Set Criteria

Before you check out this Apps for Piano Teachers Index, it’s good to consider how any app will serve you and your students.

The following list of apps I’ve discovered over years of piano teaching with the assistance of the iPad has passed through a three-pronged filter.

The apps included on my app list have passed these THREE criteria:

• Is it easy to use?

• Does it add value to precious lesson time?

• Is it customizable to suit my needs?

Determine Educational Requirements

My must-have apps for educational purposes must meet one more requirement. They must contribute to students’ learning processes or stages of learning. I stumbled upon these stages of learning while listening to a podcast featuring the creators of Hyperdocs from The Cult of Pedagogy. Here’s how I’ve modified the stages so they serve as filters for apps that I use in my studio.

Engage = Does the app grab pianists’ attention with fun, interesting, quirky or gamification features?

Explore = Does the app allow opportunities for pianists to get curious and explore options that lead to a fresh perspective or deeper understanding?

Explain = Does the app introduce, describe, or teach a concept and help pianists relate the known to the unknown?

Apply = Does the app allow pianists to show what they know?

Share = Does the app give pianists a chance to share results or what they’ve learned?

Reflect = Does the app encourage pianists to think beyond the obvious and help them see how concepts sound, feel, and connect to each other?

Extend =  Does the app maximize and further learning by putting a new twist on old concepts?

Apps that Meet the Criteria

Click on the titles to see this filter in action with a few of my favorite apps.

• Tenuto

• Flashnote Derby

• Notability

• Note Quest

Index Organization

Click on the buttons below to jump to your desired category.
If you have an app to recommend for this index, contact me HERE.

Back in 2013, I wrote a book called The iPad Piano Studio: Unlocking the Power of Apps.

It was risky to include my favorite apps because they can come and go like the wind.

To my surprise and delight, most of the apps mentioned in The iPad Piano Studio book are available, and I still use most of them regularly.

Below is an alphabetical listing of apps mentioned in my book, divided into three categories based on how much I use them.

▶️ Used Regularly

Decide Now (Decision Maker)

Decide Now allows you to create an infinite number of wheels with choices. Students spin to see who will perform first at a group lesson or to determine what key for a transposition challenge. Get 50 Ways to Use Decide Now for heaps of ideas on how this app can transform your lessons with this versatile app.

Drop Box (Cloud Storage)

The idea of storing or saving documents in a cloud was novel to me back in 2012 and now I’m hooked. Drop Box used to be my main invisible storage shelf but now I mostly use Google Drive. Choosing at least of these options is necessary to access files across devices.

Flashnote Derby (Pitch Recognition)

Although I have many favorite pitch recognition apps, this was the first one I discovered, and it continues to be a winner. Learn more here.

ForScore (Score Reader)

Most of my church service scores are loaded into ForScore. The app integrates the use of my BlueTooth pedal for hands-free page turning.

Garage Band (Digital Audio Workstation)

This powerhouse app generates drum loops and backing tracks and I find it handy for exporting WAV and MIDI files to MP3s.

iMovie (Video Editor)

Although I’ve used iMovie for years, recently, I have turned to using Clipchamp.

iReal Pro (Backing Track Generator)

If you instruct your students to read and play from lead sheets, then you need this app as it generates lead sheets. After desired chords are entered or a chart is downloaded from the global-sized iReal Pro forum you can choose from countless styles. This app is perfect for improving the groove of rookie AND pro improvisers alike. Follow this link to see how I use it to groove theory.

Kindle (Digital Reader)

It’s handy to access my digital books on my iPad with the Kindle app. However, my Kindle device resides on my nightstand because I prefer the smaller size.

Rhythm Lab (Rhythm Reading Drills)

The app allows you to create student accounts and offers rhythm reading drills for every level and most time signatures you can imagine. Because you can connect it to a MIDI keyboard, players can improvise melodies as they read the rhythms.

Musicnotes (Sheet Music Store and Reader)

Order music from Musicnotes and use the app to view the scores on your iPad. You can also import other PDFs and organize them in the app.

Tenuto/MusicTheory Lessons (Tutorials and Drills )

Here’s the companion app to one of my favorite apps, Tenuto. Theory Lessons offers pocket-sized animated music lessons. They cover a broad spectrum of concepts from the staff and clef signs to Neapolitan chords.

