MUSIC TOOLS

 There are many tools available to assist us in music making and the apps available are changing by the week.   These are some of my own favourites which I added to my colleague Tim's list so you can get  started with an essential tuner and metronome to expanding the list bit by bit as you want the resources either as an advancing artist or hobbyist or as a resource for professional music educators.   Have fun and keep the music playing.

 The $10.00 List

This is a good list for any level musician.  Beginners could easily start out with a $4.00 investment for just the Cleartune Tuner and use the Free Silver Dial Metronome and the Fingering Chart from their method book.  However, if you are interested and willing to make the $10.00 investment, here is the list.

Tuner: Cleartune  Tuner -                   $4.00

Metronome:  Silver Dial Metronome -  FREE

Finger Chart: Finger Chart Pro            $2.00

Music Theory                                      $3.00

Musical Terms: Music Dictionary 101  $1.00

THAT’S IT!  MUSIC TOOLS ON YOUR I- DEVICE FOR  ONLY $10.00

The $13.00 List

This list is for a more experienced musician who wants to develop a better understanding of how music works, and acquire tools to develop and refine more sophisticated skill sets.

The Basic list for Tuner, Metronome, Fingering Chart, Theory and Musical Terms are the same.  In order to go to the next level I recommend adding:

EAR TRAINING:        RELATIVE PITCH LITE –  FREE  This app trains the ear to recognize the differences and similarities between different notes.  This is a skill that helps refine tuning skills for all musicians and teaches brass players how to listen and develop pitch memory for the different partials.  ( Partials are the low, middle, high and higher sounds that you can make on each finger pattern.)

            RHYTHM READING – RHYTHM SIGHT READER - $3.00 – This app has a touch pad that allows you to play along with a metronome and a short rhythmic passage while it assesses your accuracy.  Lot’s of fun and it will improve your reading skills.

MORE TOOLS

            Metronome:  BackBeatPro- $2.99- flexible and has the ability to create tempo maps for different songs and save them.  Also available in a free version BackBeat Free

EAR TRAINING:  RELATIVEPITCH (EASY EAR TRAINING)  $7.99- for the more experienced musician who wants to develop interval recognition skills.

FINGERING- $6.99 – This doesn’t add much value for the average single instrument musician, but as a band director, I really enjoy having it in my “tool box”.