# Play By Ear - Ear Training

> Ear training app using pitch recognition for instrumental practice. (iPhone/iPad app by SuperNonstop.com, Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-by-ear-ear-training/id361203621 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [SuperNonstop.com, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/361203624)
- Category: Music, Education
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.40/5 from 79 App Store ratings · 104 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 24 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2010-03-17
- Data updated: 2026-07-24
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-by-ear-ear-training/id361203621/reviews.md

## What is Play By Ear?

Play By Ear is a call-and-response ear training application that helps you develop the ability to hear pitches and play them back on your instrument by ear. Unlike other applications which force you to press buttons to indicate the notes you've heard, Play By Ear uses pitch recognition so you can play the notes back on your instrument (piano, guitar, trumpet, etc).  Using your instrument to play the notes allows you to practice ear training in a method that most closely matches how you'll actually play music.

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APPLICATION FEATURES:
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- Pitch recognition so you can use your instrument to interact with the ear trainer
- Hands-free, continuous play
- Interval exercises
- Chord exercises
- Random melody exercises
- Scale pattern melody exercises
- Jazz lick melody exercises
- Melodic and harmonic note sequences
- Ascending and descending note sequences
- Microphone calibration
- Customizable tempo
- Ability to show or hide the first note
- C, Bb, Eb, F, G, and D key centers to match your instrument

----------------------
Note: Your device needs a microphone to fully enjoy Play By Ear's pitch recognition features.  iPads, iPhones, and the latest iTouch all have microphones built-in, however older iTouch devices will need a headset or similar external microphone.

## Key features

- Pitch recognition for instrumental interaction
- Hands-free, continuous play
- Interval, chord, and melody exercises
- Customizable tempo
- Multiple key centers
- Microphone calibration

## What do users think of Play By Ear?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Great for ear training
- 👍 Helps learn to read music
- 👍 Excellent for musicians
- 👍 Good for piano teachers
- 👍 Pitch recognition accuracy
- 👍 Customizable exercises
- 👍 User-friendly UI
- 👍 Free and valuable
- 👍 Works with instruments
- 👍 Good for beginners
- 👍 Helps with tonal memory
- 👍 Practical application of skills
- 👍 Good for vocal practice
- 👍 Effective for practice
- 👍 Innovative learning method

**Cons**

- 🐛 Inconsistent pitch detection
- 🐛 Issues with low notes
- 🐛 Glitchy chord recognition
- 🐛 False errors reported
- 🐛 Not ideal for beginners
- 🐛 Audio issues reported
- 🐛 Crashing frequently
- 🐛 Over-sensitive pitch detection
- 🐛 Some features not working
- 🐛 Unmusical melodies generated
- 🐛 Difficulty with certain instruments
- 🐛 Limited interval options

**Commonly reported bugs**

- No audio output
- App crashes frequently
- Pitch detection not working
- Plays single tone only
- Loses sound with timer/calls
- Currently broken, plays back unison only
- Not working with iOS 9
- No audio on iPhone 6+
- Does not work with iOS8
- Doesn't save calibration
- Calibration only works sometimes
- Problems detecting notes below bottom 'A' on guitar
- Doesn't hear low octave notes
- App crashes after one or two exercises
- Does not play pitch as it should
- App keeps crashing after one exercise
- Pitch detection issues with voice
- Over-sensitive pitch detection
- App crashes after OS4 upgrade
- Phone doesn't pick up keys played on keyboard
- Tendency to crash randomly
- App crashes after one exercise
- Pitch detection too sensitive for wind instruments
- Doesn't pick up electric guitar
- Only picks up half notes on acoustic guitar
- App crashes, especially on interval section
- Mic issues with iPod Touch (not new version)
- App crashes after OS4 upgrade
- Phone doesn't pick up keys played on keyboard

**Most requested features**

- Repeat option for phrases
- Limit scale patterns to selected scales/keys
- Profiles for multi-instrumentalists
- Test from the same root note sometimes
- Sign in and save practice data
- Vary rhythms of melodies
- Add bass clef option
- Option to randomize ascending, descending, melodic, and harmonic intervals
- Add inversions for triads/chords
- Add more chord types
- Add a playable keyboard
- Setting to prevent sleep mode
- Ability to mix ascending and descending intervals/chords
- Input own phrases for practice
- Add rhythm feature
- Super-imposed pitch graph for feedback
- More forgiving pitch setting for wind players
- Option to force exercises in a chosen key
- Change clef in which notes are displayed
- Super easy version with delayed answer feedback
- Keyboard option for public places practice

## Recent user reviews (10 of 104)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-by-ear-ear-training/id361203621/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Indispensable

*2026-05-14, version 1.17*

Really great app. I recommend it to all of my fellow musicians looking to train their ear or learn to read on their instrument.