TurboScan (Scan Sheet Music and Documents)

TurboScan turns your iPad into a multipage scanner for documents, receipts, notes, whiteboards, and other text. With TurboScan, you can quickly scan your documents and store or email them as multipage PDF or JPEG files.

YouTube (Video Storage and Library)

The convenience of setting up your own channel equips you with a quick way to share videos that are normally huge files. I use my channel to share videos of my products and sheet music, and I also have unlisted playlists for each of my students. When a piece is performance-ready, I record students playing on my Yamaha Grand named Bella and upload the video to their growing playlist. It’s a huge treat to student families as they watch their budding musicians develop their skills when I send them links to the playlist.

I frequently use QR Codes in tandem with YouTube videos. After generating a QR code linked to a video of student performance in Canva or Avery Templates, I adhere the code to Christmas cards, ornaments, and graduation cards.

• Christmas Cards

• Christmas Ornaments

▶️ Used Occasionally

AnyTune (Slow Downer)

This app will slow down ANY tune in your iTunes library. I don’t use it as much now but when I need to slow down an mp3, this is my go-to app.

Keynote (Presentation Slides)

Since I’ve become a loyal Canva fan, I don’t turn to Keynote as often as I used to.

Notability (Note Taking)

An excellent alternative to printing worksheets. Load PDFs into this app, and students can complete worksheets or tests on the app instead of on paper. Learn more here.

Octavian Pro (Theory Reference)

I thought the Octavian Basics app was no longer available, and to my surprise, it has a big sister called Octavian Pro. I must have forgotten about it and recently found it on my iPad buried under too many other apps! It’s an excellent app for students who want a reference when completing theory assignments.

▶️ Rarely Used but Still Available

Beatwave (Looper)

Confession: either I forgot about this one, or this is an entirely different app. I look forward to exploring it.

Evernote (Organizer)

Some may argue that this is the best note-taking app ever, but I default to the Notes app on my Apple devices and have found this native app to be extremely versatile and convenient.

Home Concert Xtreme (Intelligent Playalong)

HCX provides an interactive play-along environment using MIDI files. It’s time to unlock the power of this app again!

Notion (Score Notation)

A free music composition tool for iOS, iPadOS® and macOS and more.

Show Me Interactive Whiteboard (Whiteboard)

Although this is a fabulous app, the studio essential—the Hal Leonard All-Purpose Music Flash Cards is my default over a white board app.

The Orchestra (Instruments and Repertoire of the Orchestra)

The Orchestra features eight works representing three centuries of symphonic music. The app allows real-time selection of multiple video and audio tracks, along with an automatically synchronized score and dynamic graphical note-by-note visualization of each piece as it is played.

Square (Credit Card Reader)

With the ease of online payments via My Music Staff, Zelle or Venmo, I have not pulled out my Square in years.

▶️ Apps No Longer Available

My Rhythm

Moose Studio

Note Squish

NoteStar

Steinway Metronome

Curious about some of the videos created or collected to go with The iPad Piano Studio book?
Click on the button below.

▶️ AnyTune (Slow Downer)

This app will slow down ANY tune in your iTunes library. I don’t use it all the time but when I need to slow down an mp3, this is my go-to app.

Chordify

▶️ Decide Now (Decision Maker)

It is not related to music but I use it ALL the time during lessons. Decide Now allows you to create an infinite number of wheels. Students love to spin to see who will perform first at a group lesson or to determine what key for a transposition challenge or……..Get 50 Ways to Use Decide Now for heaps of ideas on how this app can transform your lessons in a heartbeat.

▶️ Garage Band  (Creativity)

An app that allows users to lay tracks, drum loops and much more.

▶️ Hook Theory (Chord progression catalog)

At the site it offers a comprehensive theory ebook with plenty of aural samples and clear explanations. It discusses why certain chords fit together,  how to move from one chord to the next, and even how to create a great-sounding melody. The concepts are drawn from popular songs heard on the radio.

▶️ iReal Pro (Backing Track Generator)

Bradley Sowash introduced this app to me and now I could not teach without it. If you instruct your students to read and play from lead sheets, then you need this app as it generates lead sheets. After desired chords are entered or a chart is downloaded from the global-sized iReal Pro forum you can choose from countless styles. This app is perfect for improving the groove of rookie AND pro improvisers alike. Follow this link to see how I use it to groove theory.

