3 Fantastic Apps

Flashnote Derby

Flashnote Derby is a very useful app that tests students’ ability to recognise notes. The app is a game in which the player, represented as a jockey in a race, must correctly identify notes in order to win. Accuracy and response time are both taken into account. The number of questions and speed of each race can be changed to alter the level of difficulty, and the note selection is also fully customisable. This is very handy, particularly for use with very young students who may only learn one or two notes at a time. There is even a fun Christmas reindeer theme option for use during the festive period!

Note Rush

The second app I’ve recently found myself using repeatedly is Note Rush. Note Rush is another game-based note identification app in the same vein as Flashnote Derby. However, with this app, the student must actually play the correct note on their instrument. The goal is to identify and play each note as quickly as possible, thereby collecting more points and generating a new high score. There is a choice of several different fun background themes and five levels, each with a progressively wider selection of notes. The app also features a 'Level Designer' option which allows users to input their own chosen selection of notes.

This app is an excellent teaching tool because it helps the student develop a strong association between the note in question on the stave and its position on the keyboard.

Musicnotes Decks: Music Flash Cards

This handy app enables teachers to test students’ knowledge of treble clef notes, bass clef notes and musical symbols (the option I use the most). This is also a great flashcard app for students to use to test themselves at home, as they can simply touch the card to reveal the name of the note or symbol and its correct pronunciation. It’s also a great app to use at the start of a lesson to instantly get students into a good frame of mind for thinking and learning.