Format: iOS and Android

Pricing - Free

Description: Metronome app designed to beat simple meters and complex meters with audio and visual aids.

Features: 

• Simple and compound time signatures
• Tap to find the tempo
• Flashing tempo
• Scrolling beat pulse visual

My Experience: Just plain bad. I downloaded this in a pinch when I didn't have my metronome when filling in for private lessons. One main issue which is why this is a flop...the timing is not accurate. If it is one thing that a metronome should do it should be to keep consistent time. I experienced both skips in beat and shifts in beat. Even the beginning clarinet player that I was teaching noticed. 


Pros

• Multiple time signatures
• Tap to find tempo
• User interface not terrible

Cons 

• Does not beat a consistent tempo

Final Thoughts:  One would think that such a household music name such ads Steinway and Sons would put in the time to make sure a music app with their name on it worked, but I said it before and I'll say it again if it is one thing that a metronome must do it is to beat a consistent tempo and beat it reliably. Avoid this app and save your sanity. This post may seem short and it was meant to be more of a warning. One would hope that they would fix the bugs in the app, but do yourself a favor and just invest in a good metronome. Convinience is one thing, but having a quality teaching tool is another. You wouldn't replace a 9 foot concert grand piano with a one octave midi keyboard would you? 

Format: Android devices
Pricing: Free

Description:
ChordTouch is a simple app for android which plays sampled piano chords. In a 2-step touch process, the user first selects the desired root note, and then selects a chord quality to hear the resultant chord. Within a given key, all 7 diatonic pitches can be used as root notes. To change the key, simply tap the white key button on the bottom right corner, and any of the 12 major keys, plus their relative minors, can be selected. The diatonic root notes will change accordingly.

A variety of chord options exist, including major and minor triads, all five seventh chord types, first inversion triads, a 4-3 suspension, and even 9th chords. Although it is tricky, chord progressions can be created and played by stringing together multiple chords, changing the root pitches accordingly. 

Features:

• Chord generation in all 12 major or minor keys
• Single tone mode
• Ability to modify the chord layout

My Experience:
ChordTouch's key benefits are ease of use and a simple layout. Furthermore, the chord options included will cover and correlate with the vast majority of music that students hear and experience. The chords in ChordTouch are applicable to rock, pop, band, orchestra, and choral music among others. Only advanced jazz or advanced music theory students are likely to notice and be detracted by the chords not available in ChordTouch. The interface is very simple and easy to use: pick a root, pick a quality, and boom, you get a nice piano chord. Change the key if you want to. 

ChordTouch's simplicity is also its downfall. The piano sample sound is nice, but it gets boring and repetitive after a short period. This will be a negative for users of other apps that include the ability to change the output sound. A lack of octave transposition limits its functionality - low register singers or instrumentalists may find this a detracting factor. With all the keyboard apps available, ChordTouch's single tone mode is basically useless.

I would not recommend ChordTouch for any kind of performance or accompaniment situation. Although the interface is easy to understand, it does not lend itself to playing chord progressions quickly or smoothly. By nature, the two step selection process of root, then quality produces awkward transitions between chords, regardless of how much you practice or how fast you get. The video above is a good example. 

Pros:

• Simple, easy to use interface
• Good variety of chords to choose from
• Free

Cons:

• Two step process is hard to do smoothly and quickly
• Piano output sound only
• Layout of diatonic root notes (purple buttons) does not change for minor keys
• Cannot transpose octaves; higher octave tonic chord (built on scale degree "8") is unavailable
• Difficult to figure out how to alter the chord layout

Final Thoughts & Verdict
ChordTouch could be a useful tool to aid in introducing or reviewing chords and their different qualities. It could be used for brief ear training exercises; the teacher could play chords and quiz students on their quality, or students could test each other. The app's limitations quickly become apparent, and I believe most users will find other apps that can do everything ChordTouch does, plus a lot more. 

However, since it includes so many chords students hear every day, the interface is simple, and its free, ChordTouch is at least worthy of mention to students. They may find creative uses for it (they could try to figure out and play the chords to their favorite pop song), and even if they only use it to play around in their free time, at least they will be thinking about and listening to harmonic functions.   

Price: Free
Format: iPad and iPhone

Description:
Vox Tools is an app that assists vocalists with warm-up vocalise routines. The app has very specific functionality. The app has several vocalises available, and there are also "routines" designed for specific occasions, like playlists. There is a recording option, but it does not allow you to record while you sing along to the provided exercises. There is also an option to customize your own warm-up, with about 20 different scales/arpeggios to choose from.