▶️ MusiClock (Improvisation)

When you need something to liven up scales, use this app. After the key is decided, ask students to choose a style and play the scale ascending and descending along with the groove provided by the app. Then, let them improvise along with the MusiClock backing track. It’s the perfect lesson opener. Here’s how I used the app around Easter time with the help of some eggs.

▶️ Yamaha Chord Tracker (Ear Training and Improvisation)

After opening Chord Tracker, you can import any tune in your iTunes library into the app. Push play, and as the tune plays, chord symbols of all the chord changes stream by so you can play along.

▶️ AnyTune (Slow Downer)

This app will slow down ANY tune in your iTunes library. I don’t use it all the time but when I need to slow down an MP3, this is my go-to app.

▶️ Auralia (Comprehensive Series of Ear Training Drills)

Auralia and Musition (Auralia’s visual companion app) are longtime, respected software programs with tutorials and drills designed to improve aural and music theory skills. The cloud-based programs are available for download on Windows and Macintosh. Both are ideal for classrooms and studios because of their comprehensive and well-organized lessons, practice drills, and the option to create individual student accounts to track progress.

▶️ Chord Crush (Chord Progression Ear Training)

Learn to hear chords by ear and train with pop tunes.

▶️ Functional Ear Trainer (Pitch Discrimination)

Carefully sequenced exercises to develop pitch discrimination within the context of scales and how they function within a scale.

▶️ Meludia (Ear Training)

The beautiful format of this app challenges players to identify pitch patterns with extensive drills.

▶️ Sproutbeat (Worksheets and Online Games)

This app features games and worksheets that can be completed on the iPad or downloaded for print. There is an option to set up student accounts and create assignments that drill most of the basics of music theory, including chords, rhythm, pitch recognition, finger numbers, five-finger patterns, intervals, and more.

▶️ Tenuto/MusicTheory Lessons (Tutorials and Drills )

Customize just about any drill for training ears to discern pitch, intervals, scales, and chords.

▶️ Theta Music Trainer (Ear Training)

Systematic courses and games to build ear training and music theory skills. The free version is great.

▶️ Yamaha Chord Tracker (Ear Training and Improvisation)

After opening Chord Tracker, you can import any tune in your iTunes library into the app. Push play, and as the tune plays, chord symbols of all the chord changes stream by so you can play along.

▶️ Bees Keys (Key Names)

Because the app is dedicated to learning the names of white and black keys the interface is simple and easy for youngsters to use. Includes Solfege names, too.

▶️ Interval Jump (Intervals on Lines and Spaces)

This app limits its focus to mastering the distance between pitches on the grand staff. There’s a bit of a learning curve when entering an answer, but it's a great way to review intervals, especially for young musicians.

▶️ My First Classical Music App (Music History for Youngsters)

This is an app geared towards children thanks to the kid-friendly graphics and interactive screen. The premise: read about and listen to classical music. Brief bios of many famous composers and information on instruments are read aloud. Here’s a Get inspired episode that correlates with the app.

▶️ Music Learning Lab Pro (Listening Lessons and Games)

This is PERFECT for young, beginning pianists to help them discern high and low pitches, match pitches and identify pitch patterns and be creative with the basic elements of music. Quickly make an account for the student in the app, and they can work through ten listening lessons reinforced by games that keep five-year-olds engaged.

▶️ Sproutbeat (Worksheets and Games)

A web-based app with 3000+ interactive games and worksheets for all ages and levels.

Tenuto (filtered)

Flashnote Derby (filtered)

What does Flashnote Derby do for me? 

It helps me help students develop confidence when reading pitches on the grand staff.

In order to read from the grand staff, it’s necessary to memorize the look of pitches on the grand staff and their location on the keyboard. This takes a fair amount of repetition and that’s why flash cards were invented!

Flashnote Derby provides virtual flashcards with racing themes—horse, unicorn, reindeer or space ship.  You can isolate drills down to two pitches on the grand staff including ledger lines and chromatics. The app comes with important upgrades that flashcards don’t have: immediate gamification, scorekeeping and feedback. This means that students can drill, assess and track their progress without your help!

