More and more students have smartphones: it’s up to us to help them realize that the smartphone can be a tool for efficiency in the practice room.
Here are a few of my favorite apps for practice.
Metronome: MetroTimer [iOS] – there are lots of fine, fully-featured metronome apps. I like this one because it combines tempo with practice timers: you can set a timer within the app at a variety of durations, so you don’t have to leave the app to check how long you’ve practiced.
Pitch: Pitch Pipe [iOS]- Again, there are lots of apps to give you pitches. I like this because it provides pitch names rather than a keyboard. Better for a young singers without keyboard skills, and easier to hit only the note you’re looking for on the first try.
Recording: Voice Memos – It comes on your phone! It lets you easily record your practice and listen back! Use it!
Musicianship Skills: MusicTheory.net/Tenuto [iOS] I’m a big believer in drills to improve fundamental theory skills. Like language acquisition, you have to repeat, repeat, repeat. And this is the best site I’ve found for doing that. The app, Tenuto, is well worth the $3.99.
I think with these four tools, a student is well-equipped for effective practice time. Do you use any of these apps? Are there other apps you prefer over the ones I mentioned?