# ScaleHelper — The app the listens > Music practice app with real-time feedback and scoring for various instruments. (iPhone/iPad app by Richard Williams.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scalehelper/id552735530 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Richard Williams](https://appshunter.io/developer/1792912830) - Category: Music, Education - Price: $5.99 with in-app purchases - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 9 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2012-09-27 - Data updated: 2026-08-20 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scalehelper/id552735530/reviews.md ## What is ScaleHelper? Choose an exercise: see the notes and hear them played Play the exercise: get a score, see the notes you played and listen to your performance ScaleHelper is the fast way to improve your playing. With actual feedback based on what you played, ScaleHelper enables you to concentrate on the aspects of your playing that will help the most. ScaleHelper has 3 modes: 1. Play any scale: ScaleHelper determines the exercise you have played and scores your performance. Ideal for impromptu practise sessions. 2. Choose a scale: Choose the exercise you want to play and ScaleHelper listens and gives you a score. Ideal to improve a specific musical exercise. 3. Challenge me: ScaleHelper will ask you to play exercises from your challenge list that is based on your chosen syllabus. ScaleHelper will identify what you need to practise and make sure you get exam ready while having fun on the way. Ideal for practising a range of exercises. ScaleHelper contains everything you need for most of the instruments covered by the ABRSM, Trinity Guildhall, and MTB examining boards all the way from Grade 1 to Grade 8. ScaleHelper will be there for you every step of the way as you grow as a musician. ScaleHelper allows you to create your own syllabus from the exercises it supports: major scales; major arpeggios; harmonic minor scales; melodic minor scales; natural minor scales; minor arpeggios; chromatic scales; dominant sevenths; diminished sevenths; augmented arpeggios; scales in thirds; whole-tone scales; and pentatonic major scales. All exercises are available starting from every tonic over 1 octave, 1 twelfth, 2 octaves, 2.5 octaves and 3 octaves. There is a range of exercise lists for popular music exams available for download. Instruments supported include Violin, Viola, Cello, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Clarinet, Flute, Oboe, Saxophone, Bassoon, Recorder, Trumpet, Cornet, Trombone and Horn. A full list is available at www.ScaleHelper.com along with details of the rich feature set ScaleHelper has to offer. At less than the price of a single music lesson the guidance that ScaleHelper provides between your lessons builds on that teaching. You can dispense with the need to review scales by playing them in your lessons and instead reuse the time you gain to learn technique and perfect your pieces. ScaleHelper supports multiple users, keeping each user's history for each of their instruments. You can save recordings to study later or to show and play to your teacher and friends. You can also email recordings to share them with others. Have fun competing with your friends to see who can get the highest score or who can maintain the highest average. ## Key features - Real-time performance scoring - Audio playback of notes and performance - Practice any scale or choose specific exercises - Exam preparation with challenge modes - Support for multiple instruments and users - Customizable syllabus creation - Save and share recordings ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: $5.99. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Clarinet ABRSM G1 to G8 | $2.99 | one-time | | Violin ABRSM G8 | $0.99 | one-time | | Violin ABRSM G1 to G8 | $2.99 | one-time | | Flute ABRSM G1 to G8 | $2.99 | one-time | | Cello ABRSM G1 to G8 | $2.99 | one-time | | Cello TRINITY G1 to G3 | $0.99 | one-time | | Flute TRINITY G1 to G3 | $0.99 | one-time | | Viola ABRSM G6 | $0.99 | one-time | | Viola ABRSM G7 | $0.99 | one-time | | Viola ABRSM G8 | $0.99 | one-time | | Violin ABRSM G1 to G3 | $0.99 | one-time | ## Recent user reviews (10 of 10) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scalehelper/id552735530/reviews.md ### 2/5 — Great idea if it worked and didn’t keep crashing!! *2021-10-18* The app will only play one scale once and then the option to listen to the scale disappears. I have to close down the app and re open. Super frustrating when working with kids. Good idea but doesn’t actually work. Don’t waste your money….. **Developer response:** You're absolutely correct that after a few years of neglect the app was starting to deteriorate. A new version has been released that works properly. I apologise for the delay. ### 4/5 — Great *2015-10-28* This app is great it just has one feature missing and that is that it doesn't let you do scales that go down to the dominant. Recorder players have to do a lot of scales which go down to the dominant but this app just won't let you do them sadly. Hopefully it might get sorted in a future upgrade. **Developer response:** It may have taken a long time but the latest version (4.1.0) will include scales and arpeggios down to the dominant. ### 5/5 — Perfecto *2014-07-29* Amazing app for anyone learning an instrument or needing feedback on accuracy. Exactly what I was looking for. ### 5/5 — Great support for improving scales ! *2013-12-16* Just bought this app and use on both iPhone and iPad. My nine year old son loves it and can now assess his work as it has a great play back feature. We have downloaded the ABRSM grades for both clarinet and saxophone. Highly recommend. ### 3/5 — Sir *2013-09-18* I can't find a Melodic Minor scale within the "make a syllabus" and There is no D# Harmonic Minor scale that i can see or receive. **Developer response:** The types of minor scales are selected in the Style selection on the Preferences tab. All the syllabuses have generic minor scales. ### 5/5 — Scale helper *2013-08-15* Just had this a couple of days and think it will be great for my students. Only problem is F