My Experience:
I downloaded this app with the hope that it might be good to recommend for beginning singers to use for beginning voice lessons, teaching technique and breathing basics. Unfortunately, the only exercises available in the app are more advanced vocalises which would only be appropriate for advanced (I would estimate college-level) singers.

Pros:

• Vox Tools provides a decent warm-up routine for these specific situations: first-thing in the morning, a general daily warm-up, and a routine for when you've been using your voice a lot, and it feels tired.
  
• The build-your-own exercise option works great as an automatic accompanist for warm-ups. You can set the scale or arpeggio to use, and the app will automatically play the exercise and then modulate up or down a half-step.
  
• For each exercise, there is a recording of a professional vocalist singing the exercise as an example.
  
• Each exercise has a fairly detailed text description.
  

Cons:

• The app does not provide any feedback for the singer, it simply plays a backing track.
  
• It's not possible to add your own vocal exercises, or save your own routines.
  
• You can't record yourself singing along with the exercise tracks.
  
• Does not provide any information to singers in terms of basic technique, like breathing or posture.
  
• The exercises are mostly too difficult (in my opinion) for beginning singers.
  
• It's really purple. Really really purple.
  
• The English version (original is Spanish language) has several typos.

Final Thoughts:
This app would not be useful for a beginning singer, but might be good for a more advanced musician. However, in my experience, most professional singers just warm-up without accompaniment (it's easier to focus on technique and sound without having to worry about pitch). Also, way too much purple.

Format: Available on PC, Mac, iPad.
Pricing: Yearly Subscription: Teacher - $140, Student - $40, Practice room - $44

Description: 
SmartMusic is a web based program that you download on you device. The program itself is permanently on your computer, but the music and exercises are pulled off of the SmartMusic servers as needed. Students can use this as a practice tools for ensemble music as well as chop and skill building exercises. Oh yea, and the main function of the program is to provide real time feedback on a students performance. The program analyzes the students playing and replaces the black notes  on the screen with green or red to signify correctness. 

Features:

• Students play with the program to measure accuracy and success
• Students can submit recordings to their directors for further assessment
• Wide range of exercises and literature to choose from with more frequently added
• Ability to custom make exercises through Finale 
• Inbox/grade book feature for educators to grade assignments and export information
• Subscription last a whole year rather than just the school year

My experience:
My experience with the program has been widely positive. It can be "a lot" more to grade and it does take some time, and a good internet connection, but in terms of being able to connect with students on a more one to one basis it is great. As a high school teacher we don't always get to give kids pull out lessons, but this program allows for tailor made assignments per students to help aid in their individual growth. The library that is available online is fairly expansive, but it all depends on the publisher/composer. not all titles, including some wind band staples are in the library. The jazz library is probably the smallest though they try and make up for it with a lot of improv exercises. Through both of the libraries shortfalls, they do constantly update the library to add more titles. In terms of the usage it can take sometime to manipulate well, especially the assignment creation side. While they have some pre made assignments for all of their pieces. When it gets to customizing certain sections, it can take a few times to get it right. From a students standpoint get ready for some backlash until they really get used to it. This is all depending on your situation. I found that the students that bought their own subscription to have at home they enjoyed the program more than those who could only use the program at school. Frequency on the program lets the students engage more...duh...They also don't like it because it is too "strict" (meaning that it is not flexible and actually tells them flat out whether they are right or wrong).


Pros:

• Great teaching aid to individually engage students 
• One-on-one communication abilities with the students to provide further feedback
• Accurate recording and grading of said recordings with a few errors
• Real time feedback on music performed
• Practice records and reports available
• Ability to see how long students spent on submitted assignments

Cons:

• Limited libraries for solos and jazz ensembles 
• Cost when it comes to outfitting a whole ensemble
• Internet based so it all depends on you internet speeds (still useable, can be sluggish)
• Classroom use limited
• Excess noise can be picked up an interfere with the students' assessment

Final Thoughts & Verdict:
Even though my students are not big fans of the program. I have to say that overall I am. Even though there are some user tricks you have to get used to as well as getting the students used to properly using the program. Overall I would have to say that this is a great tool. Especially being able to use the data from the grade book to show student growth (yay buzzwords!). My only warning would be to make sure that you know how you are going to roll out this program with your groups and that you have an infrastructure to support it. The more you know about what you want to do with the program the better. Because, after all knowing is half the battle. Use it. 

