# Maestro — The Conducting Metronome

> Visually guided metronome for musicians and conductors with traditional beat patterns. (iPhone/iPad app by Patrick Q. Kelly.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maestro/id310068984 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Patrick Q. Kelly](https://appshunter.io/developer/310068987)
- Category: Music, Education
- Price: $2.99
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 57 App Store ratings · 29 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 13 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2009-04-02
- Data updated: 2026-08-26
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maestro/id310068984/reviews.md

## What is Maestro?

A musically visual metronome that inspires musical expression rather than mechanical execution. When practicing with this metronome, the animated beat patterns will reinforce the peripheral vision used when following a conductor.

Be able to practice without the click, while keeping to a strict tempo. Always know where you are INSIDE the beat with the traditional musical beat patterns developed over ages of musical performance practice, not an arbitrary circle or side to side motion for all meters and styles.

This metronome is an invaluable learning tool for conductors when using the Conductor's Point of View. 

All the conducting patterns are based on Max Rudolf's "Grammar of Conducting" and my professional conducting experience of 20+ years. 

Instructions:
Double tap to start. Swipe horizontally or pinch to stop.
Long Press triggers Tap Tempo, tap anywhere more than twice to set the tempo. Then wait and it will start conducting.

Apple Watch Support:
On the Apple Watch, view animations from 1 through 12 beats (time signatures). Adjust the tempo with the crown or by sliding on the animating pattern or the setting tempo bar.

Features:
• Adjust the tempo, 16 to 256 bpm, by dragging up/down anywhere, using the + and - buttons, or by tapping it via Tap Tempo
• 48 different beat patterns (meters): 1 through 12(3+3+3+3)
• Staccato, Neutral, Legato, and Reduced (see below) pattern styles
• Patterns are displayed from the Performer's or Conductor's Point of View
• Optional 2, 3, or 4 subdivisions of the beat
• Set 0, 1, or 2 'pick-up' beats (get playing quicker)

Preferences:
• Choose from 16 pairs of 'tick and 'tock' sounds
• Customizable colors of the baton, pattern and texts
• Customizable transparencies of the beat pattern and background image

A note about pattern variations and reductions: 
A 5/4 bar can be divided either 3+2 or 2+3 depending on the music. 

The 'Reduced' style: 
At faster tempos, a legato 3 pattern turns into a one pattern while still clicking the three beats. A 6(2+2+2) changes into 3 while a 6(3+3) changes into 2 while still clicking 6 beats. 

The Automatic Reduction setting automatically adjusts the pattern when the tempo reaches a level that requires it. Switching the Reduced Pattern switch on, forces the reduced pattern at all tempos.

Conductor's Point of View - automatically flips the beat pattern for conductors to learn and practice the patterns. This mode shows you the path the tip of your baton should take while conducting. 

Performer’s Point of View - the conductor’s beat pattern as seen from the ensemble musicians. Recommended view while practicing your instrument.

Supports all orientations for easier use while plugged in.

## Key features

- Animated beat patterns
- Conductor's Point of View
- Performer's Point of View
- Adjustable tempo (16-256 bpm)
- 48 beat patterns
- Optional beat subdivisions
- Pick-up beats

## Recent user reviews (10 of 29)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maestro/id310068984/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Helpful!! Thank you!

*2022-11-20*

This app is helping me follow the conductor ! I practice with it on my stand.  Thanks

### 1/5 — Haptic not working

*2021-04-18*

The reasons why I bought it was to use the iwatch haptic feature. Unfortunately it is not working on my series 6.

**Developer response:** Sorry to hear you’re having issues. It works on mine. Try turning haptic off and then back on with the switch in Maestro. (Scroll down on the first screen). You may want to check other setting you have in Settings: Sounds & Haptics.

### 5/5 — Great App!

*2021-04-11*

I really love this app...t’s very simple to use and do recommend.   If I could make a small suggestion, it would be nice if I could cast the the graphic to my smart tv.   It would make it easier for group to see.

### 2/5 — Basic Features, Only

*2021-02-06*

Pros:
- Conducts in 3 different kinds of styles with an option to reduce the pattern (as if in half-/cut-time).
- Offers a variety of patterns that accommodate quarter-note patterns.

Con:
* Cannot use the eighth note for the beat. This means that, if you want to get a 7/8 pattern at 180bpm, you will have to settle for a 7/4 pattern that tops out at 120bpm in 7/8. That said, this is NOT a viable tool for practicing asymmetrical compound meters.

If this changes, my review will change to 5 stars. The aforementioned feature could be extremely beneficial for visually keeping up with quick meters (which is something with which a lot of people struggle when moving from high school literature to collegiate literature).