sharp and G exercises are scheduled from the wrong octave they should be an octave lower (on Gde 8 syllabus). ### 5/5 — Very Cool. *2013-01-29* This is a great app. I have been keeping track of my scales for years in little notebooks, to keep each in rotation. It's obviously not going to replace the tuner and metronome but it IS very useful. Couple funky bugs in the flute setting, but I'm sure these will be worked out in one of the next updates. It would be really cool if they could put scale exercises (like Taffanel/Gaubert or Maquarre) in with a GuitarHero vibe. Definitely $10 worth spending. ### 4/5 — Scales practices *2013-01-20* Very good and loads of features. I especially like the in app purchases of ABRSM Grade Scales. One criticism is of the need to choose the harmonic vs. melodic form in preferences. Above grade 6 for my instrument (sax) both forms are required. Can you fix this in a future release please and allow us to download the syllabus again when it is corrected. Thanks. Andy. **Developer response:** Harmonic, melodic and natural minors are supported. You can select any combination you need in the Preferences tab. As you mention, above Grade 6 the most common selection would be harmonic AND melodic. ### 5/5 — I like this application. *2013-01-19* I am z classical guitar player for 40 years and still eager to be a bettet player . ScaleHelper is a good tool to develop fundamental skills for both left and right hands to play instruments. It might not be too difficult to get scores over 40. But that is just a starting point. You can create challenging syllabus for your own purposes to further develop your skills. ### 5/5 — It Rocks! *2012-09-28* Unlike other programs, ScaleHelper also grades on intonation and tuning. Its very programmable so you can choose what type of scale to play (e.g. Diminished 7th, Harmonic Minor, etc.). It's convenient to have it on the iPhone to use during band warm-up and fun to share with friends since it can store their profiles too. A must have App for this high school flute player! ## Frequently asked questions about ScaleHelper ### What instruments does ScaleHelper support? ScaleHelper supports a wide range of instruments including Violin, Viola, Cello, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Clarinet, Flute, Oboe, Saxophone, Bassoon, Recorder, Trumpet, Cornet, Trombone, and Horn. A full list is available on their website. ### How does ScaleHelper help with exam preparation? ScaleHelper offers a 'Challenge me' mode where it presents exercises from your chosen syllabus, helping you identify areas needing practice and preparing you for exams from boards like ABRSM, Trinity Guildhall, and MTB. ### Can I use ScaleHelper on multiple devices? ScaleHelper is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It supports multiple users, keeping individual progress for each instrument. ### What is the price of ScaleHelper? ScaleHelper is a paid application priced at $5.99. This price is less than a single music lesson and provides ongoing guidance between lessons. ### How often is ScaleHelper updated? The latest version of ScaleHelper is 4.4.0, last updated on January 6, 2026. Updates typically include new features and improvements based on user feedback. ### Can I share my practice recordings with others using ScaleHelper? Yes, ScaleHelper allows you to save recordings to study later or share with teachers and friends via email. You can also compete with friends on high scores. ### Does ScaleHelper have ads? No, ScaleHelper does not contain advertisements. It is a paid application focused on providing a distraction-free practice environment. ### What musical scales and exercises can I practice with ScaleHelper? ScaleHelper supports a comprehensive list of exercises including major scales, arpeggios, harmonic and melodic minor scales, chromatic scales, dominant sevenths, diminished sevenths, augmented arpeggios, scales in thirds, whole-tone scales, and pentatonic major scales, available from any tonic and across various octaves. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 4.4.0 — 2026-01-06 Updated for iOS 26 ### 4.3.1 — 2025-07-02 Updated the tab used to store recordings. Fixed behaviour in 'Play any scale' mode when a syllabus is selected. Improved performance when switching between users. ### 4.3.0 — 2024-09-02 Selected/detected exercise is used as the starting point for the 'Choose a scale' screen when there is no syllabus selected ### 4.2.2 — 2024-08-18 Added warning in the rare event that the tuning note is not available (strings/brass). ### 4.2.1 — 2024-04-27 Added the current user and instrument information to the Preferences screen ## Apps similar to ScaleHelper | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [JamTracks+ Learn & Play Guitar](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jamtracks-plus-learn-and-play-guitar/id436102935) | 4.5 (757) | Free | Music | | [Guitar Scales & Chords Power](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-scales-and-chords-power/id647000751) | 4.8 (92) | $5.99 | Music | | [Guitar Gravitas: Chords Scales](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-gravitas-chords-scales/id1171417699) | 4.8 (3,896) | Free | Music | | [Guitar Chord Finder : Fabulus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-chord-finder-fabulus/id1559087405) | 4.5 (70) | Free | Music | | [Fret Mastery](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fret-mastery/id6736909089) | — | Free | Music | | [EGK CTransposer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/egk-ctransposer/id6748041656) | — | $3.99 | Music | ## More apps by Richard Williams - [Jazz ScaleHelper](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jazz-scalehelper/id567707566) - [Note Hitter Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-hitter-lite/id592112757) - [Note Hitter Voice Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-hitter-voice-lite/id605792537) All apps by Richard Williams: https://appshunter.io/developer/1792912830 ## Related topics [scales practice](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/scales-practice) --- *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 2026-08-20.*