### 5/5 — The Best, It’s a Wow!

*2024-07-15*

I’m a piano teacher and I still practice 3 hours a day or more. I think this is the best of all the ear training apps that I’ve used and seen. I tell all my students to get this app and use it daily. 

It’s been a game changer for me because not only does it make you sing your answers but somehow it knows whether you are hearing the note before you sing it. 

Don’t get anything else. Play by Ear is the real deal. And don’t be fooled by the name. In order to sightread effectively you have to be hearing the notes before you play them. Ply by ear is the best app for developing that hearing ability.

### 5/5 — Hi

*2024-05-08*

Hi

### 4/5 — A little hard for beginners

*2023-06-24, version 1.17*

I like this app a lot, and it fills a need, but it’s a little tough for beginners (or people learning a new instrument, like me). A couple of things would make it easier:

1. Provide a “repeat” option: play the phrase, wait, play it again, wait, then give answer. Gives the student two tries. (Could even give a three-tries option.)

2. Allow limiting the scale patterns to a selected set of scales/keys. Maybe the jazz licks one, too. You can fudge this with the random notes by selecting notes to fit a scale, which is what I’ve ended up doing, for now, but it would be nice to have something more melodic. 

I have not tried anything with chords, yet, because I’m using this with trumpet. Which gives me another suggestion: maybe you could provide profiles for multi-instrumentalists (it would only affect pitch recognition, I suppose, so might not be worth the effort).

### 5/5 — A must for a jazz musician !

*2023-05-15, version 1.17*

I love this app, super useful for a jazz musician. I wish it had more questions like arpeggios as complement.

### 5/5 — Play by Ear

*2023-02-01, version 1.17*

Fantastic app for ear training. I am a piano teacher and I am using it personally and giving it to my students. I have not found anything better.

### 5/5 — Works for me

*2021-01-13, version 1.13*

Excellent. Random root notes good.
Would like to test from the same root
note sometimes.

### 1/5 — Not too cool

*2020-04-13, version 1.13*

I've installed the app, but I'm not hearing a peep out of it. I have checked another ear training app and it is fine.

It seems like a good idea, but it doesn't work.

### 5/5 — Sign in

*2020-02-17, version 1.13*

Would be nice if you could sign in and save all your practice.

### 5/5 — Ultra interesting App

*2019-12-22, version 1.13*

Very helpful! Congrats.

## Frequently asked questions about Play By Ear

### What does Play By Ear do?

Play By Ear is an ear training application designed to help you develop the ability to hear pitches and play them back on your instrument. It uses pitch recognition, allowing you to interact by playing notes on your piano, guitar, or other instrument.

### What are the key features of Play By Ear?

Key features include pitch recognition for instrumental interaction, hands-free continuous play, various exercises for intervals, chords, and melodies, customizable tempo, and support for multiple key centers. It also offers microphone calibration.

### Is Play By Ear free to use?

Yes, the application is free to use. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned in the provided description.

### What devices is Play By Ear compatible with?

The app requires a device with a microphone. This includes iPads, iPhones, and the latest iTouch devices. Older iTouch devices may require an external microphone.

### How does Play By Ear help with musical practice?

It helps by providing a call-and-response ear training method that uses your actual instrument. This approach closely matches how you would perform music in real-time, strengthening your ability to identify and reproduce pitches and melodies by ear.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.17 — 2023-01-21

Further work to fix issue where audio is quiet after microphone is used for pitch detection.

### 1.16 — 2023-01-20

Fixed issue where volume was quiet when the microphone was being used with pitch recognition.

### 1.13 — 2015-10-02

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

Fix for iOS 9 issue where only a single pitch is heard.

### 1.12 — 2015-01-05

- Fixed issue where the settings view wasn't wide enough for devices running iOS 7 and earlier.
- Improved pitch recognition for devices running iOS 7 and earlier.

### 1.10 — 2014-10-23

- Fixed compatibility issues with iOS 8
- Improved pitch recognition

## Apps similar to Play By Ear

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Interval Ear Training](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/interval-ear-training/id361125793) | 4.7 (319) | Free | Music |
| [Active Ear - Ear Trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-ear-ear-trainer/id1541508221) | 4.7 (50) | Free | Music |
| [EarForge: Learn Ear Training](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earforge-learn-ear-training/id1429049063) | 4.6 (288) | Free | Music |
| [Better Ears Beginner](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/better-ears-beginner/id284445260) | 4.5 (34) | Free | Music |
| [Complete Ear Trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/complete-ear-trainer/id1012455471) | 4.8 (173) | Free | Music |
| [Sonofield Ear Trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sonofield-ear-trainer/id6740409139) | 4.9 (298) | Free | Music |

## Related topics

[play by ear](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/play-by-ear) · [euphoria by trebel](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/euphoria-by-trebel) · [ear training free](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ear-training-free)

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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 2026-07-24.*