Format: App for iPad only and requires iOS 7 or higher.

Pricing - $6.99 

Description: forScore is a document reader with a whole lot of extra functions. Designed from a rehearsal standpoint there are a lot of great functions for the director to manipulate a score just as they would a paper version. Annotating, typing text, writing notes, and cropping are just some of the basic functions of the app. You can either scan from another source and upload the files, purchase from their in-app store, or take photos and upload right from the iPad. Adding some other rehearsal tools like a metronome, mini piano, and tuner are some of the other selling points of the app.

Features: 

• Easily sortable Library searchable by title, composer, or recently added
• Searchable rehearsal markers
• Note taking right on the score (typed or scribbled)
• In-app metronome that can make a sound, "pulse" the screen, or both
• Mini piano 
• Tuning pitches
• Ability to share work as a .pdf or 4SC (forScore) documents
• Store for browsing their uploaded score. Some free, some for purchase

My Experience: I have had this app for a few years and have used it off and on. It can be a really great rehearsal tool, but it is also a nice way of just eliminating some clutter while on the podium. Switching between tunes is as easy as two taps if you have it well organized. The dark-room feature allows you to be able to simply take pictures of the scores rather than try and scan them (great for oversized scores). The best viewing comes when you have a generated .pdf document though. I haven't made this a staple in my rehearsals simply because sometimes it is more of a hassle to upload the scores in a way that I am pleased to rehearse with. Also I just can't part with my Dr. Beat. The visible metronome function is great because it pulses the sides of the score, but can become trippy. Page turns are easy as a tap in the direction you would like to go, though be careful you don't accidentally tap the scroller at the bottom and jump to the end of the piece! A rarity, but it did happen...at contest...




Pros

• Nice resources for in app use - metronome, tuning pitches, annotation
• Easy to read - as clear as the picture or scan you take
• Zooming in - great for tiny font!
• One touch page turns
• Audible and Visible metronome
• Not a huge learning curve - pretty self explanatory

Cons 

• Cost - Even though it has a lot of extra functions that work - if you are just using it as a .pdf reader it is too much
• Library shop - mostly pop tunes and piano tunes. Not a whole lot to purchase for ensembles
• Unformatted page turns - if you want to flip the pad make sure that is is supposed to look that way otherwise it becomes a larger process for page turns

Final Thoughts: 
I do like this app. I can't say that I use it a whole lot, but do try and utilize functions a little more each year. There are some great things that you can do with it, and being able to show kids the score on an overhead (if you have the connections) is a great thing in a rehearsal. i find that this is really more of a great tool for score study. It is nice not lugging around four bands worth of literature, but at the same time it is a process to upload all of that material as well. The page turns are easy enough and you can even buy an adapter to turn pages with a foot pedal from the company's website or there is a $.99 app called cue where you can use another iOS device to turn the page through bluetooth (haven't tried this one yet. Future post?...). Overall I am going to rate this app as a maybe try it. I know that it has a lot of potential, but the whole iPad in the rehearsal is still a new concept. I think that it is a good one to have (especially in case they keep raising the price). I bought this for $4.99 a few years ago and it has gone up due to newer features (don't have to pay for the new ones though, woot!). In any case. Maybe go for it. It's up to you. 

Format: Website formatted to use mainly flash player exercises though non flash games are available too. Mobile version of the website formatted for android and iOS though some functions to not operate fully on iOS devices. 

Pricing - Absolutely free. Except whatever Comcast is gouging you for rates. 

Description: Teoria is a music theory resource site that has both tutorials for teaching a wide variety of music theory concepts, as well as very customizable exercises to compliment the sites tutorials. There is also a large resource page that provides definitions, articles on music theory, history, composers, and analysis. 

Features: 

• Interactive lessons on virtually all music theory subjects
• Customizable exercises to compliment lessons or stand alone from them
• Excellent pool of resources to aid in research 

My Experience: 
I have used this website since 2011 and I always find a way to integrate it into my classes. While I mainly utilize the exercises as in class activities and assignments, it is great to be able to have a free site available that can be a resource for your students and yourself. The site is very easy to navigate, and they are constantly updating it to make it better, more user friendly, and adaptable on mobile devices. The nice thing about the tutorial section is that it is laid out like most theory books are, but the examples that they give can be expansive and interactive. They aren't just comparison pictures of examples, but moving, audible examples of what they are teaching.