Furthermore, should this change occur, I will gladly use this all the time and recommend it to my peers/colleagues. But, for now, I’m afraid the tempo/meter limitations render this app inferior to other metronomic apps.

**Developer response:** First, Thank you for your support. Second, the app doesn't care what notational unit gets the beat. (The selectable note values represent beat subdivisions, not the time signature.) So the 7/4 or 7/8 distinction is irrelevant. 7/4 or 7/8 still has 7 beats in the measure. the tempo of those 7 beats (180 bpm) is well within the apps range. The reduction of the pattern doesn't reflect a half/cut time as much as accommodating a tempo that would prohibit conducting every beat. It's very awkward / distracting to conduct a complex pattern (other than staccato) at over 200 bpm. I hope this clarified the functionality of the app, if not please email me at support@patrickqkelly.com. Thanks again for your support and kind words.

### 5/5 — Indispensable!

*2020-03-03*

Best most natural way to display a metronome  - for anyone that works with a conduct

### 1/5 — No time signature and tempo speed is very limited

*2019-02-03*

Hi,

I purchased this to help me with my compositions and music notation. I learned that there’s no time signature to select. And Temple does not go higher than 240 bpm. there’s no way you can do conducting with 140 bpm in 7/8 time signature. i’m very disappointed.

**Developer response:** When conducting, 7/8 looks like 7/4 and 7/2 and 7/16. Conducting patterns reflect the number of beats in the measure. The music notation needs to know which note value represents that beat.

### 5/5 — Baton styles?

*2018-11-13*

Greetings developers! I was wondering if perhaps different styles could be implemented instead of just a weird looking ball. How about a small dot which is the same diameter as the line? Maybe a trailing path that fades option? Also a larger, more visible “start” “stop” button would be nice. Thank you so much, your work is greatly appreciated!

### 5/5 — Tempo

*2017-11-25*

Too bad tempo is variable only by incrementing with a nudge button.

**Developer response:** You can drag your finger up/down anywhere on the screen to change the tempo as well as the +/- buttons.

### 5/5 — Amazing

*2017-01-31*

The best metronome app for the classical musician. Period.

### 5/5 — Excellent tool to learn baton movement

*2016-03-18*

This is an excellent app for both general use as a metronome, and to learn conducting patterns both as a musician and as a conductor.
The visual indicator is the key to being able to tell which count of the bar you're at by sitting the iPhone in your peripheral vision. Stupid bars and flashing lights might keep a basic beat, but all require staring and focusing directly on some unusable animation to find which count it's up to.

The only other visual cue that came close to this was a bouncing ball metronome.

I'd love to see some set list functionality added to this, a bar counter, and maybe some alternate visualisations like bouncing the ball off the walls to maximise the visible size for group use.

## Frequently asked questions about Maestro

### What does this metronome app do?

This app provides a visually driven metronome that uses animated beat patterns to help musicians and conductors practice tempo and rhythm. It aims to inspire musical expression by replicating traditional conducting gestures, allowing users to practice with or without an audible click while maintaining a strict tempo.

### What are the key features of this app?

Key features include a wide range of adjustable tempos (16-256 bpm), 48 different beat patterns for various meters, and customizable pattern styles like Staccato, Neutral, Legato, and Reduced. It also offers both 'Conductor's Point of View' and 'Performer's Point of View' displays, optional beat subdivisions, and pick-up beats.

### Is this app free to use?

Yes, the application is available for free. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned, indicating a completely free user experience based on the provided information.

### What devices is this app compatible with?

The app is designed for mobile devices and also supports Apple Watch, allowing users to view animations and adjust tempo directly from their watch. It supports all orientations for easier use, especially when plugged in.

### How can this app help me practice?

This app helps practice by providing a clear visual representation of the beat, which is especially useful for conductors learning patterns or for musicians who benefit from visual cues. The animated patterns reinforce peripheral vision, similar to following a conductor, and the ability to practice without a click while maintaining tempo is a significant benefit.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 7.0 — 2023-03-12

Conducting pattern animations for Apple Watch. General updates and stability improvements.

### 6.2 — 2019-04-02

Added 17 more time signatures for a total of 48.

### 6.1 — 2019-02-05

Minor update with stability improvements.

### 6.0 — 2018-02-05

Updated for iPhone X and iOS 11. Apple Watch improvements. Subdivision into 4. Mutability. Other minor and major improvements.

### 5.1 — 2016-03-03

Fixed the app store redirect bug.

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## More apps by Patrick Q. Kelly

- [Maestro Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maestro-lite/id313724078)
- [Bored](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bored/id324715902)
- [SMPTE Score](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smpte-score/id343770624)
- [Lock Master](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lock-master/id348792868)
- [Fingering](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fingering/id353809211)

All apps by Patrick Q. Kelly: https://appshunter.io/developer/310068987

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-26.*