In my studio, all students are asked to memorize landmarks and their names that are given by me: 

Treble Clef: Middle C, Treble G, Face C, Outer Space G and Cloud C

Bass Clef: Middle C, Bass F, Cow C, Basement F and Deep Blue C

I give them a chart with the landmark names (found here) which has already been discussed on the bench with me. Then, during Off Bench Time, we choose a staff, select at least two landmarks and start a race in Flashnote Derby. The graphic below display the screen where players tap on the pitches to be reviewed.

Players may choose how to enter their answers: 

• on the screen with letter buttons

• on the screen with a keyboard

• on the screen with piano keys with letters

• on an acoustic piano and the app listens to the answers

• on a Midi keyboard with a USB to Midi cable.

Once they get a high score, students add another landmark or two and begin another race.

The total amount of landmarks reviewed in one session depends on the level of the student. With the help of Flashnote Derby, students become “best friends” with all the landmarks. Once this happens, they are ready to review notes that surround the landmarks and play continues until students see their confidence soar and their need for pitch recognition drills fades.

Leave your email and sign up for the Grand Staff Map as shown above. It also includes a blank map so students can practice writing in the landmarks.

App: Flashnote Derby

For: Pitch Recognition

Link: https://flashnotederby.com/

Grand Staff Map: https://www.leilaviss.com/store-home/grand-staff-map

Here’s a post that explains how to use Flashnote Derby and Rhythm Swing—another must have app. Read the complete blog here.

Notability (Filtered)

What does Notability do for me?

It assists me in helping students review theory concepts and prepare for theory tests. Students can also complete worksheets and not paper or ink are required.

As you can see from the graphic above, Notability gets a black dot in the MAYBE column because there is a learning curve in using and organizing files in the app. However, it’s doable and worth the effort to learn. Here’s a video of me explaining how I use it.

The intention is not to teach for the test. Instead, the test taking provides ME with the level of understanding of students’ theory knowledge.

The best way for students to show me what they know about theory away from the piano is by annually assigning them to take a theory test written by the National Federation of Music Clubs.

I store the PDFs of all twelve levels of the tests in Notability. With a tap, I can duplicate any test, rename it and then move the copy into folders created in the app and labelled them with the name of each student.

Students are asked to complete the test a level up from the year before. I warn them that some questions may be difficult and that they are on a discovery mission of the unknown. Their completed tests give me a baseline of what students know, what I thought they knew that needs review and what they don’t know. 

From this information, I develop off-bench assignments and on-bench discussions to fill in the gaps so they feel prepared to take the test either at the Federation Festival or at least in the studio later in the year.

To save on paper, students periodically complete practice tests in Notability (and other worksheets) and they enjoy they enjoy using my Apple pencil. They also complete at least one hard copy of the test to prepare for the real thing at the Federation festival. Between tests, they are assigned activities to brush up on concepts.

With focused review and repeated practice of test-taking, students walk into the theory testing room and always score 95% or higher. For the record, when we review the tests after a festival, there may be a few mistakes but, the students and I usually call them “dumb mistakes” —like forgetting a sharp sign or drawing a stem the wrong way. 

App: Notability

Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notability/id360593530

For: Worksheets and Tests

Note Quest (Filtered)

What does Note Quest do for me? 

It helps me help students develop confidence when recognizing landmarks AND INTERVALS from landmarks on the grand staff.

When you visit NoteQuest.net, you’ll find oodles of downloadable PDF flashcards that serve as companions to the app. These are perfect for use on any computer, tablet, live screen sharing, or for Android/non-Apple users.

When you buy the Bundle Pack at the Grand Opening price you get over 230 cards, plus you get FREE access to any new cards that get added. You’ll never run out of new sight-reading material again! Each purchase is licensed for unlimited use for one studio or for one buyer.

May favorite flashcards at Note Quest are Chord Crush 1 and Chord Crush 2. The flashcards feature small melodic excerpts with chord symbols! The cards encourage creativity by asking players to create their own left patterns.

App: Note Quest

For: Pitch and Interval Recognition

Link: https://notequest.net/

Grand Staff Map: https://www.leilaviss.com/store-home/grand-staff-map

Follow this link for a post featuring an interview with Grace Lee, the developer of Note Quest.