Top 5 Music Teaching Apps

Hello friends!

At the beginning of this school year, I received 9 new Ipads through a grant I applied for. I was so excited and starting researching all of the best music education apps. I soon realized that there were SO many options for apps, but only a few that I would actually implement into lessons and use often.  In order to help simplify your search, and help you save money, I want to offer you my Top 5 Music Education Apps that you will actually use with your kids.

1. Garageband- free on iOS devices

This app is awesome for teaching students how to create music, how to record songs, and access to many different “touch instruments” to play-including a wide range of world instruments. I have used Garageband for 2 projects already this year, and both projects have been a blast! I will share more Garageband lessons and ideas in future blog posts. Garageband is perfect for recording student’s work, and makes it extremely easy to convert songs into mp3s. This app is free but, unfortunately, you can only use Garageband on iOs devices (Iphones/Ipads). If you have an android, Walk Band seems to be the most similar app to Garageband. I haven’t used Walk Band enough to review it, but it has a 4.3/5 rating on google play, with lots of good reviews.

2. StaffWars/StaffWars Live-$0.99 each- Android and iOs devices

Staff Wars and Staff Wars Live are 2 different apps, but they are both equally important to download. Staff Wars is set up like a video game, and is designed to help students learn, and practice note names on the grand staff, treble, alto and bass clefs. The notes fly across the staff, and the students have to choose the note name. The game gets faster as they go. One of my favorite parts of this game is that you can choose the range of the notes for them to play. Usually my elementary students don’t know the note names above or below the staff, so I stick with the range of E on the 1^st line through F on the 5^th line. Staff Wars is available for iOs devices AND androids, but Staff Wars Live is only available for iOs.

Staff Wars Live is a similar concept, but instead of choosing what the note name is, the students will play the note on an instrument. Staff Wars Live picks up the sound through the microphone on your device. I’ve used this app to reinforce

learning notes on piano and recorder. After teaching BAG on the recorder, I limited the range of notes to only B, A, and G. My ears were hurting a little after that day, but my students were having a BLAST!!

3. Music4Kids-$2.99 on iOs devices

This app allows for students to compose music on the treble clef. I’ve used this app with Kindergarten, 1^st grade, and 2^nd grade to teach about creating music and it’s so easy for them to use. First they choose a note or rest, then place it on the staff by touching the screen. The students can save their work, give it a title, and play it back to hear their creation. I will also post a future blog with a lesson including this app.

4. Yousician-free on Android and iOs devices

Yousician is a perfect app for independent instrument learning. First you choose which instrument you’d like to learn-including guitar, piano, bass or ukulele. Then you take a skill assessment test to see what level you’re at. After that, the app gives you the lesson for your skill level, and allows students to learn at their own pace. Yousician uses the microphone in your device to hear the instrument you are playing, and will give you feedback if the notes are wrong. It’s like having a private lesson teacher!! I use this the most when I teach my students how to play piano chords.

5.  Jazzy ABCs- $1.99 on iOs devices

Jazzy ABCs is a great app for kiddos who are really trying to learn their ABCs and work on instrument recognition through pictures and sound. When you touch a letter on the screen, it shows a picture of an instrument that starts with that letter, such as accordion for “A”. When you touch the instrument, you can hear the sound it makes. I use this app with the Pre-k, Kinder, and 1^st grade students. One of my favorite ways to use the app is to start off each music class with a new letter, and go in alphabetical order throughout the year!

Well, that’s a wrap on the top 5 music teaching apps! Good luck on your APP-VENTURE!!!

I hope you are finding happiness, wholeness and balance today!

-Paige Bell-