(Optional demo/screenshot would go here)

Pros

• Covers a range of topics from very beginning to advanced theory
• Tutorials give interactive examples to compliment text
• Runs smoothly with little loading time  for lessons and exercises
• Exercises are customizable from the load screen to cater to different mastery levels
• Easy to use
• Great resource articles 
• Now useable on most mobile formats as well

Cons 

• Some exercises don't work/work well with iOS devices-though they constantly update
• Percentage on the exercise pages doesn't show amount of tries for the exercise
• Tutorials section can be tricky to navigate for first timers (mess with it a bit first)

Features (intent of program)

Final Thoughts: 
I really enjoy this website. I know that there are a lot of music theory based apps and sites out there, and I personally think that this is one of the best. First of all, it has a great way of being a lesson aid, or supplementing materials that you use in class. The materials the student(s) will be working with are interactive and provide several examples on how to understand the concepts better. Second, as a tool in the classroom the endless customization of the level of concepts that you can control are fantastic. They can make for great in class exercises, or homework. While the time stamp and percentage can be "beaten" by a student by only doing the exercise a small amount of times, the concepts can still be checked later by the teacher. Final thought is that this is a site you should have in your repertoire and find how to utilize it best for your own class. It's flexible, and it works.
 Use it.

Soundation.com is a loop editor that allows students to edit songs, similar to Apple Garageband. Soundation is web-based, which means that users can access the application from any computer that has a browser, without having to worry about purchasing a license. I have used this application with my 6th grade general music class, and will provide my complete project, with instructions, rubric, and grading instructions. Loops come in two flavors: audio and MIDI. The audio sample loops are arranged by tempo, and you can't really mix different tempos.

Pricing: 
Basic (700 free loops, no audio recording): Free. 
Premium (more loops, storage space): $19.99, $49.99 or $99.99 per year

My Experience:
I've used Soundation as a medium for a 6th grade loop-based composition project (see assignment below). Students are assigned the task of creating an ABA-form song using the loops available in Soundation, and then complete a written reflection online. Many students have enjoyed the process of finding loops that work well together, and have enjoyed the sense of accomplishment when their entire song comes together.

Pros:

• Soundation is free, and can be used in any computer lab, or a t home.
  
• Students can create their own accounts to save songs in the cloud
  
• If students don't want to sign up for an account, the program can be used without an account by exporting .sng files to a flash drive.
  
• Soundation is an application in Google Plus hangouts, which means that two or more people can collaborate on a song in real time.
  
• Students who are more advanced in music can write their own MIDI tracks.
  
• There are some pretty advanced audio editing features available like volume and pan automation, as well as effects like delay, reverb, and distortion, though I've never used these with my classes.
  

Cons:

• Soundation's basic library of loops is fairly limited, with only a few different options for each tempo.
  
• On a slow internet connection, Soundation can be buggy, and the audio loops are slow to load.
  
• Sometimes Soundation has problems saving files correctly, and students lose their work.
  
• Soundation does not auto-save without an account, so make sure students save often.
  
• The process for saving .sng files to a flash drive instead of using their cloud-based saving system can be confusing for students.
  

Bonus:
This is a copy of the assignment I've used with my 6th grade general music classes. There are directions for using Soundation, a rubric, and reflection questions. I've used the program for 6 different classes, and tweaked and improved it a little more each time. If you are a teacher, you have my permission to use this with your classes and make any changes you like. However, if you are sharing the assignment with other teachers, please credit me by using this website address.

Final Thoughts and Verdict:
Because this is platform-agnostic and doesn't require any downloads, I highly recommend this program for use in general music classes.

Format: Web browsers (for full website)
               iOS devices (for Tenuto and theory lessons apps)

Price: Free for web features
            $2.99 for the theory lessons app
            $3.99 for the Tenuto trainer and exercise app

Features:
Musictheory.net features interactive music theory lessons on topics ranging from the introductory (staff, clefs, duration values) to the more involved (keys, scales, and triads) to the advanced (inversions, chord progressions, and melody harmonization). The lessons allow students to work at their own pace and include audio and visual enhancements. Interactive trainers allow for practice and drill on a variety of skills, including note identification, scale, chord, and interval identification, key signature identification, ear training, and more. The difficulty and complexity levels for each exercise can be customized for each student or class.  

