5 Best iPad Apps for Musicians

5 Best iPad Apps for Musicians

Getting an iPad was life-changing for my workflow as a professional musician. Contrary to popular belief, using technology as an aid simplified my life instead of complicating it more. I no longer struggled with things like repertoire organization, and I found that it sped up many processes I do time and time again as a director. These iPad apps for musicians make my life as a choral conductor easier.

An iPad without good apps is like a Mercedes without gas: it’s pretty, but not very functional. These apps have been carefully selected based on their practicality, functionality, and potential to enhance our everyday lives as choral directors. From tuning to score management to ear training, each app serves a distinct purpose in optimizing rehearsal and performance experiences.

Best iPad Apps for Musicians:

• Tonal Energy Tuner
• ForScore
• Notion
• Easy Perfect Pitch Training
• Ultimate Guitar Tabs

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Tonal Energy Tuner

One of the best iPad apps for musicians is Tonal Energy (TE) Tuner. It is my go-to metronome and tuner app combined. It’s a powerful tool that provides unparalleled precision for the two most fundamental elements of music: pitch and rhythm. My favorite thing about it is the visual feedback it provides; a green smiley face lights up when you’re perfectly in tune, and a purple frowny face encourages you to fix your intonation. It’s adorable!

The metronome section offers an insane level of subdivision, and again, the visual elements have proven to be extremely useful especially while teaching. My private students adore this app, no matter their age. A 79-year-old pianist found as much enjoyment from it as a seven-year-old. They all enjoy practicing with this app, which is a win for this teacher!

This app is a one-time purchase of $3.99. I bought it in high school, and I think it’s been one of my most consistently-used apps to date. A metronome and tuner never go out of style, and thankfully, this app has been reliable for all these years.

Additional features include:

• It can sustain any pitch on a variety of different sounds and instruments
• It displays the exact number of cents that you are sharp or flat
• You can transpose the tuner to your specific instrument, which is especially helpful for band directors
• It can record and analyze your playing accuracy for how well you stay in tune
• The metronome section has countless built-in meters and subdivisions, which is useful for deliberate practice and providing clarity to young singers learning to establish a steady beat

If you’re interested, you can click here to visit the TE Tuner website and learn more.

ForScore

ForScore is hands down my #1 most used app on my iPad. In fact, I’d almost go as far as to say that the tablet is not worth getting if you aren’t going to download this app. It is an essential tool for managing and annotating sheet music seamlessly. This app revolutionized how I handle my music library, providing a digital platform for easily accessing, organizing, and annotating scores. 

Not only can you access your entire repertoire in one place, but the powerful annotation features allow for limitless possibilities. I often have multiple copies of the same score within this app: one copy for standard score study, another copy for rehearsal plans and notes, and a third copy as my performance score. The best part is that I never have paper copies flying around or have trouble reading faded pencil markings.

[pic – screenshot of forscore]

While this app hasn’t completely replaced physical scores for me, it has definitely cleaned up my score organization and given me peace of mind since I know exactly where everything is.

ForScore costs $14.99 and is a powerhouse app every musician needs for their iPad. I opted for the one-time purchase and do not pay for the subscription service, and it does everything I need it to do. Its intuitive interface, robust annotation tools, and dynamic setlist functionality make it an indispensable tool for any musician striving for excellence in their craft.

Notion

Notion is a versatile powerhouse that transcends the boundaries of traditional music apps. It isn’t just a music notation tool; it’s a comprehensive workspace for creating databases, tables, kanban boards, wikis, calendars, and reminders.

I first discovered Notion in the productivity world, where it is primarily used by non-musicians. You can read more about its breadth of capabilities here, but for the sake of this article, we will focus on how to use it from the perspective of professional musicians.

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Within this app, I’ve kept my practice log, comprehensive performance list, composition sketches, and more. As a director, you could essentially run your entire program out of Notion. Here are some of the use cases I’ve used this app for.

• Create an integrated practice log to prepare for an upcoming event
• Design a practice plan so that you know what your goals are heading into a practice session
• Keep track of big projects, such as major recitals or concerts 
• Log your lesson students & their assignments
• Keep a record of all the performances you’ve given, categorized by type, date, etc.
• Track your freelance income
• Create a repertoire list that can adapt and evolve with you

Notion also offers robust collaboration features. I haven’t used it, so I can’t speak to it from personal experience, but many of my colleagues say this is their favorite part about this tool.

Easy Perfect Pitch Training

This one might seem like it’s coming out of left field, but Easy Perfect Pitch Training is actually my favorite ear training app. I have played it since high school and love how they have gamified this valuable skill.

I do want to say up front that this app is limited in its functionality and offers only one facet of learning: playing the pitches you hear as quickly as you can. It is not the most practical or life-changing thing out there, but I have found that I return to it over and over for the fun of it. 

Because the game moves so fast, I found that hearing pitches became more subconscious, and I had to focus less each time.

The app has different levels so you can choose one that best suits your current abilities. It also gives feedback on how you rank compared to others who use the app, which can be motivating.

Ultimate Guitar Tabs

There are many ways to read music, and it shouldn’t just end with traditional sheet music. While primarily known for its extensive library of guitar tabs, this app offers a wealth of resources for musicians of all backgrounds. I use it often for chord sheets on the piano.

Ultimate Guitar Tabs is especially useful for popular songs written in the last decades. For any song you can think of that plays on the radio, multiple versions of chord sheets are probably available. Perhaps my favorite feature of this app is the ability to transpose.

As you embrace the power of technology in your journey, remember that these iPad apps for musicians are merely tools to support your artistic vision. At the same time, they can certainly streamline processes and enhance efficiency, the true magic of our art lies in our passion, dedication, and commitment to musical excellence. With the right combination of technology and artistry, we can continue to inspire our singers and audiences, creating unforgettable musical experiences that resonate long after the final note has faded.