Play 'n' Practice User Reviews

Top reviews

Could be good. But….

I do not play the kind of music that is included. This app could be useful to me if all included data could be deleted and I could set up my own categories. I don’t need the online library.
I play Irish music and would like to set up categories for jig, reel, hornpipe etc. My composers would be all completely different, if they were even known. For me would be better to use a tune source or recording reference.
The app has potential but is not flexible for types of music other than the classical music that is included.
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Response from developer

Hi Talindar, you could try out searching via Repertoire - Search & add piece. The pieces included in the internal database are only visible on the "All Pieces" view in the Repertoire. Nevertheless, I filed a feature request to consider removing the internal pieces from the database. Also i filed one for an additional free category attribute. You could use Genre, which is free to define on your own to categorize your pieces or arrange them in a playlist, for the moment. Arno

Absolutely stellar

I’ve tried several similar apps and this , by far, works the best for me. Invest a little time with the owners manual and/or the online blog to understand the concept of operation for this app to enrich your experience.
What I like
- The MusicBrainz database has all the pieces I’ve searched for — from classical, new age jazz, to show tunes
- the prompt to practice scales appropriate for each piece
- the graphical layout showing my practice time for the day, week, month or year
- support — the developer is very responsive
- repertoire management

I’m still discovering features and tremendously excited about using the app to its full potential
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Great app!!

[Updated]
This is really an incredible app! All previous issues have been corrected. I'm actually a guitarist, but Play n' Practice is thought out better than ANY of the music journal/practice apps I have been able to find. I would like to see a few things incorporated that I think would really benefit it's usefulness to non-piano players, however, I will send a personal email as this app is everything the developer advertises it is! There is nothing better to be found..period! Thank you for your time and commitment to making this the best app of it's kind available!!
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Response from developer

Hi, thank you so much for your review, I'm working intensively these days to remove all the issues reported. An update (3.1.2) is on it's way to the AppStore and will be released soon. Pls. feel free to contact me for further questions under info@ctrl-h.de. Arno

Excellent Tool for Pianists at all levels.

I’m editing a previous review that was misleading because I misunderstood an important feature of the app. My bad. This is an incredibly valuable tool that helps you select repertoire appropriate to your skill level and then provides excellent guidance and structure in using your practice time to best advantage. The repertoire guide, organized by skill level, lists composers and each piece within a given level. Especially helpful for new and amateur players to avoid selecting works beyond their level and becoming discouraged. I’ve found wonderful, satisfying pieces at my level in far greater number and scope than say in Hutchison’s Literature for the Piano and other similar hard copy references. Very much appreciate having such a helpful, reasonable resource for amateurs like me. Piano practice is finally fun again!
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Response from developer

Hi,  thank you for your review. A few words for explanation: PDFs are not included within the app for copyright reasons. The database consists only in information about the pieces and their composers as explained in the product description. A good source for PDF sheets is http://IMSLP.org. I use it extensively besides many commercial sheets e.g. from Henle. Pls. also note that the free version limits the number of workouts you can perform to 5-10. Feel free to contact me at info@playnpractice.com for further questions. Thank you as well for your hint about the missing contact. I will add my contact email to the about box for the next release. Regards Arno

Good concept, implementation unfit for purpose

This app seems to have the right set of ideas when it comes to tracking practice sessions, but the implementation is below barely usable.

For example: when you create a practice session (a “workout”) there doesn’t seem to be a way to customize what’s in it (I’m not referring to the structure of the session, which is a Pro feature, but what you’re actually going to be doing in that session within its predefined structure). The app always picks, for example, the first piece in the repertoire list and adds it to the session. No way to remove it. You can then add another pieces, but you can’t remove then either.

Some parts of the workout are empty (scales, for example) and I found no way to add content. You don’t seem to be able to edit a session after it’s saved.

The metronome feature simply does not work, and it simply kept making random “clicks” even after I closed the practice session.

In summary, good idea, but unusable implementation.
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Response from developer

Hi Fernando, thank you for your review and remarks. The pieces picked within the sessions are dependent on the structure defined in the workout setup. So for example, the app may pick the pieces within a specific status which were not practiced for a long time automatically. Nevertheless you’re also able to setup a workout with individual pieces or to start a workout with a selected piece directly and add pieces step by step while practicing. The metronome issue is due to an error in the app, which doesn't handle double starts of the metronome. This issue will be fixed with the next update. Pls. feel free to contact me at info@playnpractice.com for further clarification. Kindly regards Arno

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