The iPhone is an amazing device with many practical uses and applications. For musicians especially, the iPhone features many handy apps that can be used for on the go music making. The following iPhone apps are great for any musician, whether they’re just a curious novice or a pro.
iDrum
This iPhone app gives musicians a portable drum machine. There are a handful of different editions (hip-hop, rock, club, and more) of the app with new preset kits to satisfy any musician’s taste. iDrum turns the iPhone into a step sequencer, where users can create different beats and string them together into a song. Musicians can edit their beats on the fly and at just $4.99 this app is a valuable tool for musical iPhone users.
GuitarToolkit
Every guitarist with an iPhone should buy this wonderful app. Musicians in need of a portable tuner, metronome, or chord dictionary will find all they need in the iPhone GuitarToolkit. Having all these tools accessible in one small iPhone app is very convenient. Any musician can appreciate this app for just $9.99, with an even cheaper “Lite” version also available.
Vocoder Synthesizer SV – 5
This app gives musicians a powerful synthesizer on the go. Amazingly, it features a fully functioning vocoder (giving users a robot-like voice they can play on the iPhone screen). This app utilizes the iPhone’s microphone, so the vocoder will only work for iPhone users. Amazingly, this app allows users to save and upload patches they create to share with other iPhone musicians. This app really utilizes all of the iPhone’s capabilities, and lets musicians explore complex sounds with an onboard keyboard, recorder, and real-time filters. For an iPhone app, this is a little pricey at $16.99 but musicians will really appreciate the app’s many editable features.
Band
Band is a fun app for the iPhone that can serve as a handy tool to musicians. The Band app features a playable two octave piano keyboard, a guitar and a bass. Musicians can use this app to play musical ideas at the moment they strike, so they won’t forget the great melodies they come up with. This app also includes a 3×4 drum pad allowing musicians to lay down beats on their iPhone. The best part is Band can record musicians’ ideas (even using an optional click track). At $3.99, this iPhone app is both fun and affordable.
Karajan
For real musicians, Karajan is an extremely useful app for the iPhone. This app lets musicians practice ear training, a valuable skill that requires time and practice. The app plays musical intervals or scales and prompts the iPhone user to identify them by ear. Chord identification is also a useful app feature for musicians. Musicians studying music theory will find this app turns their iPhone into a powerful teaching tool. Although iPhone users have to pay $14.99 for the full app, there is a free version for beginners.
These apps make portable music making affordable and fun. Any musician knows that inspiration can strike at any moment, and now it can be captured on an iPhone. The convenience of these tools makes any one of the apps a great addition to a musician’s iPhone.
