Here are a few ways that you can use your iPhone (or other smart phone, presumably) to help you with aural skills. Of course, all of these suggestions apply for “old-fashioned” versions of these apps, too (i.e., if you have a real metronome), and these suggestions are just as valid for practicing with your instrument—not just aural skills!
Voice memos: record yourself doing the sight-singing exercises, then play back your performance. How accurate was it? What kinds of mistakes did you make? Correct the mistakes, and record again.
iPod: Listen to music!
• Try to determine the meter, possible time signatures, the modality (major or minor), the instruments that are playing, possible dynamic markings, possible tempo markings.
• Practice memorizing music. Listen to a fragment, try to sing it back. Listen to it again and check your accuracy
Metronome: I like Tempo (Frozen Ape; $1.99 from the iTunes store).
• Use it to practice singing with a steady beat behind you.
• Use it to practice conducting and keeping a steady beat.
• Set it to different note values and practice the same melody: set it to tick half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, or whole measures. You can also set it to tick divisions and subdivisions.
• Use the Tempo (Tap) feature to practice tapping a steady beat
Tuner: I like Cleartune (bitcount; $3.99 from the iTunes store)
• Use the chromatic tuner feature to practice singing accurate pitches
• Use the pitch pipe feature to play a drone (i.e., the tonic or dominant pitch of the melody that you’re singing—whichever is most prominent in the melody). Make sure that when you sing that pitch, it matches the drone. Listen carefully to other intervals created as you sing.
Piano keyboard: I like MiniPiano (one octave keyboard; JYProduct; free from the iTunes store)
• Use the keyboard to check do or other important scale degrees as you sing.
• Use it to play simple harmonies as you sing
• Use it to pick out songs that you know
Music Theory Pro: (Joel Clift; $0.99 in the iTunes store)
• Use this to drill fundamentals like key signatures, pitch reading (treble and bass), intervals, and chords. There are also some simple ear-training drills (as well as a near-impossible “guess that tempo”)
• The drills are timed: try to beat your best time. You can also post your scores to Facebook and compete with your friends!
There are, of course, other fairly obvious uses: use the clock feature to keep track of practice time; use the stopwatch to time yourself spelling scales or intervals; use the notes feature to keep a practice log; watch YouTube videos of performers…
Voice memos: record yourself doing the sight-singing exercises, then play back your performance. How accurate was it? What kinds of mistakes did you make? Correct the mistakes, and record again.
iPod: Listen to music!
• Try to determine the meter, possible time signatures, the modality (major or minor), the instruments that are playing, possible dynamic markings, possible tempo markings.
• Practice memorizing music. Listen to a fragment, try to sing it back. Listen to it again and check your accuracy
Metronome: I like Tempo (Frozen Ape; $1.99 from the iTunes store).
• Use it to practice singing with a steady beat behind you.
• Use it to practice conducting and keeping a steady beat.
• Set it to different note values and practice the same melody: set it to tick half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, or whole measures. You can also set it to tick divisions and subdivisions.
• Use the Tempo (Tap) feature to practice tapping a steady beat
Tuner: I like Cleartune (bitcount; $3.99 from the iTunes store)
• Use the chromatic tuner feature to practice singing accurate pitches
• Use the pitch pipe feature to play a drone (i.e., the tonic or dominant pitch of the melody that you’re singing—whichever is most prominent in the melody). Make sure that when you sing that pitch, it matches the drone. Listen carefully to other intervals created as you sing.
Piano keyboard: I like MiniPiano (one octave keyboard; JYProduct; free from the iTunes store)
• Use the keyboard to check do or other important scale degrees as you sing.
• Use it to play simple harmonies as you sing
• Use it to pick out songs that you know
Music Theory Pro: (Joel Clift; $0.99 in the iTunes store)
• Use this to drill fundamentals like key signatures, pitch reading (treble and bass), intervals, and chords. There are also some simple ear-training drills (as well as a near-impossible “guess that tempo”)
• The drills are timed: try to beat your best time. You can also post your scores to Facebook and compete with your friends!
There are, of course, other fairly obvious uses: use the clock feature to keep track of practice time; use the stopwatch to time yourself spelling scales or intervals; use the notes feature to keep a practice log; watch YouTube videos of performers…