This resource is valuable to music educators as it it can benefit students at all levels of music education, from beginners to high school or adult learners. See the images below for an idea of the wide span of content covered on musictheory.net. It can benefit musicians in all performance mediums, as the theory concepts are universal. All of the features can be accessed for free on a web browser, and the exercises and lessons can each be accessed via their respective apps on iOS devices. 

Personal Experience:
I have been able to use the features of musictheory.net in a wide variety of settings. The lessons and trainers work well with beginning musicians as they are learning the fundamentals of music notation and note names. With more accomplished musicians, the key signature, scale, and ear training drills can further improve their skills. Students who need remedial work in music literacy can refine their abilities, even off to the side during ensemble class, with exercises tailored to their needs. I have used the exercises with beginning level and intermediate level students, and in both one-on-one lesson and full ensemble contexts. We turn it into games and see who can score the highest on each drill. I have also put exercises up on our classroom Smartboard, lined the students up single file, and had a "knockout" style elimination competition, which they get a kick out of. Several students have enjoyed the activities so much that they have put the apps on their own devices.  

The lessons are especially beneficial for any type of music theory class, as the concepts start at the very basic and progress to the fairly advanced. Even at the level of an AP Music Theory course, the lessons on www.musictheory.net can be a great asset to students for many of the concepts covered throughout the year. The drills in scale, interval, and chord identification and ear training are especially beneficial in preparing for the AP Music Theory exam. 

Final Thoughts & Verdict:
www.musictheory.net is a GREAT resource for music educators at any level. It cannot provide an entire curriculum or an entire class worth of activities, but the lessons and trainers are fantastic supplements for any music class or lesson situation. The complete customization of any trainer exercise allows for each student to have an individualized experience, which is incredibly valuable. Music learners of all levels can find some sort of benefit with this resource. Even if students only need help with one concept, such as key signatures, a lesson or exercise can be found to accomplish the goal. Free access to the web version, uncluttered by ads and other junk, is an incredible value. Those who feel urged to support musictheory.net can pay the small app cost.   

Format: IOS devices
Price: $4.99

Description:
Tonal Energy is an app with extensive functions as a tuner, metronome, and general rehearsal aid. It is available on Apple mobile device platforms. Its primary feature is a large tuner display, featuring both a visual approximation and an exact reading of pitch in terms of cents sharp or flat. It also has a metronome function with a variety of subdivision features. A full chromatic scroll wheel allows the generation of pitches, intervals, and chords using characteristic sound samples of 16 different instruments. It also features a tab of more complex features including a spectral analyzer, waveform display, and overtone analyzer.  

Students can see how flat or sharp their sounds are, both by the numerical indication and the visual semi-circle approximation, complete with color coding (red = way out of tune). 

My Experience:
Tonal Energy is very stable, and I have not encountered any crashes or bugs in my experience. The basic functions of the app are very user-friendly - first time operators will be able to easily use the tuner and tone generating functions. Students will need guidance in understanding the more advanced spectral and waveform displays. However, implications abound for creative and cross-curricular activities in the classroom, linking in music theory, listening skills, physics, and acoustics. Young students are well-motivated and energized by the appearance of the Smiley Face on a solidly in-tune note. 

Final Thoughts & Verdict:
Tonal Energy packs a variety of functions into a smooth, attractive interface at a very affordable price. Performers and educators can find all their basic practice aids in one app. The app has implications for all types of music education and learners of all ability levels. One must continue to teach students that tuning and playing in tune is an auditory process, not just a visual process of getting the smiley face to appear! As long as this caveat is considered, I can strongly encourage all music educators, especially those in the instrumental vein, to invest in this app.    

Format: iOS Only
Price: $3.99

Description:
insTuner features both chromatic tuning and tone generation for pitch matching. Both sides of the app are available in all Calibrations, Temperaments, and Transpositions. The user is accompanied by a visual color to register as sharp or flat. In addition, there are different inputs that users can access, whether it is the smart phone or a computer. Users can also select 1 of 6 different tuning mediums to utilize.

Features:

• Tunes both acoustic and electric instruments
• Features 4 different tuning mechanisms
• Visual stimulus with tone wheel
• Select any number of 8 octaves to tune to

Personal Experience:
This is an app that I have personally used every day in my middle school band classroom. The students love the colorful background and because of that, love tuning just a little bit more than death. It is easily hookup-able to a projector and speaker system. The quick loading time allows me to pull it up when in a time crunch. It works well every time. I frequently use the tone generator for my Timpanists tuning as well as my student's pitch recognition skills.

insTuner Screen Shots: