Musicians have no shortage of options when it comes to great iOS apps that enhance their music making abilities in some way. Whether it’s by allowing them to be a DJ through an app, helping them learn to distinguish between beats, or by giving them sheet music no matter where they are, a trusty iPhone or iPad can be really handy.
We take a look at 10 essential apps for enhancing the music making process, whether you’re new to it or not.
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10. Magic Piano Free - For those who aspire but don't expect to succeed, Magic Piano is a fun way to have the music playing experience without the expensive instruments. With plenty of the latest hits, you can 'learn' to play the piano with your fingers on your iPhone and nothing more. Think of it as a good middle ground between rhythm games and a real instrument.
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8. iMaschine $4.99 - Giving you the chance to create some beats with your fingers, iMaschine is a pretty cool way to create a beat on 16 pads with a keyboard there to add a melody. You can sample directly from your iTunes library, as well as record one-shot samples through the microphone. It's simpler than some DJ production tools, but that makes it an ideal starting point.
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7. forScore $9.99 - Another space saver, forScore isn't just a sheet music app for guitar players, but for any instrument. It goes further too, allowing you to import any DPF file from the internet, as well as annotate things for your own reference. It'll turn the virtual page at just the right moment too.
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3. Tempo $2.99 - Promising to be the most accurate metronome on the App Store, Tempo doesn't let you down. Offering 35 different time signatures, as well as 6 rhythm patterns for simple meters and 3 for compound meters, it'll keep you on track with a steady tempo, no matter what. Presets can also be stored for quick reference and editing later on.
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9. Tenuto $3.99 - Offering a selection of customizable exercises designed to enhance your understanding of music, Tenuto helps you learn to recognize chords by ear, regardless of the instrument used. it offers up musical calculators too, meaning it's an ideal introduction to music theory.
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2. Songwriter's Pad $9.99 - Providing you with a gentle nudge via its idea generating tools, Songwriter's Pad is there for the songwriter suffering from writer's block. It uses an emotion based word and phrase generator to come up with ideas, plus there's a rhyming dictionary for helping you get things just right. You can easily insert chords too.
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2. Songwriter's Pad $9.99 - Providing you with a gentle nudge via its idea generating tools, Songwriter's Pad is there for the songwriter suffering from writer's block. It uses an emotion based word and phrase generator to come up with ideas, plus there's a rhyming dictionary for helping you get things just right. You can easily insert chords too.
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1. GarageBand $4.99 - There's a reason why GarageBand is heavily pushed in Apple adverts - it's an essential tool for those wanting to create music. It turns your iOS device into a recording studio, allowing you to use it to play a piano, organ, guitar, and drums. You can instantly record a performance through it with support of up to 32 tracks included. It's ideal for all ability levels.
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1. GarageBand $4.99 - There's a reason why GarageBand is heavily pushed in Apple adverts - it's an essential tool for those wanting to create music. It turns your iOS device into a recording studio, allowing you to use it to play a piano, organ, guitar, and drums. You can instantly record a performance through it with support of up to 32 tracks included. It's ideal for all ability levels.
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4. Songsterr Tabs & Chords Free - Offering a subscription based service, Songsterr gives you access to 500,000 high quality guitar, bass, and drum tabs and chords. Available for various different ability levels, you can learn through this app and play along with it. A half speed option means you won't be rushed to learn the tricky bits.