Music Technology
Soundbrenner
Soundbrenner is one of the best metronome apps on the market, and it is FREE. Soundbrenner has basic metronome function with some more advance option. You can create time signatures from 1/1 to 16/8 and all of the oddities in between. The metronome also give you the function to subdivide the beat with multiple options. Lastly, the metronome will allow you to create song and save your settings.
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LMMS
LMMS is an open source DAW. I recommend LMMS for Windows and Linux users because it is free. If you own a Mac, I would recommended using the native Garage Band which is included with all Macs.
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Musescore 3
Musescore 3 is an open source music notation software. Since its creation in September 2002, it has come a long way in aesthetic design and in providing functions academic/professional music notation softwares offer. Not only is it free, it is user friendly with built-in tours. Personally, I prefer it to other free of low cost software/apps like Noteflight. If you are looking for a more comprehensive music notation software, I would recommend Finale, Sibelius, or the possibly the brand new Dorico.
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Soundtrap
Soundtrap is the digital audio workstation we use at Oxford High School. It is a part of the Music First Classroom Suite. Every Music Technology and Music Theory student should have a login to Music First and subsequently Soundtrap and it premium features. Soundtrap is very user friendly and has a full and constantly update library of loops. I believe for those wishing to create a Soundtrap account, it is free; however, premium features and loops are an additional subsciption.
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Music Theory
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MusicTheory.Net
Musictheory.net is the essential website self-taught music theory instruction and assessment. This free resource contains a wealth of lessons and exercises to help foster a young musicians quest for musician knowledge. In addition, you can create your own custom exercises.
Theory Lessons
Music theory lessons is an app made by the creators of musictheory.net. It has all of the same lesson content of the website with the mobility of a smart device. The layout and feel is near identical to the website. However, for the convince of the app, you will pay $2.99. Tenuto
Tenuto is an app also made by the creator of musictheory.net. It contain the other half of the music theory.net resource: music theory quizzes. The layout and feel is also similar to the website. For the convince of the app, you will pay $3.99.
UCLA Music Theory
UCLA Music Theory is an ok pocket app for note letter identification (sight reading), aural interval recognition (interval); melodic and rhythmic dictation (dictation); and aural recognition of chord progressions, 7th chords qualities, and chord qualities (chords). This app shines in its sight reading mode, interval, and chord qualities mode. The dictation quizzes do not provide a sufficient amount of time to sustain the activity. Most activities have an untimed practice mode. The dictation activity does not.
Additional, there is not voice leading in the chord progress activity, making recognizing the progression less authentic and more difficult. |
Guitar
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Guitar Tuna
Guitar Tuna is at least the best-marketed and best-known guitar tuner app. It is simple to use and looks really nice. However, tuning accuracy, non-standard tuner, instruments, chords, and future features are locked behind a $4.99 monthly subscription! That's nearly $60 per year. You can find a decent, physical guitar tuner for $20 or less. (I recommend the D'Addario Eclipse Headstock Tuner.) A new app recommendation will be coming soon.
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Ultimate-Guitar
Ultimate-Guitar is both a website and a mobile app. Ultimate-Guitar offers a comprehensive collection of guitar tabs for many popular songs. In addition, the layout and presentation of the music is clean and professional. However, a year subscription is $120. Don't play full price! Get $25 (or sometimes cheaper triad via the app) welcome offer and cancel the subscription immediately. When it run out, wait for sales and special offer around the holidays.
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Consonus Music Institute
Consonus Music Institute, founded by Professor Mike Christensen Professor Emeritus in the Music Department at Utah State University, offers five different curriculums: Beginning Guitar Complete, Intermediate Guitar Level 1, Intermediate Guitar Level 2, Guitar Ensemble Collection, and Basic Ukulele. At Oxford High School we use Beginning Guitar Complete for our Guitar Ensemble class. All OHS Guitar students have access to the online curriculum as well as the companion book.
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Choir & Voice
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Ella
Ella is hands down a must-have for vocalist looking to improve their sight-singing and intonation. Ella provides short melodic and harmonic exercises and provide the user a rating based on time to start (reading), intonation, and interval (tonal distance between two pitches). The app will recorder the exercise so the user may review their performance afterward. It is the app has a clear and user-friendly appearance; however, it does require music theory knowledge. Beginners should start with Beginners --> Sequences in C Major. Chet
Chet is an aural skills/piano theory quiz app. It is made by the same developers who made Ella. It is straightforward with a clean and easy user-interface. |
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Perfect Ear
Perfect Ear is a comprehesive music theory & aural skills app. It contains both lessons on music theory as well as test and quizzes. It even has a mode for interval singing. It is a nice alternative if you want a nearly all-in-one app. It is missing a thorough sight-singing portion. Sight Reading Factory Sight-Reading Factory is by far the most-comprehensive sight-reading app and website for musician. It provides a wealth of exercises for varying difficult for all instruments. It is also a part of the Music First Classroom suite and will hopefully be coming to use soon. If you allow it to, it will record your answer; however, the Sight_reading Factory does not appear to have a computer grading system. You or your teacher will have to do that themselves.
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