# Suggester : Chords and Scales — user reviews > 114 indexed App Store user reviews of Suggester by Mathieu Routhier, rated 4.79/5 from 2,098 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/suggester-chords-and-scales/id504740787/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/suggester-chords-and-scales/id504740787.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 1,840 · 4★ 172 · 3★ 36 · 2★ 11 · 1★ 40 ## What do users think of Suggester? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Useful for composing and exploring chords - 👍 Intuitive and easy to use - 🎶 Helps with music theory and understanding chords - 💾 Ability to export MIDI files - 🎹 Great for sketching ideas on the go **Cons** - 🔊 Lack of volume control, app is too loud - 🐛 Bugs and issues with functionality not working - 💰 Some features locked behind paywall **Commonly reported bugs** - Jumping to top of screen every 10 seconds - Crashing and errors when trying to create new documents **Most requested features** - Add ability to change time signatures within a song - Option to include all inversions of chords - Keyboard to modify chords (add/subtract notes, spread notes) - Horizontal chord player instead of vertical - Drop down to see all saved files - Add more scale options like melodic minor and harmonic minor - Allow transposing compositions - Add option to arpeggiate sections - Provide rhythm options to change timing ## Newest reviews (18 of 114) ### 4/5 — This a fab app but... *2024-06-15* 4 stars as it lacks a volume control. it's sooo loud in comparison to other audio apps ### 4/5 — My favorite music app… one small thing *2022-12-23, version 14.1.0* I would love the option to switch time signatures within a song (even if it’s just between sections) - that’s the only real issue. Other than that this is my favorite music app and there’s a reason I’ve used it for years! ### 5/5 — This thing rocks *2022-04-30* Straightforward, easy, creative. Build your song here. Laugh, cry, profit. ### 5/5 — Ridiculously awesome app *2022-03-23* There might be other similar apps out there but the care put in the user experience really stands out. I am a professional music composer and this supports brilliantly my work. Congratulations! Great job. I bought the desktop app I was amazed then I downloaded the iPad app. I was a bit disappointed that I had to pay 20 more dollars but what can I say…it worth it. ### 5/5 — Magnificent *2022-02-12* This app has all the features you could dream of to help you deal with chords. It is a wonderful learning companion for beginners who want to master the complexities of chord names and variations. More advanced players and composers will enjoy the power and flexibility of all its amazing creative tools. I would give 6 stars if I could ! ### 5/5 — Tried them all keep coming back to this app *2022-01-05, version 12.9.0* This is a very useful app. I’ve tried all the chords apps available and several are good but for useability, I keep coming back to this app. I would like to see a few additional features. Please add the ability to arpeggiate a section instead of just everything, can be added in the edit tab. Also some rhythm options would be great. Again could be added per part from edit, where you change timing. Inversions would be nice. Great app. **Developer response:** I’m glad you like the app! Thank you for your feedback. You will be happy to hear that inversions are already in the app. You can find them in the Alter menu, under the voicing a tab. ### 5/5 — Great app *2022-01-05* I would highly recommend this app. Well layout and easy to follow Great work We give new chord progression ideas, voicings and extended chords. 10/10 ### 5/5 — Wow! *2021-12-29* This app is amazing. I’m creating and learning at the same time. ### 5/5 — Brilliant *2021-11-19, version 12.8.3* Belongs in the Pantheon of music apps—it’s most useful composing tool I own. The developer is most attentive to detail and feedback, updating frequently. And not just fixes. New features are added on a regular basis. It’s everything you need to create music. ### 5/5 — Great app for songwriting *2021-11-06* My go to app for figuring out chord progressions. Really useful app for composition. Love how easy it is to locate and use complex chords ### 5/5 — Incredible songwriting tool *2021-10-11* Excellent on iPhone, iPad and Mac ### 5/5 — The fastest full version purchase I’ve ever made *2021-09-16* Think of it less as paying for an app and more as paying money for a robust, accessible, easily navigable dictionary of every dumb music theory concept you forgot the name of until you saw it in a list, along with tons of others that you never even thought to use but want to try now. I felt like I was cheating on a test. Like I’d found a forbidden tome of knowledge. It is every music enthusiast with a terrible memory’s dream come true. Also it exports midi and has ableton live intergration truly you cannot go wrong! ### 5/5 — Brilliant *2021-08-18* Best app for creative composing … period! ### 5/5 — Best Chord Suggester and I’ve tried them all *2021-07-10* With its ability to endlessly and easily provide common to complex chord progressions and then export them to midi files this is a must for musicians ( ands it’s never crashed or lost a single project in 3 years) 6 stars. ### 5/5 — SAVED MY MUSIC CAREER! *2021-05-20, version 12.2.2* I was having trouble finding right chord progressions for my songs, but using this app had really helped me get creative and find exactly what I’m looking for, if