10 Best Musical Instrument Apps for the iPhone for Under $1

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4. Theremin
(Frontier Design - $0.99)
One of the oddest things about the iTunes app store is the abundance of theremin programs. I downloaded Yonac's $3 Thereminator before settling on Frontier Design's cheaper Theremin to be my handheld representation of an early twentieth century electronic instrument of choice. Thereminator has more options, but Theremin recreates some of the magic of playing a theremin by letting you control the pitch and volume simply by tilting the phone. Now I just need to learn how to play the theme song to Doctor Who.



3. Ocarina
(Smule - $0.99)
Smule has taken the idea of iPhone-as-musical-instrument to the next level. As with the MelodiFone, you blow into the iPhone's mic, fingering a combination of the four holes to create a tune. With eight different scales (including the Zeldarian scale for you Nintendo fans) in any key you might want, the possibilities are endless. And once you've recorded a song, you can upload it to the world map and then listen to budding musicians around the globe.





2. PocketGuitar
(Shinya Kasatani - $0.99)
After dowloading this app to my phone, I had to show it to everyone I knew. You can play actual chords and strum along, bending notes with the accelerometer, adding distortion and delay, and hammering on and off individual notes. It's a little awkward to finger, but so very fun.





1. DigiDrummer
(Magnus Larsson - $0.99)
When I listen to music now, I compulsively want to pull out my iPhone and tap along to the beat using my favorite new app—even when I'm driving. DigiDrummer comes with 10 different eight-piece kits, from Classic to Machine. Let your inner Animal run wild.