Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Favorite Tuner and Music Apps

#1

Hi everyone!

Happy Saturday - as the sun :sun_with_face: is out (well, sort of) and I think the snow :snowflake::cold_face: might be gone for good :tulip::sunflower:. Thinking SPRING!

I was looking to download a tuner for my Android phone and wanted to open this topic up to all of you.

What are your favorite Apps - 2020 edition (I think the topic has been covered - so let’s call it a Quarantine Refresh Edition)? Do you use phone Tuners? If so, which one(s)?

Also, please share if you use on Apple devices (Apple iOS) or Android.

I am also curious about whether the apps you use are free or pay. If you paid, are they worth it and why or why not (don’t be too mean, please)?

I personally play Mandolin and Banjo but want to open it to any instruments and/or music as I saw a theory app out there too.

I look forward to hearing from y’all…

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#2

I like gStrings tuner app for Android. It has settings for different instruments but didn’t have mandolin. It was pretty easy to add. I got it for upright bass as it is easy to lay my phone on the bridge to tune.

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#3

Thanks @mharrison43!

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#4

I have a Peterson tuner for my mandolin, but I also have the iPhone app which works great! I use an app called “Pulse” for a metronome, simple so thats why I like it. As far as music theory apps, there’s a great app called “Musicopoulos”. I’d recommend checking that out!

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#5

Thank you Miss @Lucy_L!

I will check 'em out.

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#6

Apple iPhone user - a few of my favorite apps:

“MetroTimer” - free metronome app - love it!

“Pocket Lick Guitar” - $1.99; teaches 30 essential bluegrass guitar licks taught by Bennet Sullivan from TuneFox. Really really good. Lots of classic Tony Rice stuff.

“Anytune Pro” - $14.99; a little more expensive but totally worth it. I use this for slowing down and speeding up songs for practice, and you can also raise/lower song keys by steps and half steps, loop certain portions, and do so much more. Packed with features!

“GarageBand” - for composing music. Use this a lot for recording arrangements. You can have a lot of fun with this app but it’s also very handy for work projects. Easy to start using.

“Bluegrass Music Stickers” - $1.99; ok I made this app, but check it out! :grin: Haven’t made an Android version yet sadly… https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bluegrass-music-stickers/id1466782809

And this goes without saying, but I rely on the iPhone camera and voice memos apps a LOT for practice… I record and video myself a ton for self-evaluation.

Hope this helps! Just a few of my favorites! Never really used a tuner app because I love the actual Peterson Strobo Clip-on tuner so much.

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#7

Thanks so much @Flatpickin_Libby!

I would like to get that emoji pack… but yes, I have an Android.

Any chance you will somehow make that available for us too? :thinking:

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#8

Hope to someday. I don’t know anything about developing Android apps but I hope to learn sometime!

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#9

I use the “slow down” feature of YouTube to copy licks, and I use the “Tempo” metronome app. (iOS) It has the most features and it’s free.

I also record with SimpleMic.

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#10

@Luke_L,

Am I to understand that you are saying you use “SimpleMic” as an app on your phone and this is better than using the iPhone’s “standard” mic?

Sorry as this sounds like a dumb question but I am curious to know the details.

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#11

Well, it used to be that the iPhone’s Voice memo app would reduce the quality a lot to reduce file size. Now, there’s an option to keep uncompressed files, but I’m somewhat used to using SimpleMic still. SimpleMic also had an Apple Watch App before the stock Voice Memos App did.

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