and transition from major to minor scales. Need musical accompaniment? Polychord also has drum and bass sounds, as well as changes in time signature.
App Name: Cleartune
Developer: Bitcount ltd.
URL: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/cleartune-chromatic-tuner/id286799607?mt=8
Get the instrument tuner that is the choice of professional musicians and recording artists everywhere. With its one-of-a-kind “notewheel” and sensitive fine-tuning meter, Cleartune helps you find your pitch instantly. Custom features enable you to find the nuance in your instrument. You can use this app with acoustic, electric and bass guitars, bowed strings, woodwinds, brass, piano and more.
App Name: Metronome PRO
Developer: KatokichiSoft
URL: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/metronome-pro/id336335772?mt=8
This Japanese-designed program is the gold standard in metronome apps. If you want the most accurate rhythm counting (which has been measured with a time lag of 1 millisecond) you won’t need any other app. Not even most old-fashioned metronomes can lay claim to such precise timing!
Being a musician has its own set of challenges as well as the obvious rewards. Having a device that can help you to write music within seconds, and then play that music back to you will inspire and lead you to create more frequent and higher quality pieces.