your a musician, YOU NEED THIS APP! ### 5/5 — opus *2021-05-15* The developer continues to enhance this great music theory and musically creative app on a regular basis 🙏🙏🏿. I will summarize...you can condense two or three years of music theory into your work flow with this app . The app facilitates coherent expansive possibilities for chord progressions with control of note length ,voicing , even arppegiation and so rapidly assists in developing a robust basis for composition and also gives the ability to explore more adventurous chordal structures . This app facilitates rapid advances in work flow for those with some music theory and those who don’t. It’s easy to use I use this app to experiment with chord substitutions , most of which I don’t currently know so can’t play...this aspect adds novel feeling during composition. Well worth the price for any composer in-fact cheaper than a few greasy chips..a kebab and a smelly taxi home . 🙏🙏🏿👍🎩🦄 ### 5/5 — Great app with room for improvement *2021-04-28, version 11.0.2* Best app for composing chord progressions. Where it could use improvement is on entering the rhythms, it’s a bit tedious. Also someway to pick which chord you start from on playback would be great. If you are working on a long progression it can be tiresome to have to hear the entire part you’re working on over and over just to see what minor rhythm changes will sound like. Though it should be said that w/ the pro version you can just use Suggester as an auv3 midi controller and just punch in the rhythms yourself within a daw. Still very useful app that is totally worth the iap price to upgrade to pro. ### 5/5 — Slick but scale modes are missing *2021-01-01* This app is fantastic in terms of it’s organisation and is intuitive to use. Majority of the melodic minor, harmonic major & minor modes are missing. Hope they will all be included in an update. **Developer response:** Those scales are complete, just like the others... Please contact support to discuss this in more details. Thanks! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Has potential, but… *2021-09-03* I can see this app being great, but so much stuff is locked for the premium version. You can’t even have your key signature be minor without paying up. I tried using the relative major but you can’t make custom chords either. So unless you’re willing to pony up and give them the money, I’d say move on to something else. **Developer response:** You can go a long way with the free version of the app, a lot of things are free to use. However if you want to go further and access the advanced features, you need to purchase the Full Unlock. Are you really sure that deserves a 1-star review? ### 1/5 — Updates have reduced functionality *2020-12-20, version 10.4.2* I was a big fan of this app, but I no longer am. With recent updates, functionality has been removed, especially in the area of being able to choose chords. I used to be able to use 9, 11, 13 chords, can’t anymore. I used to be able to choose sus chords, can’t anymore. I used to be able to add rests, can’t anymore. I guess if you just want to write songs with major and minor chords, have at it. But there are a lot more chords (that used to be available in free version) that are no longer accessible. For example, try to write a jazz tune without the above chords. And before you respond with “well just buy the unlock” I will respond with “why have you taken away these features?” **Developer response:** This review is unfortunately misleading: the app has never removed any functionality. On the contrary, a lot of extra functionality has been gradually added over the years. However it is true that some features are locked in the free version and require an in-app purchase to be used. I put a lot of effort in the development of this app and I will continue to do so. If you want to create jazz songs, I strongly believe it’s a worthy investment. It’s entirely up to you to decide to buy it or not. ### 1/5 — No sound on the app *2020-02-10* The sound is not working!!! **Developer response:** Make sure your volume is turned up and that you did not mute the app by pressing the speaker icon on your bottom left. You can also try pressing Reset Audio in the App Options. Then come back here and give this fine app five stars! ;) ### 1/5 — :( *2019-11-07* This used to be a really good app but most recently when I try to make a new one it just says error??? Pls fix?? **Developer response:** Please contact support and we’ll find out what’s going on. ### 1/5 — Maybe it’s great I don’t know *2019-02-24* I launched the app and thought I’ll see how it works on something so basic as g minor. “This feature is locked “ you can stick it then. There are free online tools of this sort so £7.99 I find expensive. I hope that you will be rewarded accordingly to your greed and won’t earn much. Happy life. ### 2/5 — Nothing seems to work *2023-09-22* Touching the + button as instructed does nothing. Contacting support feature also does not work. So can’t use the app at all. 2 stars are for a good conceptual idea. **Developer response:** Hi! First you need to pick a location for creating your document. By default, a folder on iCloud is created for you. If you don’t want to use iCloud, that’s fine too. You can select a different location by using the browse tab. ### 2/5 — Would be perfect with scales on guitar neck *2019-02-23* Looks good but unless you know your whole guitar neck by heart... this is somewhat worthless for the common person... ### 2/5 — Baffling *2018-12-17* Sorry, maybe I missed a meeting, but I couldn't get this app to open. Tutorial said "press +". Tried that - nothing. Had to delete, sorry. Looks like a great app, though. ### 3/5 — Awesome for idea sketching *2020-05-09, version 9.7.1* Great for sketching ideas. Also had Audiobus support which is great. One suggestion allow live play progression sketching. For example. I like to first tap the chords in a progression and I play around with timing before I “add a chord” to the play list. But I would rather add that performance I.e play my progression live. Instead i have to add each chord and the modify the note length. ### 3/5 — Very Useful, Needs a Couple Important Changes *2019-08-20, version 7.4* I’ve always loved using this app. I’m a student composer and it’s very valuable hearing different voicings of chords in quick succession and brainstorming new material when I can’t be around a piano or guitar. The issue is that the “Borrow” function for utilizing modal mixture only works for the parallel modes of any given scale, and as a composer, it’s frustrating not being able to write a key change or even utilize relative modes of my home scale without having to open a new document. It’s a lot less common for songwriters to borrow from scales in a parallel mode because that fundamentally suggests tonicization of a different key signature (e.g. Borrowing B Lydian chords in a piece with a scale of B Natural Minor would suggest relativity to F# Major rather than a direct relation to B minor.) It’s useful for finding interesting flavors, so I would like for it to remain there, but it would be so convenient to (1) Be able to access F# Phrygian chords when I’m in the parent key of D Major (2) Allow key changes mid document, which would probably alleviate the first problem as well in one swing. I’ve paid for the full version three different times and it is always worth it, just adding this fundamental compositional tool would be very useful, particularly for providing helpful compositional cues to novice songwriters. Looking forward to any further update! 🎶 ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Stellar tool for composing *2023-12-03* Love it ### 5/5 — Best music writing app for all platforms *2023-03-11* I cannot say much more than that. This is the best music writing app on all platforms. I’m not talking DAWS or effects or this or that. I am talking about writing, arranging, finding chords. If you are weak in music theory but can hear your song in your head, this is a must. Great for learning and growing. And it seems better than the last time I used it. As well, I got the message it’s been expanded basically to all platforms. I started with iOS (iPad, iPhone) BUT I will be buying for desktop. More than likely eventually OSX and Windows version. Please support this developer. This is so much better than anything out there. So full of value. I can basically write a whole song and than export the near final version, and use another DAW for the “flavouring” thank you! ### 5/5 — Buy immediately! *2023-03-04* As a typical amateur muso’ I know bits of theory and have read much which I didn’t really absorb. This app has turned theory into practice, I hear and I finally understand. Secondary dominants, leading tone, tri tone subs etc., all right there. Could we have ii/? to go with the V/? That may be an illiterate question, but I’m getting there. Brilliant app, buy > upgrade > experiment > understand (or don’t). ### 5/5 — Really useful for composing and theory *2023-02-22, version 14.1.0* This is probably the most useful chord app for writing songs and exploring chord substitutions. Wish List: 1. Option to include sections with all the inversions of the triad and 7th chords so I don’t have to click through the gui to add inversions. 2. Keyboard to modify the chords - add or subtract notes or spread notes through the keyboard. 3. Horizontal rather vertical chord player. (This might be difficult given the current design.) 4. Drop down from an open state to see all the available saved files. ### 5/5 — Top quality. *2022-12-01* Awesome app. So glad to see PC version released. If purchased here can we have access to PC? Thank you ### 5/5 — Very useful songwriting tool *2022-11-27* Easy to use and navigate. Good way to start off songs. The ability to export the MIDI file is very useful. As a professional music producer I find this a very useful tool. ### 5/5 — Had it for years *2022-10-20* It just keeps getting better! ### 5/5 — Well-designed and easy to use! *2022-08-09* Downloaded it, played with it, purchased it. Worth it for the way it lets you play and around experiment with chords and progressions. The export MIDI feature is handy if you’re working in a DAW as well. People complaining that all the features aren’t available for free are silly. Once you mess with the app, experience the intuitive interface, and realize how much time It can save you, you’ll be screaming SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY! ### 5/5 — Very great *2022-05-19* Build beautifully and effective ### 5/5 — Amazing App!!! *2022-05-07, version 12.12.2* This is an amazing app! I have leaned a lot about chords from using it. But it would be great if there was some way to save progression patterns like the Classic Progressions section. If I see a pattern I like somewhere in the wild it would nice to be able to save it without having to make a whole new document. Otherwise it’s a perfect app! --- *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 2026-06-10.*